Ambre Creux-Martelli - CEREGE

Appointment of “women's” meeting rooms: a commitment to the visibility of women scientists

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:52:21 +0000

CEREGE is pursuing its commitment to equality with a concrete initiative supported by the laboratory and its equality unit: the naming of three meeting rooms after women scientists.

Three meeting rooms now feature Marie Tharp, Katia Krafft and Anita Conti. To mark the occasion, new plates were installed, each accompanied by a sentence recalling their major contribution to our understanding of plate tectonics, volcanism and the oceans.

Following on from this initiative, CEREGE hosted the conference «What makes women scientists invisible: the Matilda effect», hosted by Louis-Pascal Jacquemond. This presentation looked back at the historical mechanisms by which women have become invisible in science, based on the concept theorised by Margaret Rossiter. The conference is available on request from communication department of the CEREGE.

Several copies of the book The Matilda Effect: women are also scientists (2025), by Louis-Pascal Jacquemond, are currently circulating in the laboratory, extending this awareness-raising approach.

Discover the first edition of the CEREGE Highlights

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:35:41 +0000

We are delighted to present the first edition of the CEREGE Highlights, featuring a selection of our research and teaching achievements from the past two years.

At CEREGE, our work focuses on understanding Earth and environmental dynamics, how they respond to both natural and human-induces changes. In these Highlights, you will find examples of our key scientific achievements, latest instrumental advancements, strategic partnerships, and ongoing commitments to equality or also eco-responsibility.

Enjoy the read!

Mélanie Auffan awarded the CNRS 2026 silver medal

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:45:32 +0000

Mélanie Auffan, a research director at CEREGE and deputy director of the laboratory, was awarded the CNRS silver medal in 2026., in recognition of the excellence and impact of its work on the reactive interfaces between living organisms and (nano)minerals.

The award is part of the CNRS Silver Medal Class of 2026, which includes 26 recipients, and recognises a major contribution to contemporary environmental health issues and responsible innovation.

To find out more, click here:

Science immersion for 180 students at CEREGE

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:29:33 +0000

On Thursday 2 April 2026, CEREGE opened its doors to mark Printemps des Sciences, an event designed to bring the environmental sciences closer to the younger generation and give them a practical insight into research careers.

Building on the success of previous editions, this year's event has taken on a new dimension with an expanded format across the technology parks, welcoming secondary school students from the southern region to several sites.

Throughout the day, the Arbois technology park in Aix-en-Provence and the Château-Gombert technology park in Marseille were buzzing with scientific discoveries, welcoming a total of 240 students (183 at Arbois and around 60 at Château-Gombert).

Workshops to explore science in a different way

The heart of the day was a wide range of workshops and visits, led by researchers, teacher-researchers, engineers and technicians.

The workshops on offer included experiments on microplastics, hydrogeochemistry and data processing, seismic noise, diatoms, automated micropalaeontology, magnetism, mass spectrometry and innovative tools such as the augmented reality sandbox, MICADAS and ASTER.

Innovative companies from the technology park were also involved, illustrating the close links between research, innovation and the socio-economic fabric.

Meet the research and innovation professions

A highlight of the day was the speed-searching of careers, organised in collaboration with Les Éclaireuses (IRD). This dynamic format enabled students to talk directly to professionals and discover the diversity of careers in science and innovation.

A huge thank you to all the co-organisers, partners, funders and technology clusters, and to everyone involved in making the day a success.

Photos © Elea Ropiot - amU

When the field becomes an educational tool

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:18:06 +0000

A video produced by Aix-Marseille University plunges into the heart of a field day like no other, dedicated to karstic hydrogeology and the teaching of Life and Earth Sciences.

Students from Master 1 MEEF SVT and Bio-geosciences (INSPE Marseille) explored the underground environment to gain a better understanding of the water cycle, karstic flows, landscapes and regional geology, while discovering how to incorporate a supervised caving trip into their future careers.

