Presentation

Missions

The BOREA “Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems” Lab aims to investigate biology and ecology of aquatic organisms and habitats in natural and impacted ecosystems. Using a transdisciplinary and integrative approach, the objective is to understand the origin, the role and the evolutionary mechanisms in aquatic biodiversity (from molecules to ecosystems), the interactions (i) between organisms and (ii) with their environment, as a response to global anthropogenic and climatic changes.

A large array of biological models is studied, including micro-organisms (bacteria and diatoms) and metazoa (such as cnidaria, annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, chondrichthyans, teleosts…) selected for their phylogenetic positions, their biological cycles and their ecological and economic relevancies.

The BOREA’s Lab covers a large spectrum of aquatic ecosystems: oceanic, coastal and freshwater, hydro-systems, temperate, tropical and arctic regions as well as “natural” and anthropised environments.

With a large range of scientific disciplines, BOREA is built on interdisciplinarity and promote the development of complementary and integrated studies on both the diversity and evolution of aquatic organisms and ecosystems: biochemistry, genomics, molecular and cellular biology, “evolution ecology and development”, endocrinology, ecophysiology, ecotoxicology systematics, phylogeny, phylogeography, functional ecology, modelling, community ecology, biogeography, macroecology.

Fundamental research carried out at BOREA opens the way to a wide variety of expertise and research valorisations, such as: - Development and management of collections; - Taxonomy and inventories of aquatic biodiversity, databases; - Establishment of bioindicators for species and ecosystems (evaluation and prediction); - Preservation and management of aquatic biodiversity ; - Development and diversification of aquaculture (for conservation or production) ; - Marine biotechnologies (bioactive molecules, nutraceutics, biomaterials, seafood traceability).

Affiliations

The BOREA’s Lab is affiliated to the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), the National Centre of Scientific Research (UMR CNRS 8067) the University of Caen Normandie (UCN), the Sorbonne University (SU), the French Institute for Research and Development (IRD 207), as well the University of Antilles (UA).

Locations

The BOREA’s Lab has several locations in: (i) Paris, “Jardin des Plantes” (MNHN) and Jussieu (Sorbonne University) Campuses, (ii) Caen, UCN Campus, (iii) Concarneau and (iv) Dinard, two MNHN marine stations, (v) Luc-sur-Mer, UCN marine station, and (vi) Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe and Schoelcher, Martinique two UA campuses. As part of the policy framework of cooperation (IRD), staff members are also assigned in Latin America Universities and research centres.

Laboratory address

Laboratory of biology of aquatic organisms and ecosystems, MNHN, CNRS 8067, SU, IRD 207, UCN, UA Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 43 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. Phone : 01.40.79.48.40