Inauguration of the West Guiana Research Station

On October 10, 2023, the CNRS Western Guiana Research Station (SROG) was officially inaugurated in the commune of Awala-Yalimapo.

French Guiana is home to a rich biodiversity, some of which is still poorly understood. The CNRS has been investing in the region for decades in order to develop knowledge and support research efforts. To enrich this dynamic, a project to create a research station was initiated in 2017.

Six years later, the Western Guiana Research Station was officially inaugurated in the commune of Awala-Yalimapo. Ideally located between the mouths of the Maroni and Mana rivers, but also within the Amana national nature reserve and several turtle nesting sites, it should enable a stronger link to be established between the world of research and local stakeholders.

Several research themes will be addressed within this infrastructure: 

• knowledge of marine turtles
• territorial waters and the land-sea continuum in French Guiana,
• monitoring of flora and fauna, in particular populations of highly migratory species and tropical marsh fauna,
• geomorphology and sediment dynamics,
• adaptation to the effects of climate change,
• human and social sciences.

The project has been designed with respect for the environment, emphasizing ecological integration, sobriety, user comfort and ease of operation. The station is also exemplary in terms of waste management and sanitation.

In accordance with its intervention program, OFB can carry out or support research projects on species, environments and uses. By funding this research station, OFB is strengthening its local partnership with the CNRS.