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Keywords: Evolutionary Ecology, Ecophysiology, Behavior, Host-Parasite Interactions, Intraspecific variability, Coloration, Pollution, Ecotoxicology, One Health

Main research topics: Evolution of responses to multiple stressors, (Mal)adaptation to pollution, Host-parasites interactions in polluted environments, Causes and consequences of intraspecific variability in a changing world, Wildlife health

Current model species: Fishes! (my favorite right now: gudjeon, brown trout and mosquitofish)

ONGOING PROJECTS

• MICROPOLL TULIP (2023-2024) (co-PI with J White): Pollution and multistress effects on fish-microbiota interactions : from molecules to populations. Funding: Labex TULIP New Frontiers (85 kE)

• ANR JCJC MULTIPAT (2022-2025) (main PI): Multistress effects on trout-pathogen interactions (EDB/LEFE/SETE). Funding: ANR JCJC (287kE)

• POLLPAT (2021-2024) (co-PI: SV Hansson): Effects of metal pollution on the emerging PKD disease in brown trout from the Pyrenees (collaboration LEFE-ENSAT: SV Hansson, S Jean/EDB: L Jacquin, G Loot/SETE: S Blanchet). Funding: UFTMIP/ Région Occitanie (15kE) and PhD grant to L Gouthier (2021-2024)

• ANR POLADAPT (2024-2027) (participant, main PI: E Farcy U Montpellier): Evolutionary effects of organic pollution on Gambusia holbrooki fish (collaboration MARBEC, EDB, LEFE, SETE, IHPE) Funding: ANR

• IUF (2021-2026) (PI): Evolution of responses to multiple stressors in wild fish populations. Funding: IUF Institut Universitaire de France (45 kE)

• GAMBOC (2022-2025) (participant, main PI: E Farcy U Montpellier): (Mal)adaptation to pollution in an invasive fish: the mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki (collaboration MARBEC, EDB, LEFE, SETE, IHPE) Funding: Biodivoc Région Occitanie (330kE)

• MULTIFISH Fyssen (2021) (PI): Effects of multiple stressors on fish behavioral syndromes. Funding: Fyssen fondation (25 kE)

• PKD (2019-2021) (participant, main PIs: S Blanchet, G Loot): determinants of PKD infection in brown trout Salmo trutta (PhD of E Duval, supervised by S Blanchet and E Quéméré). Funding: OFB (278 kE)

• Melanin (transversal side project). Melanin-based coloration in fish and responses to global changes (EDB/LEFE/SETE/INRAE St-Pée). No specific funding so far

PAST PROJECTS

• AX (2017-2021) (co-PIs: L Garmendia, A Lautraite):  Biomarkers of health in PKD-infected trout (SETE/EDB/Fédé Ariège)  Funding: Agence de l'Eau Adour-Garonne (50 kE)

• PHYPAT (2016-2021) (PI): Variability of fish responses to pollution and consequences for fish-pathogen interactions (EDB/Ecolab/SETE Moulis). Funding: Agence de l'Eau Adour-Garonne (158 kE)

• EVOMET (2019) (co-PI with P Laffaille S Jean) : Evolution of fish responses to metal pollution in the Garonne watershed (EDB/Ecolab). Funding: CNRS ZA PYGAR (6kE)

• EC2CO ECODYN (2017-2019) (co-PI with P Laffaille S Jean): Intraspecific variability of responses to multiple stressors (EDB/Ecolab)  Funding: CNRS EC2CO (32 kE)

• FRAIB (2015-2016)  (co-PI with S Blanchet): Complex phenotypes and intraspecific variability in freshwater fishes (EDB/SETE) financement FRAIB (10 kE)

• Idex (2014-2015) (PI): Implications de la variabilité intraspécifique dans les écosystèmes aquatiques. Financement Idex Université de Toulouse (10 kE)

Main research topics

1. Ecophysiology and multiple stressors

Human activities are the sources of multiple abiotic and biotic stressors, and their interactions can lead to unexpected interactive effects. We investigate the effects of multiple stressors (especially pollution, temperature and parasites) on behavioural and physiological defenses in fishes, using a combination of correlative and experimental approaches. We aim at characterizing complex synergistic and antagonistic interactions between stressors, and at understanding physiological and behavioural strategies (suites of correlated stable traits: syndromes) to face these stressors. We also study "ecological surprises", i.e. intraspecific changes caused by perturbations and their potential cascading effects on ecological processes and ecosystem health.

2. Intraspecific variability and microevolution

We are particularly interested in the intraspecific variability of sensitivity to environmental stressors, and the effects of microevolution on this variability. Indeed, physiological and behavioral defenses against stressors are shaped across generations through plastic, genetic and epigenetic effects. We  are interested in the evolutionary mechanisms leading to phenotypic divergence across wild fish and bird populations exposed to different environmental conditions, and their consequences for the ability of wild populations to cope with global changes.

3. Biological significance of animal coloration

Melanin-based coloration is often linked to a whole suite of behavioural and physiological variations in vertebrates, but its adaptive significance is still unclear. Our results suggest that each colored morph could display a specific strategy to cope with stressors and may be specialized in the exploitation of a particular microhabitat. We are now testing the implications of color polymorphism for population resilience to stressors in the context of global change. 

4. One Health and epidemic outbreaks

The recent sanitaty crisis made us realize how little we know about the effects of global changes on epidemic outbreaks. We are now using the "One Health" framework to investigate the close links between human activities, ecosystem health and animal health, using fish-emerging pathogens interactions as a model. For instance, we are testing the effects of environmental stressors such as pollution on salmonid health and dynamics of PKD emerging disease in the Pyrénées mountains. 

5.  Applications for biodiversity management

We work in close collaborations with stakeholders and biodiversity managers (Région Occitanie, DREAL, Fédérations de pêche, Agence de l'Eau Adour-Garonne, OFB), hoping to provide useful knowledge and tools for biodiversity conservation in a changing world. Stay tuned!