New insights in the biogeographical distributions of two Spionidae (Annelida) from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean French coasts
We report the first occurrences of Spiophanes afer Meißner, 2005 and Prionospio cristaventralis Delgado-Blas, Díaz-Díaz & Viéitez, 2018 from French marine waters (from the southern part of the Bay of Biscay in NE Atlantic, and the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean Sea). Morphological characters of S. afer include the presence of an occipital antenna, dorsal ciliated organs extending to chaetigers 13–15, neuropodial hooks from chaetiger 15, ventrolateral intersegmental pouches from chaetigers 14–15, chaetal spreaders of “2+3 type”, and conspicuous dark brown pigmentation on parapodia of chaetigers 9–13. Prionospio cristaventralis has four pairs of branchiae (1st and 4th pinnate, 2nd and 3rd apinnate), ventral crests from chaetigers 11–12, high dorsal crests on chaetigers 10–11, and very large notopodial prechaetal lamellae on anterior chaetigers. Both records represent northern extensions of their known distributions. However, the presence of S. afer on French coasts may have been overlooked for several decades. The validity of the recently proposed Spiophanes adriaticus is questioned.
(Zoosymposia. vol. 19, n° 1178-9905, pp. 173-184, 17/10/2026)
LIENSs, INSU - CNRS, ULR, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LECOB, SU, CNRS, OOB, SU, CNRS, SFN
Combination of insolation and ice-sheet forcing drive enhanced humidity in northern subtropical regions during MIS 13
Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13, ∼533-478 ka, has received particular attention due to the unexpected enhancement of monsoon systems under a cool climate characterized by lower atmospheric CO2 and larger ice volume than many other interglacials. Key questions remain about its regional expression (intensity, climate variability, length), and underlying forcing factors, in particular at the mid-latitudes. Here we examine the SW Iberian vegetation, terrestrial climate and sea surface temperature (SST) variability during MIS 13 by combining pollen and biomarker data from IODP Site U1385 with climate-model experiments. We show, for the first time, that despite strong precessional forcing, MIS 13 stands out for its large forest expansions with a reduced Mediterranean character alternating with muted forest contractions, indicating that this stage is marked by a cool-temperate climate regime with high levels of humidity. Results of our data-model comparison reveal that MIS 13 orbitally driven SW Iberian climate and vegetation changes are modulated by the relatively strong ice-sheet forcing. We find that the Northern Hemisphere ice-sheets prescribed at the MIS 13 climate optimum reinforce the insolation effect by increasing the tree fraction and both winter and summer precipitation. We propose that the interactions between ice-sheets and major atmospheric circulation systems may have resulted in the persistent influence of the mid-latitude cells over the SW Iberian region, which led to intensified moisture availability and reduced seasonality, and, in turn, to a pronounced expansion of the temperate forest.
(Quaternary Science Reviews. vol. 247, n° 0277-3791, 17/10/2026)
EPHE, PSL, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Idunella bacheleti sp. nov., a new Liljeborgiidae species (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Capbreton Canyon (Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic Ocean)
During the third cruise of the BIOMIN project (BIOMIN-3) in the Capbreton Canyon (Bay of Biscay), a single male of a new species of Idunella was collected. This new species is characterized by the particular shape of gnathopods and number of teeth on pleonites. An identification key for Idunella species from North- East Atlantic and Mediterranean is provided.
