Headland Rip Modelling at a Natural Beach under High-Energy Wave Conditions
A XBeach surfbeat model is used to explore the dynamics of natural headland rip circulation under a broad range of incident wave conditions and tide level. The model was calibrated and extensively validated against measurements collected in the vicinity of a 500-m rocky headland. Modelled bulk hydrodynamic quantities were in good agreement with measurements for two wave events during which deflection rips were captured. In particular, the model was able to reproduce the tidal modulation and very-low-frequency fluctuations (≈1 h period) of the deflection rip during the 4-m wave event. For that event, the synoptic flow behaviour shows the large spatial coverage of the rip which extended 1600 m offshore at low tide, when the surf zone limit extends beyond the headland tip. These results emphasize a deflection mechanism different from conceptualised deflection mechanisms based on the boundary length to surf zone width ratio. Further simulations indicate that the adjacent embayment is responsible for the seaward extent of the rip under energetic wave conditions. The present study shows that the circulation patterns along natural rugged coastlines are strongly controlled by the natural variability of the coastal morphology, including headland shape and adjacent embayments, which has implications on headland bypassing expressions.
(Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. vol. 9, n° 2077-1312, pp. 1161, 16/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
The role of physical disturbance for litter decomposition and nutrient cycling in coastal sand dunes
Disturbance increases ecosystem functioning in productive habitats but its effect in stressful conditions is less documented, although this is crucial for understanding the resilience of disturbed systems to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Our goal is to assess the influence of physical disturbance for ecosystem functioning in coastal sand dunes. We set up an experimental design, including two treatments in four blocks, in a four km-long dune site from South West France. We simulated physical disturbance from marine and wind origin, digging Experimental Notches (EN), in the incipient (West EN treatment) and established foredunes (East EN treatment), respectively and compared the effects of EN to controls along transects including 13 positions from the beach to the transition dune behind ENs. We sampled litter decomposition rate, elevation variation, wind abrasion, sand grain size and vegetation composition. We also used drones to quantify sand deposition sheets during severe winter storms. Litter decomposition rate was the highest where sand accumulated the most, at the ecotone between the established foredune and transition dune and in the East EN treatment. This increase of ecosystem functioning was correlated to wind patterns. However, there was also a strong alongshore variability, with important sand deposition sheets occurring in some blocks depending on dune geomorphology. Vegetation composition was mainly influenced by shoreline distance, but also by the block and EN treatment, with a strong interaction between these three effects. We conclude that physical disturbance increase ecosystem functioning in the stressful conditions of the Atlantic sand dunes, only when sand accumulates, whereas excessive disturbances enhancing sand erosion are not favorable for ecosystem functioning.
(Ecological Engineering. vol. 162, n° 0925-8574, pp. 106181, 16/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ONF
Contaminants of emerging concern in the Seine river basin: Overview of recent research
For over 30 years, the sources and the transfer dynamics of micropollutants have been investigated in the PIREN-Seine programme. Recent works included a wide range of chemicals and biological contaminants of emerging concern (i.e. contaminants whose occurrence, fate and impact are scarcely documented). This chapter presents a brief overview of research recently conducted on contaminants as diverse as macro- and microplastics, poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), pathogenic protozoa, antibiotics and the associated antibiotic resistance. The multiscalar study of plastics and PFASs at a large spatial scale is rare; the results produced in recent years on the Seine River catchment have provided an original contribution to the investigation of the dynamics of these contaminants in urban environments. The results also highlighted that pathogenic protozoa are ubiquitous in the Seine River basin and that the contamination of bivalves such as Dreissena polymorpha could reflect the ambient biological contamination of watercourses. The widespread occurrence of antibiotics in the Seine River was demonstrated, and it was shown that the resistome of biofilms in highly urbanised rivers constitutes a microenvironment where genetic support for antibiotic resistance (clinical integrons) and resistance genes for trace metals are concentrated.