Divided into half-groups, they took part in two workshops combining field observations, in situ measurements, geological map reading and discussions on teaching practices and living together.

The outing was supervised by Bruno Arfib (AMU, CEREGE), Solenne Albertini-Mattei (AMU, INSPE) and Philippe Maurel and Thierry Lamarque (SpéléH2O).

Video produced by Guillaume Gay (AMU, INSPE).

For further information:

A look back at the Hors Les Murs 2026 seminar

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:51:46 +0000

From 21 to 23 January 2026, more than 130 of us gathered at Le Lavandou in the Var for our seminar on a number of aspects of our organisation and operations.

On the programme: workshops on the organisation of future centres, discussions on setting up eco-responsible actions and on non-violent communication. We also discussed concrete issues, such as optimising sample collections, the link between training and research, scientific culture, cross-disciplinary scientific actions to strengthen synergies between research teams, and of course despite the bad weather, we enjoyed some outdoor and festive activities.

The seminar concluded with a review of the various workshops, with a view to drawing up a roadmap of concrete actions that we will share with you over the coming months. We are also preparing a report so that those who were unable to attend can find out about the work done.

A big thank you to the participants and facilitators for their creativity and energy, which made these three days a real laboratory of ideas for the future of CEREGE and a great moment of cohesion and sharing.

Nicolas Roche elected to the Académie des technologies

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:26:29 +0000

Nicolas Roche was elected to the Académie des technologies in 2025, in recognition of more than 35 years' commitment to research into water and process engineering.

Professor at Aix-Marseille University and researcher at CEREGE and ITEM, he develops innovative processes for water and waste treatment, resource recovery and sustainable environmental management. His work combines experimentation, modelling and collaboration with the socio-economic world, and he actively contributes to the training of students and researchers.

He officially joined the new Academicians at a ceremony at the Sorbonne on 10 March 2026.

To find out more, click here:

Rare earths: how can France reduce its dependence on these strategic metals?

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:03:54 +0000

On 14 November 2025, the CNRS published a collective expertise on rare earths. Clément Levard, Research Director at CEREGE, explains why these metals, which are essential to the energy transition, are at the heart of sovereignty issues, and how Europe could secure its supply.

Rare earths, key to the energy transition and everyday life

Rare earths are a group of 17 chemical elements with unique properties - optical, magnetic and catalytic - that are essential to modern technology. They are used in electric and hybrid cars, wind turbines, smartphones, screens and light bulbs. According to Clément Levard, global demand is doubling every six years, reflecting their crucial role in the energy transition. Yet extracting them is complex: they are always associated with ores, requiring energy-intensive and polluting processes, generating radioactive waste and considerable social impacts. France has no exploitable deposits, and Europe remains highly dependent on China, which controls most of the world's production and refining.

Vlad / Unsplash

Reduce, recycle, produce differently: European levers

Faced with this Chinese monopoly, the CNRS collective report identifies three ways of strengthening European sovereignty: reducing consumption, recycling rare earths and developing more responsible extraction. Technological substitution is sometimes possible: optimising electric vehicle motors can reduce the use of permanent magnets. Sober use - car-sharing, increasing the number of passengers - is also an avenue being explored. Recycling offers great potential, but remains limited by the dispersion of rare earths in objects and the low economic return. Currently, less than 1 % of rare earths are recycled, despite promising initiatives such as the MagREEsource start-up in Grenoble.

The social and environmental challenges of new sources

The exploration of new deposits, whether in Europe or on the French seabed, raises technical, economic and environmental issues. Pascale Ricard points out that relocating mines requires democratic debate and consideration of the social and environmental impacts. Alternatives include secondary resources derived from industrial waste, but these are less concentrated than primary sources. So the solution lies in a holistic approach: «reduce, recycle and produce differently». France and Europe need to combine these strategies to secure supplies, while limiting the environmental and social impact.

