Loire Estuary

The Loire Estuary site has a unique dimension: spanning over 5,500 hectares, it is characterized by a rich network of wetlands, part of which is used for agriculture—mainly livestock farming. Within this site, four areas are or will be part of the Adapto+ Loire Estuary initiative.

Corsept, the westernmost area on the south bank of the estuary between the communes of Paimboeuf and Saint-Brévin, underwent a series of actions carried out between 2022 and 2024 as part of the Adapto Estuary Corsept project. Studying the expected changes at the land-sea interface, this approach highlighted adaptation pathways to rising sea levels for these areas, which include hay meadows, pathways, and nearby buildings.

Lavau-sur-Loire is one of the three new areas integrated into the LIFE Adapto+ project. This site, covering around 2,700 hectares and encompassing the former islands of North Loire, is located 19 km from Saint-Nazaire and 33 km from Nantes. To the east are Massereau-Migron, including the former islands of South Loire, and the Percée de Buzay, together covering an additional 2,200 hectares. These sites are partly designated within the European Natura 2000 network. These three new sites, where changes are already noticeable (vegetation, landscapes, and evolving uses), will be subject to further study within the LIFE Adapto+ framework.

Fauna and flora

It is possible to observe many species across these four sites, such as the European otter, Alpine longhorn beetle, stag beetle, great crested newt, sea and river lamprey, twaite shad, European eel, several species of bats including the barbastelle, lesser horseshoe bat, and brown long-eared bat, as well as numerous bird species: black-winged stilt, pied avocet, golden plover, Eurasian spoonbill, black-tailed godwit, northern shoveler, marsh snipe, common shelduck, bluethroat, marsh harrier, aquatic warbler, and reed warbler…