(. vol. 90, pp. 355-380, 16/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LEESU, ENPC, UPEC UP12, M2C, UNICAEN, NU, INSU - CNRS, UNIROUEN, NU, CNRS, SEBIO, INERIS, URCA, ULH, NU, URCA, CNRS, GERS-LEE, METIS, EPHE, PSL, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, SIAAP
Holocene polynya dynamics and their interaction with oceanic heat transport in northernmost Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay hosts the largest and most productive of the Arctic polynyas: the North Water (NOW). Despite its significance and active role in water mass formation, the history of the NOW beyond the observational era remains poorly known. We reconcile the previously unassessed relationship between long-term NOW dynamics and ocean conditions by applying a multiproxy approach to two marine sediment cores from the region that, together, span the Holocene. Declining influence of Atlantic Water in the NOW is coeval with regional records that indicate the inception of a strong and recurrent polynya from ~ 4400 yrs BP, in line with Neoglacial cooling. During warmer Holocene intervals such as the Roman Warm Period, a weaker NOW is evident, and its reduced capacity to influence bottom ocean conditions facilitated northward penetration of Atlantic Water. Future warming in the Arctic may have negative consequences for this vital biological oasis, with the potential knock-on effect of warm water penetration further north and intensified melt of the marine-terminating glaciers that flank the coast of northwest Greenland.
(Scientific Reports. vol. 11, pp. 10095, 16/10/2026)
GEUS, UNB, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DMI, IGN, UCPH, DGD.REVE, MNHN, LOCEAN-VOG, LOCEAN, MNHN, IRD, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, IPSL (FR_636), ENS-PSL, UVSQ, CEA, INSU - CNRS, X, CNES, SU, CNRS, UPCité, ULaval, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ETH Zürich
Prospective en sciences de la planète et de l’univers
Lancer une prospective scientifique transverse à tout l’Institut national des sciences de l’Univers faisait partie des actions que je m’étais engagées à mener lorsque j’ai présenté ma candidature à la direction au printemps 2018. Ma conviction était, et est toujours, qu’un tel exercice de réflexion collective est primordial en interne à l’INSU pour développer la transversalité et éviter le cloisonnement des disciplines, au sein du CNRS pour renforcer interdisciplinarité et les liens avec les autres instituts, et vis-à-vis de nos partenaires pour partager les grands défis scientifiques et renforcer la stratégie nationale en sciences de l’Univers et de la planète. Si l’idée semble simple, la mise en oeuvre d’une telle prospective nationale pour la premièrefois s’est avérée complexe et je remercie Cyril Moulin d’avoir accepté de la coordonner avec constance et ténacité pendant 2 années : depuis son lancement, à l’occasion d’une réunion des directeurs et directrices d’OSU en octobre 2018, jusqu’au colloque de restitution en novembre 2020, et enfin en finalisant ce document. Comme vous l’imaginez, la crise sanitaire qui a frappé le monde début 2020 et les confinements successifs n’ont pas facilité ce travail basé sur des échanges et des ateliers dont quelques-uns n’ont pas pu se tenir en présentiel. Malgré l’ambition du projet et la complexité du contexte, force est de reconnaître que cette première prospective a été un succès, au-delà même de nos espérances initiales. Elle le doit en premier lieu à l’implication remarquable de vous toutes et tous, chercheurs, ingénieurs et techniciens de l’INSU et de nos partenaires, qui avez répondu présent pourorganiser et participer aux discussions et aux ateliers de chacun des défis identifiés. Je vous en remercie chaleureusement. Je tiens aussi à remercier tout particulièrement les directeurs et directrices des OSU qui ont depuis le début accompagné avec enthousiasme ce projet en animant les discussionsen interne pour faire remonter des défis, puis en organisant et en accueillant les ateliers nationaux de 2-3 jours au sein de leur structure. Ce furent des journées d’échanges denses et excitantes. Je remercie aussi chaleureusement les animateurs scientifiques qui ont construit avec ténacité et conviction le programme des ateliers, coordonné les discussions et synthétisé les échanges pour en tirer les questions prioritaires et proposer des actions à mettreen oeuvre pour renforcer la transversalité au sein de l’INSU et aborder les grands défis scientifiques à venir. Le présent document reprend, nous l’espérons, l’essentiel de foisonnante matière de ces échanges. Un grand merci aussi à l’équipe de direction de l’INSU au sein de laquelle l’enthousiasme et la motivation permanente ont été un grand soutien pour porter cette prospective. Chaque DAS a contribué à cette réussite, c’est ce qui fait aussi la force de notre institut. Mes remerciements vont aussi à la cellule de communication de l’INSU qui nous a permis de tenir un colloque final de grande qualité en virtuel. Je conclurai ces remerciements en saluant le soutien et l’implication des organismes partenaires de l’INSU qui ont accompagné cette prospective pendant les deux ans au sein du comité inter-organismes (CIO). Cet exercice dépassait le cadre de l’INSU et je leur suis infiniment reconnaissant d’y avoir pleinement participé. Cette prospective ouvre des perspectives communes qui, j’en suis persuadé, vont nous donner un cadre de collaboration renouvelé pour relever ensemble les défis qui nous attendent en sciences de la planète et de l’Univers.
