Climate & Biodiversity Initiative

Since 2010, the BNP Paribas Foundation has been supporting research into climate change and biodiversity through its Climate & Biodiversity Initiative international philanthropy programme. The goal? Improving our knowledge of the interactions between climate and biodiversity and the disruption of the climate system, to assess the consequences for our environment and our societies. This enables all stakeholders involved to adapt their behaviour.

Last update: 18 August 2026

Thus far, the Foundation have supported a total of 46 scientific research teams. Find out more about their projects, sorted by type of ecosystem studied.

Ocean and coastal ecosystems: the 11 laureate projects for 2026-2028

The supported projects will help better understand the impacts of climate change on the Ocean, develop concrete solutions for the resilience of marine ecosystems, and involve local communities in the preservation of life:

The laureate projects cover a wide range of geographies (Senegal, Gulf of Guinea, Mediterranean, Arctic, Northeast Pacific, Coral Triangle, Réunion Island…) and topics: marine megafauna, oyster farming, abyssal biodiversity, Arctic microbiome, corals, phytoplankton, benthic organisms, global fisheries…
This diversity illustrates both the urgency to act and the ability of research to shed light on future solutions close to territories, communities, and threatened ecosystems.

ABYSCAPES

Abyss

Studies the resilience of deep-sea biodiversity in the Northeast Pacific, combining genomics, modeling, and ecology to inform conservation strategies.

Project led by Erik Simon-Lledo, managed by Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) ; Spain

CORALRESIST

Corals

Analyzes the resistance mechanisms of corals in the Coral Triangle to climate warming, to guide global conservation efforts.

Project led by Serge Planes, managed by CRIOBE ; France

FishMIP-OSP

Global marine ecosystems

Develops scenarios and simulations to anticipate the future of marine ecosystems and global fisheries, integrating climate and socio-economic dimensions.

Project led by Olivier Maury, managed by the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)-DR Occitanie – MARBEC Laboratory ; France

MARINE MICROSWIMMERS

Microbial biodiversity

Explores how mobile microorganisms enhance the resilience of corals, sponges, and seagrasses, aiming to develop natural solutions for restoring marine ecosystems.

Project led by Nicolas Garcia Seyda, managed by he French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) – Entropie ; France

MED-GUARD

Estuarine ecosystems

Assesses the impact of climate change on Mediterranean groundwater and its microbial biodiversity, to promote sustainable management of coastal areas.

Project led by Virginie Sanial, managed by University of Toulon ; France

MICRO-ARCTIC

Microbial biodiversity

Studies the diversity and adaptation of the Arctic microbiome to warming, to improve climate models and conservation of polar ecosystems.

Project led by Pierre Galand, managed by Sorbonne University ; France

PHYTOSCOPE

Phytoplankton

Observes and models phytoplankton biodiversity in a changing Ocean, to anticipate future developments and guide public policies.

Project led by Roy El Hourany, managed by Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale (ULCO) ; France

SAFEGUARDING OCEANPATH

High seas and coastal ecosystems

Maps and protects the migratory routes of marine megafauna in the Gulf of Guinea, to anticipate climate change impacts and strengthen marine governance.

Project led by Nuno Queiroz, managed by BIOPOLIS Association ; Portugal

SHOW-IT

Small spotted catsharks

Assesses the effects of warming on the development of small spotted catsharks, to better understand their resilience and guide the creation of marine protected areas.

Project led by Ana Verissimo, managed by BIOPOLIS Association ; Portugal

SUPERCOR-AI

Corals

Uses genomics and artificial intelligence to identify and restore corals resistant to bleaching, contributing to reef conservation.

Project led by Emilie Boissin, managed by CORECIF ; France (Réunion Island)

YOKHOSS

Oysters

Develops sustainable and resilient oyster aquaculture in Senegal, combining biodiversity science, nutrition, and health to strengthen food security.