Rare earths are not just strategic metals: they shape our everyday lives and our energy transition. Their extraction, use and recycling pose major scientific, industrial and societal challenges. According to Clément Levard, only a combination of sobriety, recycling and responsible production will be able to reduce French and European dependence on these elements, which are essential to the future of technology and energy.

Understanding the role of the ocean in CO₂ capture

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:30:27 +0000

As climate change intensifies, the European Marine Board (EMB) published this month Future Science Brief n°13 to assess marine CO₂ capture activities (marine Carbon Dioxide Removal, or mCDR). Co-chaired by Olivier Sulpis, a research fellow at CEREGE, the report warns that no technique is currently ready for large-scale deployment. It stresses the need for robust monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) protocols to measure CO₂ capture, storage duration and environmental impacts, before any action is taken on this complex medium that already absorbs a quarter of global CO₂ emissions.

Methods inspired by nature, but still experimental

Marine CO₂ capture activities studied to remove dissolved CO₂ from seawater include ocean alkalinisation, nutrient or algal fertilisation, and conversion of dissolved CO₂ to biomass. All are based on natural processes, but at very different scales to those on which they have historically operated. Their effectiveness, sustainability and effects on ecosystems remain uncertain.

Science and regulation: setting standards for ocean CO₂

The role of science is to provide an objective framework. «Our job is not to decide whether mCDR should be deployed, but to determine what evidence and what safeguards are needed to make any decision responsible.», explains Olivier Sulpis in the’interview published in CNRS Le Journal. Priority recommendations include the introduction of harmonised MRV standards, the funding of studies on long-term effectiveness and environmental impacts, and the continuation of observation networks for monitoring changes in ocean carbon.

From the laboratory to the oceans: measuring and modelling the carbonate cycle

This work draws on the expertise developed within the exoCean laboratory at CEREGE, which studies the ocean carbonate cycle from the surface to the deep ocean. The DEEP-C ERC project, led by Olivier Sulpis, focuses on the dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) in deep waters, a natural process that acts as a CO₂ sink on millennia time scales. Using high-pressure reactors, advanced sensors and global biogeochemical models, DEEP-C is providing a better understanding of the natural mechanisms and microbial interactions that control carbon sequestration. This knowledge is directly useful for defining MRV protocols and assessing the feasibility of mCDR techniques.

In short, capturing oceanic CO₂ is a promising but uncertain field. It can only complement the fight against climate change if it is based on rigorous research, transparent protocols and continuous observation, which are essential conditions for protecting the oceans while informing political and societal decisions.

Julie Meilland receives the Alan Higgins Award for her work on planktonic foraminifera

Ambre Creux-Martelli — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:10:19 +0000

Julie Meilland, a researcher specialising in the ecology of planktonic foraminifera, was awarded the Alan Higgins Award in November 2025, The prize is awarded each year to a young scientist for his or her contributions to applied and industrial micropalaeontology.

Its work has led to maintaining planktonic foraminifera in continuous culture over several generations, and to demonstrate for the first time the importance of the asexual reproduction in these marine micro-organisms. This advance opens up new prospects for calibrating geochemical proxies and for cellular and molecular studies that were previously impossible.

At CEREGE, Julie is currently developing a continuous culture facility based on these discoveries (Meilland et al., 2023 & 2024). She is studying the distribution and population dynamics of planktonic foraminifera in order to gain a better understanding of their habitat and their role in the biological carbon cycle.

In this context, the laboratory recently welcomed a PhD student from the University of Southampton, Julian Fuchs, and plans to welcome other visitors from European institutes from next spring.

Rewarded works include

Continuous reproduction of planktonic foraminifera in laboratory culture, on multi-generational clonal reproduction in cultivation.
Rare but persistent asexual reproduction explains the success of planktonic foraminifera in polar oceans, on the role of asexual reproduction in the success of polar species.