Abstract:
Estuarine and coastal environments are complex environments requiring temporal and spatial approaches at different resolutions to respond to the effects of climate change and of human impacts. The combination of multisensors (satellite, Lidar, Video, pressure sensor, GNSS) makes it possible to observe and understand the hydrodynamic and morphosedimentary mechanisms of these environments. Some fine processes related to the dynamics of fine particles are accessible using long term observation and direct measurements (ADV, Altimeter, LISST, sampling, Obs) in estuarine macrotidal environments studied by M2C laboratory : temporal and spatial dynamics of intertidal mudflats, forcing conditions of resuspension, flocculation/deflocculation in the water column, interaction between fine particles and bacteria.

Bio:
Dr. Robert Lafite, born on 1956, gets his PhD in 1990 at the University of Rouen-Normandy (France) in sedimentology on the dynamics of Suspended Particulate Matter in the macrotidal Seine estuary. Professor position since 2003, his research focus on the current sedimentary dynamics in estuaries, coastal zone and inner continental shelf, mainly in macrotidal environments (i.e. English Channel): sediment mobility, impacts of anthropogenic pressures (gravel extraction, dredging, bacterial contamination) on habitats, cross-shore processes on beaches, flocculation / deflocculation mechanisms, dynamics of maximum turbidity and mudflats in estuaries, sediment records and infilling in megatidal estuaries, effects of environmental and anthropogenic changes, impact of boat waves. These researches have been supported by several European Framework programs on Marine Sciences and Technology and by French programs (CNRS, IPEV, French Research or Defense Ministry, Water Agency, French Agency of Biodiversity). He is author and co-author of 47 international publications, 3 international guest editions (Continental Shelf Research, Estuaries, Hydrobiology). He has supervised 18 PhD students and was member of 47 PhD defense jury. He participated to scientific expertise for evaluation agencies, to review activity for international journals (Estuar. Coasts, ECSS, Frontiers, CSR, Mar. Geol., Hydrology) and has been Member of International and national Scientific Council, Scientific expert for management committee. Since 2012, he is the Director of Laboratory CNRS “Continental and Coastal Morphodynamics” (UMR CNRS 6143 M2C) and previously Head of Geology Department at the University of Rouen (2006-2010) and Coordinator of a Regional Network in Environmental Sciences (2007-2013).
Address: UMR 6143 M2C, Université de Rouen Normandy, 76821, Mont-Saint-Aignan - France
http://www.unicaen.fr/recherche/m2c
email: robert.lafite@univ-rouen.fr, phone: 33 235 148 181