The association Seatizens for Plankton Planet (S4P2)
Why an association?
The Seatizens for Plankton Planet association finds its origins in a scientific and human adventure that began in 2015-2016 with the pilot phase of the Plankton Planet project, conceived and led by Colomban de Vargas and managed by Calixe Berger. This visionary project is based on a participatory and frugal approach to studying plankton ecosystems on a global scale.
The project was born out of encounters with passionate sailors, including Carole Beaumont, an Inserm researcher and volunteer for the Sail the World association, and her husband Daniel. Aboard their sailboat Folligou, they became the first “planktonauts.” Along with about twenty other volunteer crews, they embarked with the first versions of frugal sampling kits, followed the protocol, and proved the feasibility of this innovative approach (see details here). Their work resulted in a scientific proof-of-concept publication in 2022 (de Vargas et al., Frontiers in Marine Science).
In June 2016, faced with challenges in structuring a project of this scale—sometimes slowed down by the administrative constraints of research institutions—the Seatizens for Plankton Planet (S4P2) association was created. The founding general assembly laid the foundations for a structure dedicated to coordinating the efforts of sailors and promoting their contributions. The association’s first Board included Emmanuel Boss (Maine, USA), Colomban de Vargas (France), and Emmanuel Malpot (New Zealand).
A restitution day for the pilot phase, organized by the association, quickly allowed planktonauts to share their experiences with the Plankton Planet scientists. This meeting led to improvements in tools and protocols and also highlighted the aesthetic potential of plankton, sparking the idea of developing artistic media to raise public awareness.
Today, Seatizens for Plankton Planet has the following missions:
- Recruiting seatizens, whether they are sailors, mariners, scientists, fishers, aquaculturists, or simply citizens.
- Training them and providing them with the necessary frugal tools for sample collection and analysis, such as plankton sampling kits, the Curiosity-type microscope, and a probe for measuring ocean biophysical parameters (salinity, temperature, etc.).
- Collecting all the data, images, and samples obtained by seatizens and ensuring their delivery to scientists responsible for their analysis.
The Association’s Board
Carole Beaumont
President
Damien Guiffant
Treasurer
Gilles Mirambeau Secretary