
Centre de recherche
Station marine de Dinard
The Dinard Marine Station, a Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle site located in Brittany, is the heir to a long history, marked by the influence of Commandant Charcot and a cohort of renowned scientists. Against the backdrop of biodiversity loss and global change, the station studies marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they harbour and how they react to environmental pressures, whether or not these pressures are linked to human activities.
History of the Dinard Marine Station
The Dinard Marine Station is the heir to a marine biology station that the Muséum set up in 1881 on the isle of Tatihou in Normandy, before moving it to Saint-Servan in the Anse Solidor neighborhood of Saint-Malo at the behest of Commandant Charcot. The Pourquoi-Pas? was moored for the occasion in the port of Saint-Servan and even served as a laboratory for the station's scientists.
By 1935, the marine station with its laboratory, aquarium, collections and books had outgrown the premises and was moved to the magnificent villa Bric-à-Brac in Dinard, where it would remain for over seven decades.
In 2008, a new complex was specially built to house the marine station and provide researchers with modern working facilities. The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle was the project's initiator, leader and main funder, with the support of the local authorities (Conseil Régional de Bretagne, Conseil Général d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Pays de Saint-Malo, Ville de Dinard) as well as Ifremer, which, as a partner in the construction project, will establish its "Laboratoire Environnement Ressources Bretagne Nord" at the new Dinard Marine Station.
Exploring marine biodiversity and ecosystems
Scientists at the Dinard Marine Station study coastal and estuarine aquatic ecosystems, the biodiversity they host, and the changes they undergo as a result of external pressures, particularly of anthropogenic origin, whether local or more global. The concept of socio-ecosystems and the monitoring of their co-evolution play a key role in the station's activities and research.
The station is a hub of sea-based and experimental resources for the Muséum and its partners. It participates in national marine observation networks and supports public policies (fisheries management, monitoring of European directives, including the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive).
The station carries out research projects for three research units, and accommodates several of their researchers on a permanent basis:
- l’Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité - ISYEB;
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques – BOREA;
- PatriNat, le centre d’expertise et de données sur le patrimoine naturel.
It also hosts two of its own teams who carry out expert appraisal work.
Issues at the heart of societal concerns
The work carried out at the Dinard Marine Station is firmly in line with the major concerns of society today, the erosion of biodiversity, global change and the direct impact of human activities at sea.
Scientific research, observation and expertise are the keywords for the work carried out at the station. The aim is to explore marine ecosystems and decipher the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and environmental pressures.
This research revolves around key themes:
- amphihaline and coastal-dependent migratory fishes, which are studied using a variety of complementary approaches (habitat modelling, acoustic and satellite telemetry, otolithometry, microchemistry, stable isotope analysis and population genetics) and at different geographical and temporal scales;
- biodiversity of rocky habitats, by exploring and monitoring fish communities in intertidal zones, rocky coastal habitats and seagrass meadows (visual counts through diving and underwater photography, environmental DNA, echo sounding, etc.);
- marine mammals, sentinel species for environmental quality, studied using a molecular taxonomy approach, including specific inventories based on environmental DNA, as well as a population genetics approach;
- benthic habitats and biodiversity, within the dual framework of the Water Framework Directive and the BenthOBS network of the Ilico research infrastructure, and based on the know-how of the Station's benthologists in field sampling and taxonomic analysis of benthic macrofauna;
- monitoring of elasmobranch fishing (sharks, rays, etc.), as part of the European Data Collection Framework, which aims to collect, analyse and share data on fishing. Analysis of elasmobranch catches in fisheries and auctions also helps to identify the risks of confusing species, some of which are endangered.
A station firmly rooted in the region, but also expanding internationally
The work carried out at the Dinard Marine Station focuses mainly on the Normando-Breton Gulf (Gulf of Saint Malo), and in particular the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, the Chausey archipelago and the La Rance tidal basin; and more broadly on the estuaries of Brittany and western France (Loire, Seine).
Expertise is also expanding to cover other temperate, tropical and polar ecosystems, and several projects are being carried out in Overseas France (Guadeloupe, Réunion, etc.) and internationally (Europe, Japan, Madagascar, etc.).
Renowned internationally, the station's scientists stay abreast of the local and national context, as the knowledge they acquire helps local authorities, elected officials and administrations in their decision-making, and supports the implementation of public policies. The aim is to be ready to respond to society's demands for expertise and sustainable development of marine resources.
For example, a number of studies are being carried out at the station on the impact of offshore wind farms, and several members of the Dinard Marine Station are participating as experts in national discussions in France on this subject.
The station and participatory science
One of the objectives of the Dinard Marine Station is to raise public awareness of marine ecosystems, their biodiversity and the environmental threats they face. The coastal area, its resources and the issues involved in preserving it are of particular concern.
La station marine de Dinard développe, depuis plusieurs années, en commun avec l’association Planète mer un programme de sciences participatives portant sur la biologie du littoral BIOLIT. Ce programme de sciences participatives s’inscrit dans le programme Vigie-Nature du Muséum.
For several years now, the Dinard Marine Station has been working with the association Planète mer on a participatory science programme that focuses on shoreline biology (BIOLIT). This citizen science programme is part of the Muséum's Vigie-Nature programme.
Participatory science also contributes to marine mammal studies. The activities of the association Al Lark in the Normano-Breton Gulf, Picardie Nature in Normandy, Longitude 181 in Mauritius and the Observatoire des Mammifères Marins de l'Archipel Guadeloupéen (OMMAG) in the West Indies are particularly important for projects carried out at the station.
Education at the Dinard Marine Station
Training through research is highly developed at the Dinard Marine Station: doctoral students carry out thesis work here, and Masters 1 and 2 students are regularly hosted for internships.
Every year, the Dinard Marine Station also hosts field courses, either on foot or under water, enabling students to discover the diversity of coastal environments and the societal issues at stake in the Dinard region. These courses are part of Masters programmes at the Muséum, the University of Rennes-I and the University of La Rochelle.
And, as the future also relies on the very young, the station aims to inspire and nurture vocations. Every year it opens its doors to a small group of school children for their tenth-year work placement.

Chalutier Louis Fages - Virage du Chalut à Perche - Station de marine de Dinard
© MNHN - P. Feunteun