(16/10/2026)
INSU - CNRS, LAM, AMU, INSU - CNRS, CNES, CNRS, IPAG, INSU - CNRS, CNES, CNRS, Fédération OSUG, UGA, IRAP, UT3, Comue de Toulouse, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, GEOAZUR 7329, INSU - CNRS, UniCA, CNRS, IRD [Occitanie], IRD, UniCA, LMV, IRD, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UCA, LOCEAN-NEMO R&D, LOCEAN, MNHN, IRD, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, IPSL (FR_636), ENS-PSL, UVSQ, CEA, INSU - CNRS, X, CNES, SU, CNRS, UPCité, iSTeP, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, ICOS-RAMCES, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, LOPS, IRD, IFREMER, INSU - CNRS, UBO EPE, CNRS, IGE, IRD, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, Fédération OSUG, UGA, Grenoble INP, UGA, LCE, CNRS, UMLP, LGGE, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, OSUG, Grenoble INP, INSU - CNRS, IRSTEA, USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry], CNRS, UGA [2016-2019], IPEV, M.E.N.E.S.R., ULaval, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, AMURE, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, UBO EPE, IUEM, IRD, INSU - CNRS, UBO EPE, CNRS, UR ETBX, INRAE, IPREM, UPPA, INC-CNRS, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, M2C, UNICAEN, NU, INSU - CNRS, UNIROUEN, NU, CNRS, OCEANIS, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, ObAS, UNISTRA, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, EOST, UNISTRA, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ITES, ENGEES, UNISTRA, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UNISTRA, ISTerre, IRD, INSU - CNRS, USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry], CNRS, Fédération OSUG, UGA
Response of water-exchange capacity to human interventions in Jiaozhou Bay, China
Intensive anthropogenic activities, land reclamation, a cross-bay bridge construction, and the correction of Red Island have significantly changed the topography of Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) in northern China over the last decades. To quantify the effects of these modifications on the water-exchange capacity of the bay, the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model was used to calculate basin, regional and local residence time (RT) in the years 1935, 1966, 1986, 2000, 2008, and 2013, covering the periods of significant land reclamation. The bridge construction and a government plan to restore Red Island were also included in additional modelling scenarios. The regional RT increased significantly between 1935 and 1986, by 77% in the northeast, 40% in the west and 56% in the north-bridge regions, concurrent with the largest land reclamation. The regional RT continued to increase from 1986 to 2000 in the northeast and north-bridge regions but decreased slightly from 2000. These patterns can be explained by the general decreasing trend of the tidal prism from 1935 to 2000, up to 66% in the northeast region. A significant decrease in residual currents from 1935 to 1966 probably also contributed to explain this trend. The bridge construction had only a limited effect on regional RT. The restoration of Red Island would have reduced the regional RT in the northeast region from 83 to 60 days. The simulation of tracer transport, and therefore calculation of local RT, was found to be sensitive to the scheme used to formulate the horizontal diffusion coefficient, which should be taking into account when comparing results from different model configurations.
(Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. vol. 249, n° 0272-7714, pp. 107088, 16/10/2026)
UNSW, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Fluorescence analysis allows to predict the oxidative capacity of humic quinones in dissolved organic matter: implication for pollutant degradation
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) controls the degradation and sequestration of aquatic pollutants and, in turn, water quality. In particular, pollutant degradation is performed by oxidant species that are generated by exposure of DOM to solar light, yet, since DOM is a very complex mixture of poorly known substances, the relationships between potential oxidant precursors in DOM and their oxydative capacity is poorly known. Here, we hypothesized that production of oxidant species could be predicted using fluorescence analysis. We analysed water samples from an alluvial plain by fluorescence spectroscopy; the three-dimensional spectra were then decomposed into seven individual components using a multi-way algorithm. Components include a protein-like fluorophore, e.g. tryptophan-like and tyrosine-like, three humic fluorophores, 2-naphthoxyacetic acid, and a by-product. We compared component levels with the ability of water samples to generate reactive species under solar light. The results show a strong correlation between reactive species production and the intensity of two humic-like fluorophores assigned to reduced quinones. Monitoring these fluorophores should thus allow to predict the ability of DOM degradation of pollutants in surface waters.
