The Research Unit BOREA « Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems » aims at investigating evolutionary biology and ecology of aquatic organisms. The objective is to understand the origin, the role and the evolutionary mechanisms of aquatic biodiversity (from molecules to ecosystems) and to contribute predicting the responses to global, anthropogenic and climatic, changes.

A large array of biological models are studied, including micro-organisms (bacteria and diatoms) and metazoa (such as cnidaria, annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, chondrychthyans, teleosts, …). Models are chosen for their phylogenetic position, biological cycle, ecological and economic relevance.