(Cahiers de Biologie Marine, n° 0007-9723, 17/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Collateral diseases: Aquaculture impacts on wildlife infections
Aquaculture is a promising source of fish and other aquatic organisms to ensure human food security but it comes at the price of diverse environmental impacts. Among others, these include diseases which often thrive under the conditions in aquaculture settings and can cause high economic losses. These diseases may also affect wildlife, however, the impacts of aquaculture on disease dynamics in wild species in surrounding ecosystems are poorly understood. In this Review, we provide a conceptual framework for studying the effects of aquaculture on wildlife diseases, and illustrate the different mechanisms identified with examples from the literature. In addition, we highlight further research needs and provide recommendations for management and policy. We identified five potential means by which farmed populations may alter wildlife disease dynamics: (a) farmed species may co-introduce parasites to the new environment, which infect wild conspecifics without infecting other species (intraspecific parasite spillover); (b) these co-introduced parasites from farmed species may infect other wild host species potentially leading to emerging diseases (interspecific parasite spillover); (c) parasites from other wild host species may infect farmed species, amplifying parasite numbers and increasing parasite infections when spilling back to wild hosts (interspecific parasite spillback); (d) farmed species may acquire parasites from wild conspecifics, increasing parasite population size and subsequently raising infection loads in the wild host population (intraspecific parasite spillback); and (e) farmed species may be neither hosts nor parasites, but affect the transmission of parasites between wild host species (transmission interference). Although these mechanisms can alter wildlife disease dynamics, we found large knowledge gaps regarding collateral disease impacts and strong biases in terms of production countries, aquaculture practices and host taxa. Synthesis and applications. The strong potential for aquaculture to affect the dynamics of diseases in wildlife populations calls for the consideration of collateral disease impacts in risk assessments and biosecurity protocols regarding aquaculture. In particular, comprehensive parasite inventories of both farmed and wild hosts as well as disease monitoring in wildlife surrounding farms will be necessary to increase our knowledge on aquaculture impacts on wildlife disease and to develop adequate prevention and mitigation measures. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Applied Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society
(Journal of Applied Ecology. vol. 58, n° 0021-8901, pp. 453-464, 17/10/2026)
NIOZ, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Health indicators and contaminant levels of a critically endangered species in the Gironde estuary, the European sturgeon
The European sturgeon, Acipenser sturio, is a highly endangered species that almost disappeared in the last decades. Thanks to yearly restocking of the population, this species is still found in the Gironde estuary (France), where juveniles grow during several years before leaving to the ocean. The aims of this study were to evaluate the pressure exerted on these fish by known organic and inorganic contaminants during their stay at the Gironde estuary, and to get information on the fish's health in this context. Monthly captures over the year 2014 provided 87 fish from the cohorts 2012 and 2013 mainly, and from cohorts 2008, 2009, and 2011, all fish born in hatchery. We report the very first analyses of contaminant levels and of biological markers measured in the blood of these fish.
(Environmental Science and Pollution Research. vol. 27, n° 0944-1344, pp. 3726-3745, 17/10/2026)
UR EABX, INRAE, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LEESA, UB, CNRS, LEFE, INEE-CNRS, CNRS, UT3, Comue de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Comue de Toulouse
Transfer and Transcriptomic Profiling in Liver and Brain of European Eels ( Anguilla anguilla ) After Diet‐borne Exposure to Gold Nanoparticles
A nanometric revolution is underway, promising technical innovations in a wide range of applications and leading to a potential boost in environmental discharges. The propensity of nanoparticles (NPs) to be transferred throughout trophic chains and to generate toxicity was mainly assessed in primary consumers, whereas a lack of knowledge for higher trophic levels persists. The present study focused on a predatory fish, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) exposed to gold NPs (AuNPs; 10 nm, polyethylene glycol–coated) for 21 d at 3 concentration levels in food: 0 (NP0), 1 (NP1), and 10 (NP10) mg Au kg−1. Transfer was assessed by Au quantification in eel tissues, and transcriptomic responses in the liver and brain were revealed by a high‐throughput RNA‐sequencing approach. Eels fed at NP10 presented an erratic feeding behavior, whereas Au quantification only indicated transfer to intestine and kidney of NP1‐exposed eels. Sequencing of RNA was performed in NP0 and NP1 eels. A total of 258 genes and 156 genes were significantly differentially transcribed in response to AuNP trophic exposure in the liver and brain, respectively. Enrichment analysis highlighted modifications in the immune system–related processes in the liver. In addition, results pointed out a shared response of both organs regarding 13 genes, most of them being involved in immune functions. This finding may shed light on the mode of action and toxicity of AuNPs in fish.
(Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. vol. 39, n° 0730-7268, pp. 2450-2461, 17/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, IRSN/PRP-ENV/SERIS/LECO, IRSN/PRP-ENV/SERIS, IRSN, GENOTOUL, UT3, Comue de Toulouse, ENVT, Toulouse INP, INSERM, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Comue de Toulouse, INRAE, MIAT INRAE, INRAE, INRAE, GET, IRD, UT3, Comue de Toulouse, INSU - CNRS, CNES, CNRS, ICMCB, UB, INC-CNRS, CNRS
Des concrétions fuligineuses en contextes archéologiques : quel potentiel informatif ?
Les spéléothèmes (concrétions carbonatées de grottes) sont des archives naturelles qui se caractérisent par leur capacité à enregistrer les environnements passés ainsi que par leur haute résolution temporelle, en particulier lorsqu’ils sont laminés annuellement. Leur potentiel d’étude ne se limite pas qu’aux recherches sur les reconstitutions paléo-climatiques. Les concrétions peuvent par exemple piéger des particules anthropiques comme de la suie, et ces concrétions fuligineuses ont un fort potentiel informatif en archéologie. Dans cet article, nous présenterons les potentiels d’application archéologique de l’analyse fuliginochronologique à travers plusieurs cas, dans des contextes temporels différents. Les cas les plus récents (en Belgique, en France et en Slovénie), pour lesquels nous disposons parfois d’informations historiques et textuelles autorisant un contrôle des faits archéologiques enregistrés, permettront de valider le potentiel d’archive micro-chronologique des spéléothèmes dans le cadre d’une étude fuliginochronologique. Ensuite, nous étendrons l’utilisation de cette méthode à un site paléolithique français afin de mettre en lumière le potentiel informatif de cette approche en préhistoire.
(Géomorphologie : relief, processus, environnement. vol. 26, n° 1266-5304, pp. 241-254, 17/10/2026)
UP1 UFR03, UP1, ArScAn, UP1, UP8, UPN, MCC, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LAMPEA, AMU, CNRS, MC, TRACES, EHESS, UT2J, Comue de Toulouse, MCC, Inrap, CNRS
Foraminiferal community response to seasonal anoxia in Lake Grevelingen (the Netherlands)
Over the last decades, hypoxia in marine coastal environments has become more and more widespread, prolonged and intense. Hypoxic events have large consequences for the functioning of benthic ecosystems. In severe cases, they may lead to complete anoxia and the presence of toxic sulfides in the sediment and bottom-water, thereby strongly affecting biological compartments of benthic marine ecosystems. Within these ecosystems, benthic foraminifera show a high diversity of ecological responses, with a wide range of adaptive life strategies. Some species are particularly resistant to hypoxia-anoxia, and consequently it is interesting to study the whole foraminiferal community as well as species-specific responses to such events. Here we investigated the temporal dynamics of living benthic foraminiferal communities (recognised by CellTracker™ Green) at two sites in the saltwater Lake Grevelingen in the Netherlands. These sites are subject to seasonal anoxia with different durations and are characterised by the presence of free sulfide (H 2 S) in the uppermost part of the sediment. Our results indicate that foraminiferal communities are impacted by the presence of H 2 S in their habitat, with a stronger response in the case of longer exposure times. At the deepest site (34 m), in summer 2012, 1 to 2 months of anoxia and free H 2 S in the surface sediment resulted in an almost complete disappearance of the foraminiferal community. Conversely, at the shallower site (23 m), where the duration of anoxia and free H 2 S was shorter (1 month or less), a dense foraminiferal community was found throughout the year except for a short period after the stressful event. Interestingly, at both sites, the foraminiferal community showed a delayed response to the onset of anoxia and free H 2 S, suggesting that the combination of anoxia and free H 2 S does not lead to increased mortality , but rather to strongly decreased reproduction rates. At the deepest site, where highly stressful conditions prevailed for 1 to 2 months, the recovery time of the community takes about half a year. In Lake Grevelingen, Elphidium selseyense and Elphidium magellanicum are much less affected by anoxia and free H 2 S than Ammonia sp. T6. We hypothesise that this is not due to a higher tolerance for H 2 S, but rather related to the seasonal availability of food sources, which could have been less suitable for Ammonia sp. T6 than for the elphidiids.