Project led by Maria Darias, managed the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) ; France / Senegal

For more information on each of these 11 projects, the laureate teams, involved partners, and detailed scientific challenges, please find the full press kit here:

Read the press kit

Click to see the past projects on marine ecosystems

COAST-VOC: the influence of coastal ecosystems on climate (led by Florian Roth) – Watch the video
CORESCAM: extreme events and ecosystems (led by Rosa Maria Roman-Cuesta and Miguel Bastos Araujo) – Watch the video
DEEPLIFE: marine animal forests (led by Lorenzo Bramanti) – Watch the video
eFOCE: long-term effects of ocean acidification and experiments in the Mediterranean Sea (led by Jean-Pierre Gattuso) – Watch the video
FLO CHAR: from land to sea, the impact of global warming in the Arctic (led by Bennet Juhls) – Watch the video
NOTION: ocean and food chain (led by Mar Benavides) – Discover the project
PHYTOPLANKTON: will phytoplankton adapt to climate change? (led by Chris Bowler) – Watch the video
REFUGE-ARCTIC: study one of the last seas where the ice never melts (led by Mathieu Ardyna) – Watch the video
REEF Services: measuring and predicting the consequences of global warming on the coral reefs and the services they provide (led by Valeriano Parravicini) – Watch the video
SENtinels of the SEa Ice (SENSEI): measuring the impact of global warming on seabirds and marine mammal that inhabit the Arctic and Antarctic regions or rely on them for their reproduction (led by Christophe Barbraud and Yan Ropert-Coudert) – Watch the video
SOCLIM (Southern Ocean and CLIMate): knowing the Southern ocean better to protect it (led by Stéphane Blain, Hervé Claustre and Sabrina Speich) – Watch the video

Terrestrial ecosystems

Click to see the past projects on terrestrial ecosystems

BIOCLIMATE: forests and biodiversity in the Amazon (led by Jos Barlow) – Watch the video
CAMBIO: new forests (led by Lander Baeten) – Discover the project
FRUIT RESCUE: how will fruit trees withstand climate change? (led by Amandine Cornille) – Watch the video
FUTURE FEAR: climate change, prey and their predators in the African savanna (led by Simon Chamaillé-Jammes and Marion Valeix) – Watch the video
HUM/ANI: health and climate change (led by Eve Miguel) – Discover the project
INVACOST (Invasive Insects and their Cost Following Climate Change): preventing a massive insect invasion (led by Franck Courchamp) – Discover the project
LIFE WITHOUT ICE: melting of glaciers (led by Olivier Dangles and Sophie Cauvy) – Discover the project
MOMMY KNOWS BEST: birds and evolution (led by Céline Teplitsky) – Discover the project
NATURAL FORESTORE: carbon sequestration and storage in Thai rainforests (led by Emmanuel Paradis) – Watch the video
SOCA: SOil CArbon for tropical subsistence farming (led by Lydie Lardy) – Watch the video
THEMES (THE Mystery of the Expanding tropics) (led by Valérie Daux) – Watch the video
TREE BODYGUARDS: trees in the food chain and citizen science (led by Bastien Castagneyrol) – Discover the project
TROPICOL: collecting unprecedented data on tropical climates over the past 800,000 years (led by Marie-Pierre Ledru) – Watch the video

At the poles

Click to see the past projects on the poles

EAIIST: East Antarctic International Ice Sheet Traverse to model the evolution of East Antarctica (led by Barbara Stenni, Joël Savarino and Tas van Ommen) – Watch the video
APT (Acceleration Of Permafrost Thaw By Snow-Vegetation Interactions): Preventing the massive release of CO₂ from the permafrost (led by Florent Dominé) – Watch the video
Ice Memory (formerly Subglacior): retracing climate history through an innovative ice core drilling process in the Antarctic (led by Jérôme Chappellaz) – Watch the video

Data and modelling projects

Click to see the past projects on data and modelling

AAA: access to the climate archives at Fontainebleau – Watch the video
CPATEMP (Continental PAst TEMPeratures since the last glacial cycle and recently developed organic biomarkers): learning from the past to improve climate change forecasting (led par Guillemette Ménot and Edouard Bard) – Watch the video
FATES (FAst climate changes, new tools to understand and simulate The Evolution of the Earth System): studying global warming over thousands of years (led by Valérie Masson-Delmotte) – Watch the video
Joint Attribution of Biopysical and Economic Impacts of Hydroclimatic Extremes: modelling extreme climate change events in Africa and their effects to help populations reduce their exposure to these phenomena (led by Mark New and Friederike Otto) – Watch the video
PRECLIDE: estimating climate change over the next 30 years (led by Laurent Terray) – Watch the video
REIMAGINE: re-imagining climate governance (led by Joost Vervoort) – Watch the video