European Institute for Marine Studies – 2018
The IUEM is member of the Interdisciplinary graduate School for the Blue planet ISblue
Tag Archive for: research
International research laboratories
International research laboratories
Through LEMAR, LOPS and BEEP, IUEM is associated with 2 Joint International Laboratories (LMI) and 2 International Research Laboratories (IRP).
A LMI is an operational research and training structure that brings together one or more Joint Research Units (JRUs) affiliated to the IRD and one or more research and higher education institutions from developing countries. The LMI is physically located in the premises of one of the partners in the Global South, and allows joint training and research projects to be carried out around a common scientific platform (laboratories, equipment, IT resources, documentaries, etc.).
An IRP is a “laboratory without walls” that brings together a CNRS laboratory and a laboratory from another country around a jointly defined project. These laboratories pool human and material resources to carry out the project, which lasts 4 to 5 years. LEMAR and BEEP participate in IRP.
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LMI ECLAIRS 2
LOPS
Launched in 2018, the LMI ÉCLAIRS 2 “Integrated Climate and Ocean Studies in West Africa and Responses to Climate Change in Senegal” is a follow-up to the LMI ÉCLAIRS “Climate Study in West Africa” created at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal in 2012. It aims to better understand the mechanisms underlying the two key Senegalese climate and environmental phenomena, the West African monsoon and coastal upwelling, in order to establish and consolidate climate services on different scales. It involves many partners in Senegal and France, including LOPS.
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LMI TAPIOCA
LEMAR
The LMI TAPIOCA “Tropical Atlantic Interdisciplinary laboratory on physical, biogeochemical, ecological and human dynamics” aims to have a structuring role in the establishment of a Regional Centre of Excellence in Marine Sciences for the Tropical Atlantic at Recife. It is carried by the LEMAR.
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IRP BeBEST
LEMAR
BeBEST (Benthic Biodiversity Ecology, Sciences and Technologies) focuses on coastal ecology and is located between engineering and environmental sciences. Its main objective is to lead an integrated approach aimed to propose new concepts in coastal ecology, developing analytical tools to test them, and implement them to study ecosystems that are inherently contrasting. The LEMAR is associated with it.
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IRP MICROBSEA
BEEP
MICROBSEA, entitled “Franco-Chinese Deep Sea Microbiology Laboratory” is an associated international Franco-Chinese laboratory, focusing on the microbiology of hydrothermal springs. It was created following 8 years of scientific cooperation between 2 laboratories: BEEP/LM2E and the State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources (KLMBR), Third Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Xiamen, China.
Research themes
IUEM research units project can be presented very schematically in four main topics, broken down into objects and processes that researchers wish to better understand.
The ocean, a key actor in the biogeochemical cycles and climate of our planet
- Ocean warming and circulation in the past, present and future
- The chemical composition of ocean (especially trace metals) and major cycles: ocean acidification, deoxygenation, carbon cycle, pollution (e.g. heavy metals)
- Energy cycles, scale interactions and physical-biological coupling: from ocean turbulence < 1 km, to large eddies > 100 km and the global ocean
- The economic and legal challenges of global ocean change (warming, acidification)
Marine ecosystems and biodiversity
- Physiological and adaptation processes of marine organisms
- Properties of marine molecules, e. g. biofilms
- Functioning of ecosystems and food webs
- Cumulative impacts of exploitation pressures and biological and physico-chemical factors on the dynamics of exploited species and communities
- Ecological, economic, social and legal determinants of the development of human activities such as fishing or aquaculture
Still unexplored oceanic depths
- Deep-sea and ocean margin dynamics, associated earthquake risks, and mineral resource formation
- Earth Mantle Dynamics and Continental Growth
- Economic and legal stakes related to ocean domains
- Micro-organisms in extreme deep-sea environments and hydrothermal springs
The coast, a complex and fragile interface
- Physical processes in the coastal domain and at the land-sea interface, including interactions with atmosphere
- Coastal territories, their dynamics and their vulnerabilities, both physical (remote sensing, geomatics approaches) and human (societies evolution, uses)
- Public policies Analysis and evaluation and development of tools and scenarios to assist collective choices for coastal development
Research
IUEM is a key player in French and European marine sciences research. Benefiting from a privileged environment that brings together more than half of the national potential in this field, its teams are involved in all the major research issues and work on all the oceans. All disciplines studying the marine environment and the activities that take place there are represented: physics, chemistry, biology, genetics, ecology, biogeochemistry, geophysics, geology, geography, law, economics, etc.
Link to: Laboratoires
7 research labs
Research work is carried out within its seven Joint Research Units (UMR), two International Joint Laboratories (LMI), as part of projects and programmes funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and the European Union, and two International Research Projects (IRP).
This work is published in specialised journals and in specific scientific media.
Link to: Laboratoires internationaux
… and international laboratories
4 research themes
The research axes are defined by each laboratory, but some topics of interest to several laboratories are grouped under the name of “priority axes”. In addition, IUEM has defined with its partners research axes within ISblue.
The ocean, a major actor in the biogeochemical cycles and climate of our planet
Marine ecosystems and biodiversity
Still unexplored oceanic depths
The coast, a complex and fragile interface
5 transversal themes
IUEM federates the research units by leading five cross-disciplinary thematic research areas.
Marine biotechnologies
New uses and renewable energy
Polar research
Global South
Historical dynamics
The Institute
The IUEM is supported and financed by
3 complementary missions
Link to: La recherche
Research
IUEM brings together seven laboratories (joint research units involving UBO, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer and UBS), employing nearly 500 permanent and contract researchers, teacher-researchers, engineers, technicians and administrative staff.
Link to: La formation
Training
As an internal school of Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO), IUEM offers eight master’s programmes in the field of Marine and Coastal Sciences (SML), very closely associated with its laboratories, and also hosts the Doctoral School of Marine and Coastal Sciences (EDSML), a multidisciplinary school with 25 laboratories, within and outside IUEM.
Observation
IUEM, as an Observatory of Universe Sciences (OSU), contributes to a national observation mission supported by a dedicated service unit. The Ocean is observed from the coast to the offshore, from the surface to the deep sea and in all its aspects: living and Physical Ocean, coastal and bottom interfaces, human use and management.
A few numbers
500
Scientific, technical and administrative staff
270
master’s degrees students
260
PhD students
20 years
in marine and coastal sciences
1997
IUEM creation
Six years after the launch of IUEM by Paul Tréguer in 1991, the Institute was officially created in 1997. The personnel working in marine sciences at UBO is housed in new offices at the Plouzané Technopole.
iuem_1997
1998
Appointment of Paul Tréguer as Director
The Ministry appoints Paul Tréguer, founder of the Institute, as the first Director for a period of 5 years. He was reappointed in 2003 for a second term.
2000
IUEM is recognized as a research federation
The CNRS recognizes IUEM as a Research Federation. The Institute also integrates the “National Network of Marine Stations”.
2004
SML Master’s degree creation
Unique in France, the SML Master’s degree aims to train researchers and managers capable of understanding current scientific issues and providing appropriate responses to problems related to marine and coastal areas.
2005
IUEM becomes a Universe Sciences Observatory
Authorized by the CNRS, the primary mission of a Universe Science Observatory (OSU) is to observe the Earth system in the service of a large national and international community and to host master’s and doctoral courses.
2007
The "Europôle Mer" becomes a GIS
Created in 2004 to promote synergy on high-flying joint research projects in Western France, the Europôle Mer is recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research as a Group of Scientific Interest (GIS) and has a budget of €4 million. David Nelson, from Oregon State University, is appointed Director.
2008
The IRD becomes the guardian of two laboratories
The IRD becomes a supervisor of LEMAR and LOPS. The IRD is a multidisciplinary body dedicated to research in the field of development and scientific cooperation with Southern countries. Yves-Marie Paulet takes over the management of the Institute.
Senegal
2010
Albert Lucas inauguration
As an IUEM and Iroise Marine Natural Park station ship, it is mobilized to support various observation, research and teaching activities.
2011
LabexMER creation
Coordinated and managed by IUEM, the LabexMER has a 10-year action plan and is endowed with 11 million euros. It brings together 12 research units in the Great West specialized in science and technology.
2012
Certification of the Zone Atelier Brest-Iroise (ZABrI)
Coordinated by LEMAR and LETG, its objective is to improve understanding of the functioning and evolution of the coastal socio-ecosystem in a context of change and from an integrated management perspective.
2013
First edition of the Mer-Éducation Summer School
This one is intended to train secondary level teachers on societal themes related to the sea and the coast. Every year, it brings together more and more teachers from all over France and abroad.
2014
IUEM hosts the European Marine Board
This scientific cooperation organisation brings together European research organisations and university consortia in the field of marine science and technology. Anne Marie Tréguier becomes director.
2015
IUEM in Paris for the COP 21
Until then, the ocean was not very much involved in discussions on climate change, but it was at the heart of the negotiations. IUEM was there to take part in the debate, by organizing an exhibition “Ocean and climate connected in change”, by participating in the climate train and other events organized in Paris.
2016
New IUEM building inauguration
It was built to house the LOPS and AMURE laboratories, which were previously shared between the university campus and the Ifremer. Bringing all the laboratories together in the same place makes it possible to encourage exchanges between scientists.
2017
Obtaining the label of Graduate School, ISblue.
The ISblue “Interdisciplinary School for the blue planet” University Research School (EUR) project is selected. It is endowed with €11.1 million for a period of 10 years.
2019
Opening of IUEM doors
As every 2 years, the Institute opened its doors to the general public. The aim is to introduce potential future students to the 8 Master’s degrees programs, as well as to the research activities of the 6 on-site laboratories.
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Laboratories
7 research labs
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Management of uses, resources and marine and coastal areas
UBO | Ifremer | CNRS
The AMURE Joint Research Unit is a multidisciplinary research and training centre in human and social sciences applied to the sea. Its work focuses on the sustainable development of maritime activities, on the associated public policies and their impacts on the evolution of marine and coastal socio-ecosystems.
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Littoral, Environment, Remote sensing, Geomatics
UBO | CNRS
LETG-Brest’s research activities bring together several fields of geography: physical geography, human and social geography, teledetection and geomatics, in order to study human-nature interactions in coastal and maritime environments.
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Laboratory of Environmental Marine Sciences
UBO | CNRS | IRD | Ifremer
Understanding interactions within the marine biosphere is the central objective of this laboratory. Bringing together biologists, physicians and chemists, LEMAR’s research is carried out on a variety of study sites, from poles to tropics and from coastal areas to the deep-sea ocean. Its tools range from observation to modelling, including laboratory and field experimentation.
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Geo-Ocean
UBO | CNRS | UBS| Ifremer
Geo-Ocean laboratory develops a multidisciplinary approach to the question of the genesis and evolution of oceanic domains (from continental rifts to ocean ridges, from coastlines to deep basins to continental shelves, from hot spots to volcanic islands, and from passive margins to active margins). The laboratory carries out innovative methodological and instrumental developments in the marine field and also has a high-performance analytical pole in petrogeochemistry, sedimentology and paleontology.
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Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite remote sensing
UBO | CNRS | Ifremer | IRD
Understanding and modelling oceans dynamics on different time and space scales is this laboratory central objective. LOPS combines oceanographic campaigns, data production and analysis of deep ocean and continental slope, and physical modelling based on the fluid mechanics of global ocean. This laboratory contributes to major advances in the understanding of ocean-climate relationships and more globally of the variability of the ocean system.
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Biology and Ecology of Deep Sea Ecosystems Laboratory
UBO | CNRS | Ifremer
BEEP focuses on extreme environments microbiology, such as hydrothermal springs, cold seeps from continental margins and the seabed. BEEP scientific approach is developed thanks to skills and means unique in France for sampling, analysis and exploitation of microbiological samples, during numerous oceanographic campaigns.
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Marine Biotechnology and Chemistry Laboratory
UBO | UBS | CNRS
LBCM has developed a recognized scientific specialty in marine biofilms study (organized populations of microorganisms growing on surfaces). Using a variety of tools and approaches that combines genetics, analytical chemistry and cell physiology, this laboratory studies the interactions between living organisms and abiotics, and promotes the biotechnological developments that emerge from them.