The Mexican and French governments have signed a cooperation accord "to develop scientific projects, establish an exchange of information and academic personnel, and address matters related to Mexico’s marine ecosystems," officials said Saturday.

The Environment Secretariat, or Semarnat, said in a communique that the pact will permit closer cooperation between Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology (INE) and the French Development Research Institute (IRD).

The head of the IRD, Michel Laurent, and INE director Francisco Barnes Regueiro signed the pact for cooperation in marine science aimed at promoting the sustainable development of Mexico’s seas and coastlines.

"The agreement brings to bear the technical and scientific capabilities of the Cousteau Observatory for carrying out research in marine ecosystems, with expectations of obtaining results by late 2012," Barnes Regueiro said.

The accord will focus on utilizing the scientific capabilities of the Jacques-Yves Cousteau Observatory on the seas and coasts of Mexico, particularly at two locations: Merida in the southeastern state of Yucatan, and La Paz, capital of Baja California Sur, in northwestern Mexico.

Also planned for the future is "making use of academic facilities located at Tuxpan in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz" to widen the scope of joint Mexican and French scientific studies.