(Biogeosciences. vol. 17, n° 1726-4170, pp. 1415-1435, 17/10/2026)
LPG-ANGERS, LPG, UA, UN UFR ST, UN, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LPG, UA, UN UFR ST, UN, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, NIOZ
Study of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) of the Auzon cut-off meander (Allier River, France) by spectral and photoreactivity approaches
Wetlands are recognized for the importance of their hydrological function and biodiversity, and there is now a consensus to protect and restore them as well as to complete the knowledge on their functioning. Here, we studied the dissolved organic matter (DOM) of a wetland composed of the Auzon cutoff meander, the Allier River, the alluvial fluvial flow, and watershed aquifer. Water was sampled at different locations, in spring, summer, and autumn. For each sample, DOM was characterized for its chemical and optical properties and its photooxidant capacity through its ability to generate DOM triplet excited states (3 DOM*) and singlet oxygen upon simulated solar light exposure. UV-visible and fluorescence indices revealed that DOM was mainly microbial-derived whatever the sampling sites with spatial and temporal variations in terms of aromaticity (5.5-22%), specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (0.28-2.82 L m −1 mgC −1), ratio of the absorbance at 254 and 365 nm (4.6-10.8), fluorescence index (1.35-166), and biological index (0.812-2.25). All the samples generated 3 DOM* and singlet oxygen, rates of formation of which showed parallel variations. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we found positive correlations between the sensitizing properties of DOM samples and parameters associated to the abundance of low molecular weight and low absorbing chromophores. Moreover, the parameter variation across the wetland reinforced the hydrological movements observed in a previous study, suggesting that these parameters could be used as water connection tracers.
(Environmental Science and Pollution Research. vol. 27, n° 0944-1344, pp. 26385-26394, 17/10/2026)
ICCF, SIGMA Clermont, INC-CNRS, UCA [2017-2020], CNRS, GEOLAB, UBP, IR SHS UNILIM, UNILIM, UCA [2017-2020], CNRS, UCA, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Contrasting responses of different functional groups stabilize community responses to a dominant shrub under global change
Changes in precipitation regimes and nitrogen deposition levels due to global change are altering terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Most attempts at understanding how biotic interactions affect plant species and community responses to global change have focused on biotic interactions measured at the community level. However, these approaches ignore that communities include functionally dissimilar species that might respond differently to changes in the effects of dominant neighbours along environmental gradients. We test the hypothesis that plant species with differences in functional traits may exhibit contrasting interactions with a dominant shrub species within a single community, thereby stabilizing community-level responses to the effects of global change. We manipulated water and nitrogen applications in a semi-arid dune community in northern China, quantified the biomass of herbaceous species occurring below the dominant shrub, Artemisia ordosica, and in adjacent open patches (without the shrub), and measured herbaceous species height and leaf dry matter content. The effects of A. ordosica were quantified at the species, group and community levels using the relative interaction index (RII). Redundancy analysis was performed on species traits and the RII values to assess the relationships between functional differences in species and plant–plant interactions. Species were then grouped using a cluster analysis and the RII values were recalculated at the group level. The redundancy analysis showed that species height and leaf dry matter content were significantly correlated to the changes in species' responses to the effect of A. ordosica along treatments. The four groups of species identified by the cluster analysis showed contrasting variations in competitive or facilitative responses depending on species traits and environmental treatments. However, the interactions measured at the group level balanced the community-level responses, as we found no significant changes in the effects of A. ordosica along treatments for community biomass, richness and functional diversity indices. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that species with different functional strategies within a community exhibit contrasting responses to a dominant shrub along environmental gradients. These contrasting changes in plant–plant interactions of functionally different species may balance the responses of community-level metrics. This suggests that functional differences between species groups and the balance of plant–plant interactions stabilize community responses to global change. © 2021 British Ecological Society
(Journal of Ecology. vol. 109, n° 0022-0477, pp. 1676-1689, 17/10/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS