The Place of Nature in Preserving Cultural Heritage and Reconnecting Citizens with their Environment: A Microscopic Approach

Authors

  • Sahima Hamlaoui National Museum of Natural History image/svg+xml
  • Maria Cellamare Phyto-Quality

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.11

Published

2026-03-23

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Sahima Hamlaoui, Maria Cellamare

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

The Place of Nature in Preserving Cultural Heritage and Reconnecting Citizens with their Environment: A Microscopic Approach. (2026). Blue Papers. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.11

Keywords:

Seine River, natural heritage, phytoplankton, biodiversity, citizen science

Abstract

Because of their historical and architectural richness, since 1991 the banks of the Seine in Paris have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, the definition of the historic urban landscape (HUL) emphasizes the interdependence between cultural heritage, the natural environment, and the evolution of urban life. However, underwater, the Seine River abounds of microscopic life constituted by phytoplankton organisms that are essential to aquatic ecosystems. Revealing this invisible life can help raise public awareness of the importance of the living as a natural heritage – similar to cultural heritage. The HUL approach should recognize the value of these autotrophic (self-feeding) microorganisms and the ecosystem services they provide. Several activities within a citizen science project offer the possibility to raise public awareness through plankton observation workshops. This approach also engages citizens in the protection of natural heritage for future generations.

Author Biographies

  • Sahima Hamlaoui, National Museum of Natural History

    Sahima Hamlaoui holds a PhD in the ecology and taxonomy of freshwater phytoplankton (French National Museum of Natural History, Paris). She co-directs the citizen science project “Planktonauts of Île-de-France” (AQUATREND team, BOREA Laboratory - French National Museum of Natural History, Paris) and she is a member of Plankton Planet and the “Nature et Société” association.

  • Maria Cellamare, Phyto-Quality

    Maria Cellamare holds a PhD in the ecology and taxonomy of phytoplankton (University of Bordeaux 1, France). She is the manager of the Phyto-Quality research firm, specializing in the use of phytoplankton as a bioindicator of water quality, and she is a member of Plankton Planet.

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