(Environmental Chemistry Letters. vol. 19, n° 1610-3653, pp. 1857-1863, 16/10/2026)
ICCF, SIGMA Clermont, INC-CNRS, UCA [2017-2020], CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, GEOLAB, UBP, IR SHS UNILIM, UNILIM, UCA [2017-2020], CNRS, UCA
Sorption and desorption kinetics of PFOS to pristine microplastic
The sorption processes of persistent organic pollutants on microplastics particles are poorly understood. Therefore, the present study investigated the sorption processes of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) on polyethylene (PE) microplastic particles (MPs) which are representing a prominent environmental pollutant and one of the most abundant microplastic polymers in the aquatic environment, respectively. The focus was set on the investigation of the impact of the particle size on PFOS sorption using four different PE MPs size ranges. The sorption kinetics for 6 months was studied with one selected size range of PE MPs. Besides, the desorption of PFOS from PE MPs under simulated digestive conditions was carried out by using artificial gut fluid mimicking the intestinal juice of fish. The investigation of the size effects of particles over 6 months demonstrated a linear increase of PFOS concentration sorbed onto PE with a decrease of the particle size. Thus, our findings implicate efficient sorption of PFOS onto PE MPs of different sizes. The results showed that PFOS desorbed from the PE MPs into the artificial gut fluid with a rate of 70 to 80%. Besides, a longer exposure of PE MPs to PFOS leads to a higher concentration adsorbed by PE MPs, which may favor the ingestion of higher concentration of PFOS, and thus represents a higher risk to transfer relevant concentrations of PFOS during digestion.
(Environmental Science and Pollution Research. vol. 29, n° 0944-1344, pp. 4497-4507, 16/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, NEOLAiA, RWTH Aachen
A review of the effects of contamination and temperature in Solea solea larvae. Modeling perspectives in the context of climate change
The flatfish species Solea solea has been the subject of research for supporting their management in fisheries, restocking natural populations, domestication in aquaculture, and ecotoxicology research. Soles undergo a metamorphosis with drastic morphological and physiological changes and settlement, processes that make them potentially more vulnerable to pollutants than other fish. Up to date, efforts made to develop its aquaculture production in Europe have been limited. In the context of climate change (CC), this review aims i) to gather research conducted in S. solea larvae that summarizes the effects of increased temperature and contaminant exposures during larval development; and ii) to provide a summarized and synergistic view about its larval development. The review consists of 4 sections. Section 1 justifies the selection of this species from ecological and economic perspectives. Section 2 focuses on larvae ontogenesis, metamorphosis, rearing challenges, and further aquaculture production. Section 3 reviews studies dealing with the effects of temperature change (due to CC) and pollutants on larval development. Finally, section 4 provides a "how to go forward on ecotoxicological research" guideline, in which we highlight the methods that we found promising as tools to study the combined effects of CC and pollution. The section includes a multidisciplinary framework that proposes how existing data coming from different scientific domains can be synthesized to be useful for risk assessors and ecotoxicologists. To benefit from such a framework, it is necessary to reach consensus and nurture team effort from players that operate in different research disciplines.
(Journal of Sea Research (JSR). vol. 176, n° 1385-1101, pp. 102101, 16/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LSEA MARBEC, UMR MARBEC, IRD, IFREMER, UM, CNRS, UMR MARBEC, IRD, IFREMER, UM, CNRS, GABI, INRAE, LEMAR, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS
The Southern Ocean Radiolarian (SO-RAD) dataset: a new compilation of modern radiolarian census data
Abstract. Radiolarians (holoplanktonic protozoa) preserved in marine sediments are commonly used as palaeoclimate proxies for reconstructing past Southern Ocean environments. Generating reconstructions of past climate based on microfossil abundances, such as radiolarians, requires a spatially and environmentally comprehensive reference dataset of modern census counts. The Southern Ocean Radiolarian (SO-RAD) dataset includes census counts for 238 radiolarian taxa from 228 surface sediment samples located in the Atlantic, Indian, and southwest Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. This compilation is the largest radiolarian census dataset derived from surface sediment samples in the Southern Ocean. The SO-RAD dataset may be used as a reference dataset for palaeoceanographic reconstructions, or for studying modern radiolarian biogeography and species diversity. As well as describing the data collection and collation, we include recommendations and guidelines for cleaning and subsetting the data for users unfamiliar with the procedures typically used by the radiolarian community. The SO-RAD dataset is available to download from https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.929903 (Lawler et al., 2021).
(Earth System Science Data. vol. 13, n° 1866-3508, pp. 5441-5453, 16/10/2026)
RSES, ANU, HU, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS