Aquaculture, diversity, ecology team

The Aquaculture, Diversity, Ecology team (AquaDivE) conducts research on tropical aquaculture as well as on the biodiversity and ecology of tropical aquatic ecosystems. In the current context of global change and the need to transition toward more resilient aquaculture systems, the team develops research based on agroecology, One Health approaches, and climate change adaptation.

The team’s scientific activities are structured around three complementary research axes. The first aims to improve the performance and resilience of aquaculture systems through agroecology, by promoting synergies between animal and plant species and by harnessing ecosystem services to reduce environmental impacts and strengthen adaptation to climate change. The second axis focuses on the conservation and use of biodiversity, mobilising the genetic and phenotypic diversity of fish to select species and strains adapted to variable environments. The third axis addresses the health of aquatic ecosystems. It aims to integrate ecological intensification and One Health approaches to reduce contaminants (chemical or biological) and develop biological control strategies against pathogenic species.

This research, conducted mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia, focuses on the interactions between aquaculture and the environment while also integrating broader dimensions related to production systems and the value chains and territories in which they are embedded. To achieve this, the team employs complementary approaches including on-farm experiments, studies in research stations, laboratory analyses, and in silico modelling of environmental impacts.