Brouage Marsh

Following an initial experiment solely on the coastal fringe of the Brouage Marsh between 2017 and 2022, the site’s perimeter has been significantly expanded, and support for local stakeholders will continue with Adapto+.

Located in the former Saintonge Gulf, the Brouage Marsh has gradually been reclaimed from the sea over the past centuries through progressive sedimentation linked to the Charente River’s alluvium. These natural processes have been complemented by human presence, which has shaped and embanked the area for various activities evolving over time: salt production, oyster farming, and agriculture.

The Life Adapto project (2017 to 2022) enabled collective consideration of several management and coastal evolution scenarios, along with their consequences for the future of the site in the face of climate change. For this second phase, the Life Adapto+ project will play a role in supporting local stakeholders—both public and socio-professional—in developing tools to adapt agricultural practices to climate change, including the possible relocation of certain primary activities (cereal farming, livestock, shellfish farming, etc.). This will be done in full consultation with professionals (farmers, agricultural chambers, local cooperatives, shellfish farmers, Regional Shellfish Committee).

Scientific studies will also complement these perspectives (e.g., physicochemical impact of flooding on agricultural land and its effects on natural habitats and shellfish areas, the impact of sheep grazing near shellfish farming zones, etc.).

Alongside human activities, part of the site also includes a wide range of highly diverse wetlands that support the establishment and development of remarkable biodiversity. Located in the heart of a migratory route, the Brouage Marsh is a site of major importance for the wintering, refuge, and migration of many waterbird species.

Fauna and flora

It is possible to observe 270 bird species, including 69 breeding species. The most common species are wintering or migratory waterbirds, depending on the water depth and salinity. Besides birds, the site hosts 10 species of freshwater fish, 7 species of amphibians (such as the Mediterranean tree frog, Western spadefoot toad, and marbled newt), as well as 7 species of reptiles including the European pond turtle, green and yellow snake, and viperine snake. Twenty-six mammal species breed there (including the European otter and aquatic shrew). In front of the dikes, the flora consists of typical species of Atlantic slikkes (bare mudflats) and schorres (salt marshes), with large stands of spartina grasses, glassworts, sea purslanes, and seablite.