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Since 2023, Naval Group has been a sponsor of the Bougainville mission, which aims to study the marine microbiome on a global scale and over several years from French Navy vessels.
► Replay episode 1: Birth of a scientific odyssey to understand the invisible
At the end of 2023, you embarked on a French Navy overseas offshore support and assistance vessel (BSAOM) for two tours of duty lasting 200 days in all. What was your mission?
“The Champlain supplies the Scattered Islands and patrols the southern Indian Ocean to combat drug trafficking and illegal fishing. Whenever the ship was adrift, I took the opportunity to take plankton samples. Once we set off, I performed the filtration and analysis, which could take two to three hours. There were as many scientists as military personnel on the boat and each crew member had a specific role. Mine was that of Deputy Executive Officer and I helped with tasks such as internal and external communications. We also carried out mediation actions to raise awareness of the interest of this global program to measure and protect our oceans.”
What was the crew’s reaction to this scientific mission?
“It was a discovery for many. Not all the sailors developed a deep interest in plankton but most were curious. There was real enthusiasm for the idea that boats could carry out other missions during long transits, whether scientific or even artistic”.
What was your background before embarking on the Champlain?
“After completing a bachelor’s degree at Paris-Saclay University, I obtained a master’s degree in ecology from Sorbonne University, where I specialised in marine ecology in marine stations. It was during these two years that I really found my vocation. Then the Bougainville mission launched its call for applications for the recruitment of VOAs. The jury, recognising my motivation, selected me along with three other candidates out of the fifty candidates at the outset. Military interviews followed and we ultimately underwent scientific training at the marine station of Villefranche-sur-Mer to familiarise ourselves with the instruments of the mission, then at the Naval School of Brest for military training”.
What will you take away from this military training and experience of life on board?
“The French Navy provides a very strong framework and values; this is something I really appreciated. There is an exceptional team spirit and strong bonds are formed. We were never brushed aside on board. This character-building experience confirmed my desire to explore. We were the only scientists on board and had to make our own decisions, even though we had a relay for the mission in mainland France. Today, my fellow VOAs and I miss our life at sea”.
* The current title of Manon’s thesis is “Study of specific microbiome in ocean surface layers and different fractions of plankton size”.
on a global scale and over several years with French Navy vessels.
