Planktonautes of Île-de-France (PiF)
A student collects plankton from Lake Créteil during an activity.
The French National Museum of Natural History becomes a new partner of Plankton Planet
“The Planktonauts of Île-de-France“, also known as the PiF, is a project integrated into the Plankton Planet program. The PiF are part of the Science Ensemble community at the heart of the Sorbonne University Alliance. They are supported there by the Science, Culture, and Society department of Sorbonne University. This pilot project aims to implement and combine at the French National Museum of Natural History the traditional naturalist approach with the Plankton Planet methodology, which is based on simple and relevant tools and protocols, to achieve a comprehensive inventory of freshwater plankton identified in the Île-de-France region.
This is a participatory science project that combines rigorous scientific research with a collaborative approach involving various actors from civil society. It thus creates a bridge between academic research and raising public awareness about the challenges of invisible aquatic biodiversity in urban and peri-urban environments. By increasing the number of observation and sampling sites across Île-de-France, a comprehensive map of plankton taxa can be established.
The project brings together researchers, students, citizens, and science communicators, and is organized around three main objectives:
- Generation of new knowledge through the spatio-temporal collection of plankton data
- Study of the dynamics and evolution of freshwater ecosystems through medium- and long-term monitoring of plankton communities
- Contribution to biodiversity conservation, training, awareness, and environmental education
Why focus on freshwater plankton?
Freshwater plankton plays a crucial role in wetland and continental aquatic ecosystems. It is found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, springs, wash-houses, and even groundwater.
Unlike marine plankton, which has been extensively studied, freshwater plankton remains largely unexplored, with scattered data across France. This invisible biodiversity is still poorly understood, especially in urban and peri-urban environments.
Phytoplankton and zooplankton form the base of the food chain and are the first links in the trophic network. They respond quickly to ecological changes in their environment. Changes within plankton communities provide valuable information about the trophic status of water bodies and can indicate ecosystem pollution. Phytoplankton is well known as an excellent indicator of water quality, in addition to producing oxygen and absorbing a significant portion of carbon dioxide.
New insights into the biodiversity and taxonomic and functional structure of zooplankton reveal that it also plays an important role as a bioindicator. Bioindication and biosurveillance are reliable methods for assessing the ecological status of freshwater aquatic environments, supporting ecosystem management and conservation efforts.
Implementation and development of the Plankton Planet methodology in freshwater environments
The first phase of the PiF project currently underway focuses on purely technical aspects and will allow testing and validation of the Plankton Planet tools and protocols—particularly the use of the Curiosity Microscope—as well as optimizing and demonstrating the value of citizen involvement in data collection for inventorying plankton diversity in Île-de-France.
The eco-morpho-genetic data generated will enable long-term, meaningful monitoring of plankton biodiversity, its distribution, and its evolution. These data will be accessible through platforms such as iNaturalist, GeoNat’IdF, GBIF, and INPN, supporting scientific research, environmental management, and political decision-making.
Partners and Participants
A network of committed partners and participants has formed around the PiF project. Beyond close ties with Plankton Planet and its association S4P2, the project is anchored within the Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems research unit (BOREA-UMR 8067), affiliated with the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Sorbonne University (SU), the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), and, secondarily, the University of the French West Indies (UA).
Among these partners are:
- Timarcha: an association based on the Jussieu campus since 1998, aiming to enable all audiences to deepen their naturalist knowledge. It serves as the link between PiF and the naturalist students of ASU and UPEC.
- MOSAIC: a service and support unit for participatory science affiliated with MNHN and Sorbonne University.
- Collectif du Lac de Créteil: a group composed of users, local residents, professionals, artists, associations, companies, etc., whose diverse interests share a common focus—the Créteil Lake and its surroundings.
- Nature et Société: a nonprofit association in the Île-de-France region managing the Maison de la Nature on the edge of Créteil Lake.
- Maison Paris Nature of the Parc Floral de Paris.
- Maisons de l’Environnement of Maisons-Alfort.
- Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant de la Bièvre (SMBVB).
- Syndicat de l’Orge.
- Cluster Eau Milieux Sols.
- Collège George Sand, Paris — Ms. Alissia Luc-Peyraud (Earth and Life Sciences teacher).
- Collège Wanda Landowska, Saint-Leu-La-Forêt (95) — Ms. Amélie Lefort (English teacher and Nature Club coordinator).
- Collège Saint Exupéry, Noisy-le-Grand (93) — Mr. Hicham Khattabi (Earth and Life Sciences teacher).
- Lycée Léon Blum, Créteil (94) — Mr. Alexandre Favard (Earth and Life Sciences teacher).
- Cap Nature, Le bateau sur l’eau: Mr. Antoine Chaumeil (boatman and activity leader).
- Syndicat Marne Vive.
- Grand Paris Sud Est Avenir (GPSEA).
- Paris & Métropole Aménagement (P&MA).
The PiF Educational Workshops
From an educational perspective, the Planktonauts of Île-de-France project offers a hands-on scientific research experience to middle school, high school, and university students, aiming to inspire interest in ecology, taxonomy, and aquatic biology. It also raises public awareness about the importance of invisible biodiversity (the microbiome), which is often overlooked despite being predominant in our everyday environment, fostering a broader and deeper ecological consciousness. Educational workshops are offered to students, associations, community groups, local facilitators, and waterbody managers, among others.
Plankton workshop with a 6th-grade class from George Sand Middle School (Paris) in November 2024).
Educational materials and tools tailored to the target audience are currently being developed, including simplified plankton identification keys. The sites explored in Île-de-France will produce a comprehensive Atlas of biodiversity, providing valuable information on species distribution and aquatic connectivity.
From a societal perspective, the PiF project democratizes plankton research by integrating microscopic biodiversity into urban culture and everyday life.
Collectif du Lac de Créteil and Alexandre Fayard (Earth and Life Sciences teacher) at Léon Blum High School (Créteil) in November 2024.
Plankton discovery workshop at Lake Créteil for UPEC students at the Maison de la Nature in February 2025.
Plankton discovery workshop of the Marne River at the Maison de l’Environnement in Maisons-Alfort in February 2025.
The Planktonauts of Île-de-France organize and take part in awareness events about the role and biodiversity of plankton and its importance in aquatic ecosystems across Île-de-France.
By involving people of all ages, the PiF project aims to position plankton as a cornerstone of the balance in aquatic ecosystems, bridging civil society and invisible biodiversity. Our ambition is to train citizen scientists and empower them to monitor and analyze the invisible aquatic life around them, thereby promoting better management of urban and peri-urban ecosystems.
National Museum of Natural History Science Festival in October 2024.
Île-de-France Plankton Discovery Workshop — “La Mer en Tournée 2025” at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, February 2025.
Plankton observed in Île-de-France
The Planktonauts of Île-de-France on iNaturalist
All plankton observations from Île-de-France within the PiF project are shared collaboratively on the iNaturalist platform. In doing so, the Planktonauts of Île-de-France are paving the way for the growing international community of planktonauts involved in the Plankton Planet program.
