SyMEL ensures ornithological expertise by bird studies, the areas where they live, the parameters relative to their uses, to economic activities… The sector covered by SyMEL is the Val de Saire, a sector confronted with problems of coastline erosion/submersion, of a need to manage water levels, salinity…

SyMEL studies the species of birds that could indicate the geomorphological and ecological evolution of the coastal areas. On the study site, the Kentish Plover and the Northern Lapwing are species that could prove sensitive to coastline evolution by modifying their nesting sites. The physical characteristics of the Kentish Plover’s nesting sites, especially the link with sediment conditions, will be studied with the aim of seeing whether coastline changes influence their nesting sites. A similar study of the Northern Lapwing’s nesting sites will be conducted in the marshes behind the dunes.

To establish whether only natural phenomena have an impact on the nesting sites of the studied bird species, the current uses of the sites will be taken into account as well as their impact (disturbances, perturbations, reasons for failure to reproduce…).