MOQQA

Eutrophication is a worldwide societal and environmental issue related to nutrient-rich river inputs. Land-sea modeling is an essential tool to understand the non-linear relationships between nutrient loads and eutrophication symptoms, and to investigate prospective trends. If few initiatives have started to develop land-sea modeling since 2000s, more developments are needed to achieve an integrated land-sea model that could be used to take into account the complexity and dynamic of land-sea socio-ecosystems, disentangle the role of direct anthropogenic pressures and climate change in eutrophication trends, and identify the changes in practices/uses/regulation/system necessary to avoid eutrophication in a context of climate change. Aquatic processes are relatively well constrained, but the choice of terrestrial models, where solutions can be implemented, need to be done with stakeholders. Indeed, improving quantitative modeling through transdisciplinary (participatory) approaches is rare but essential to improve models with local knowledge and foster confidence and understanding of models by stakeholders. Participation is also needed to ensure the co-construction and appropriation of knowledge, the facilitation of dialogue between stakeholders, and the implementation of sustainable management strategies and decision making along the land-sea continuum. The objectives of MOQQA are to develop generic methodologies based on a suite of participatory qualitative and quantitative modeling approaches to (1) understand complex land-sea (environmental and social) relationships, (2) increase non-scientific knowledge integration to improve land-sea modeling, (3) model the cascade of impacts on hydro-biogeochemistry, eutrophication symptoms, food webs and marine resources, (4) investigate conditions for sustainable socio-ecosystem trajectories in the future, and (5) foster co-adaptative management along the land-sea continuum. The methodology aims at being transposable to any land-sea socio-ecosystem and will be first developed in a pilot site, the Bay of Brest and its watersheds. Expected results are (1) a shared qualitative model of the land-sea socio-ecosystem around eutrophication issues integrating view points and representations of a wide diversity of stakeholders, (2) a functional land-sea physical-biogeochemical-ecological model adapted to the Bay of Brest and its watersheds and enriched by local stakeholder knowledge, (3) a list of pertinent and consistent interdisciplinary indicators and scales to qualify the ecological status along the land-sea continuum, (4) a set of potential ecosystem trajectories related to different practices or management strategies, and (5) the identification of a series of blocks and levers for action. Overall, MOQQA aims at providing (6) a transposable participatory methodology based on qualitative and quantitative modeling to help to overpass land/sea dichotomy and be more integrative with local stakeholder. The main expected impacts of MOQUA are methodologic, scientific, societal and pedagogic. MOQQA will develop transposable methodologies through deeply inter and transdisciplinary approaches, in order to improve the understanding of complex socio-ecosystems at the land-sea interface. MOQQA will also foster co-adaptative management, including by proposing a transposable approach of local implementation of European directives grids of indicators. Finally, pedagogic and mediation impacts will arise from the creation of innovative pedagogic tools for agricultural scholars and students, the training of early-career scientists and outreach towards the civil society.