Welcome to the 3rd Kerguelen Plateau Symposium on Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries

31 March - 2 April 2025 

The Kerguelen Plateau, located in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, is the second-largest submarine plateau in the world. Since its discovery in the 18th century, it has attracted the interest of international fleets seeking to know more about the natural resources, both in the interest of science and commerce.

Both France and Australia have made substantial efforts to better understand the ecosystem, the oceanography and the geology of the region, with a primary focus on sustainable natural resource management and conservation. The intrinsic natural value of the region has been recognized by the designation of Marine Protected Areas and of a UNESCO World heritage site.

The objective of this this third Symposium is to update the status of scientific knowledge on the Kerguelen Plateau and to discuss future science programs in support of ecosystem-based fisheries management and conservation in the region. 

The themes of the 3rd Kerguelen Plateau Symposium are:
1.     Marine geomorphology, oceanography, biogeochemistry and microbiology;
2.     Climate changes and their impacts on marine ecosystems;
3.     Advances in marine ecosystem knowledge/marine food-web;
4.     Developments in fisheries resource assessment, by-catch mitigation and resource management;
5.     Marine policy and spatial planning.

The 3rd Kerguelen Plateau Symposium is organized by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) with the administratif support of the Comité National Français des Recherches Arctiques et Antarctiques (CNFRAA).