PhD position , Funded; Starting Fall 2025; école doctorale e2m2 (University Lyon1)
Title: Impact of Toxic Chemical Pressure on the Current Evolution of Invertebrate Communities in French Rivers
Hosting Lab: INRAE, UR RiverLy, Lyon-Villeurbanne.
groups Ecotox https://ecotox.riverly.inrae.fr/
& EcoFlows https://ecoflows.inrae.fr/
Supervisors: Arnaud Chaumot & David Eme
arnaud.chaumot@inrae.fr ; david.eme@inrae.fr
Keywords: aquatic macroinvertebrates, diversity patterns, macroecology, in situ ecotoxicology, chemical contamination, biomonitoring.
Toxic chemical pressure is considered one of the main, yet poorly characterized, drivers of ongoing aquatic biodiversity loss, and a limiting factor in the effectiveness of habitat restoration [1,2]. Focusing on invertebrates — key indicators of biodiversity crisis — this PhD aims to establish robust links between chemical contamination exposure and the evolution of species communities in French rivers. Thanks to 20 years of community data from national monitoring networks, this project will leverage a novel opportunity: access to in situ ecotoxicology indicators (caged Gammarus) recorded repeatedly over the past 5 years at several hundred stations. These indicators quantify exposure to various substances or the overall toxicity of environmental contaminant mixtures [3,4]. The main goal of the PhD is to evaluate how integrating taxonomic monitoring data with in situ ecotoxicological indicators can reveal specific impacts of chemical contamination on macroinvertebrate diversity patterns in national river systems. Building on earlier « proof of concept » studies [5–8], the PhD will rely on large datasets to support statistical modelling at various spatial scales (national, hydro-eco-regional, watershed). It will examine different chemical pressures (agricultural, industrial, urban, geochemical) in multiple contexts (e.g., warming, trophic dynamics, habitat diversity) to assess how exposure levels influence biodiversity metrics (species richness, abundance, % sensitive or exotic species, etc.). The thesis will explore diversity patterns (beta-diversity) and processes (species turnover, homogenization/differentiation) at large spatial scales (e.g., watersheds) in relation to these exposure gradients. This multiscale, national-level approach will also help reinterpret unexplained biodiversity changes observed in local observatory stations, particularly in the Rhône river system (RhonEco program [9]). In addition to taxonomic diversity, the PhD will analyse changes in functional diversity (trait-based approach) to assess the functional vulnerability of communities exposed to chemical contamination under current environmental changes.
REFERENCES:
[1] doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16689; [2] doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06400-1; [3] doi.org/10.14758/SET-REVUE.2021.4.15;
[4] doi.org/10.14758/SET-REVUE.2021.4.16; [5] doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01271; [6] doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119565; [7] doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117546; [8] doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178328; [9] hal.science/hal-04680015v1;
Profile:
MSc (or equivalent training degree) and skills in ecology with strong interest in data analysis. Previous experience in aquatic community ecology are not required but would be advantageous.
Application:
Send CV and cover letter by 30 May 2025 at the latest to the two supervisors indicated above.
Don’t hesitate to contact us beforehand for any information on the subject and the host laboratory!
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