3 questions to Sybill Henry

Sybill Henry is in charge of studies and scientific mediation within the France Energies Marines team. As part of the preparation of our annual report, we interviewed her about the COME3T initiative led by our Institute.

What does the COME3T approach cover?

This is a scientific mediation project on the environmental issues associated with the development of offshore renewable energies. The aim is to make available to stakeholders and the general public the knowledge available to scientific experts on various environmental issues linked to ORE, such as the effects generated by noise emissions or the introduction of human structures into the marine environment. In the 2023 – 2024 cycle of the project, we also intend to integrate the socio-economic issues raised by the development of offshore wind farms, such as maritime space planning and the reconciliation of uses.

How are the topics selected and how do you get involved in the project?

A steering committee, made up of a wide range of public and private players involved in the ORE sector, proposes the priority issues to be addressed. Most of these are linked to the issues raised by civil society. A call for experts is then organised to bring together scientists who are specialists in the subject, neutral and independent. This is one of the cornerstones of the project. As part of this process, I organise the various phases of the project, coordinate the steering committee, liaise between the various stakeholders, and lead the expert committee workshops to consider and summarise the scientific content to be disseminated.

How is this work presented?

We make the most of the knowledge contributed by the experts in information bulletins of around fifteen pages, which explain the subject and provide answers to the questions raised, based on the current state of knowledge. Some subjects are difficult to summarise and explain in a few pages without distorting the scientific message. The difficulty lies in bridging the gap between highly specialised scientific expertise and the expectations of the steering committee in terms of popularisation. Richly illustrated, the bulletins produced are objects of scientific mediation based on which we produce popularisation videos in very short formats aimed at a wider public less aware of the environmental issues surrounding ORE.

Photo credit: France Energies Marines