Dr Patrick Grillas (PhD, Rennes University) is the programme director of the Tour du Valat, a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands (www.tourduvalat.org) based in the Camargue (Rhône delta, Southern France). He is an expert on aquatic plants and his main research interests are in wetland ecology, the dynamics of plant communities, the management of vegetation, the interaction between vegetation and fauna, restoration ecology and conservation biology. He is working on a wide range of wetland and aquatic ecosystems from Mediterranean temporary ponds, to reedbeds, coastal lagoons and riverine forests. He has extensive experience with projects in various Mediterranean countries including France, Greece, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Albania, Malta, Spain.
In the LIFE Prespa Waterbirds project his role is to understand the changes in the structure and species composition of Prespa reedbeds, to assess the impact of management on the structure of the reedbeds and disseminate the results.