CEREGE

Sonia Chaabane, a researcher at CEREGE, is one of the IRD’s «Pioneers»

Elodie Gazquez — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:01:25 +0000

À travers l’exposition « Éclaireuses », l’IRD met à l’honneur des femmes scientifiques originaires de la rive Sud de la Méditerranée, d’Afrique, d’Amérique latine et d’Asie, et témoigne de la diversité des parcours et des métiers dans la recherche. Sonia Chaabane, chargée de recherche IRD au CEREGE, fait partie des scientifiques dont le parcours et les travaux sont présentés dans le cadre de cette initiative.

Sonia Chaabane is écologue et micropaléontologue à l’Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), au CEREGE à Aix-en-Provence. Ses recherches portent sur la réponse du plancton aux changements globaux, en particulier au réchauffement, à l’acidification et à la désoxygénation des océans. Elle s’appuie notamment sur les foraminifères planctoniques, organismes calcifiants microscopiques sensibles aux variations de leur environnement, pour comprendre comment les écosystèmes marins ont évolué dans le passé, se réorganisent aujourd’hui et pourraient répondre aux changements environnementaux futurs.

Ses travaux combinent écologie, bases de données globales, géochimie, imagerie et intelligence artificielle afin d’étudier les réponses du vivant à différentes échelles spatiales et temporelles. Elle contribue notamment au développement et à l’exploitation de grandes bases de données internationales, telles que FORCIS, avec l’objectif de transformer des observations dispersées en une vision intégrée des changements de la biodiversité marine et de mieux détecter, quantifier et anticiper les réponses biologiques au changement global.

Une part importante de ses recherches concerne les régions tropicales et les écosystèmes marins des pays du Sud, particulièrement exposés aux transformations rapides de l’océan. Elle développe des recherches et des collaborations en Afrique et dans d’autres régions tropicales du monde, notamment autour des systèmes d’upwelling. Ces environnements, parmi les plus dynamiques de l’océan, constituent des laboratoires naturels privilégiés pour comprendre les interactions entre variabilité environnementale, changement climatique et fonctionnement des écosystèmes marins.

Au-delà de ses activités de recherche, elle est fortement engagée dans la science ouverte, la formation, le renforcement des capacités et le développement de collaborations scientifiques durables entre le Nord et le Sud.

Un parcours de femme scientifique mis à l’honneur

En sélectionnant Sonia Chaabane parmi les « Éclaireuses », l’IRD met en lumière son parcours, ses contributions scientifiques et son engagement pour la recherche. Son portrait graphique rejoint ainsi une série de témoignages consacrés à des femmes scientifiques aux parcours et aux disciplines variés, avec l’objectif notamment d’encourager les jeunes filles et les femmes à envisager une carrière scientifique.

Découvrez le portrait de Sonia Chaabane

⁠En savoir plus sur le projet « Éclaireuses » de l’IRD

Une action de formation scientifique au Sénégal

L’IRD met également en lumière l’une des actions de formation et de coopération scientifique portées par Sonia Chaabane au Sénégal : l’école d’été MAFE – Méthodologies Avancées pour l’Analyse des Foraminifères et de l’Environnement côtier sénégalais, organisée à Dakar en juillet 2026 avec plusieurs partenaires scientifiques sénégalais et français, notamment l’UCAD, le CEREGE, le LOPS et le LOCEAN.

Destinée à de jeunes scientifiques, cette école combine enseignements, travaux pratiques, sorties de terrain et approches innovantes d’observation du vivant marin. Elle aborde notamment l’étude du plancton et des microorganismes marins, l’imagerie automatisée, l’intelligence artificielle appliquée à l’identification des organismes ainsi que la caractérisation des conditions environnementales.

Au-delà de la transmission de méthodes et de savoir-faire, MAFE vise à favoriser les échanges scientifiques, renforcer les compétences locales et créer des collaborations durables autour de l’étude des écosystèmes marins tropicaux. Cette dynamique s’appuie également sur le laboratoire BISSAP l’UCAD à Dakar afin de développer localement des capacités d’observation et d’analyse du plancton.

Lire l’article de l’IRD consacré à l’école d’été MAFE

Structure d’impact de Zhamanshin : les recherches du CEREGE mises en avant par l’INSU-CNRS

Elodie Gazquez — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:55:52 +0000

The work on Yoann Quesnel, lecturer and researcher at CEREGE and his colleagues are highlighted by the’National Institute for the Sciences of the Universe (INSU-CNRS) !

The Institute takes a look at a recent study on the Zhamanshin impact structure, Kazakhstan, to which Yoann Quesnel contributed. Thanks to new geophysical investigations, the researchers have been able to determine the size and structure of this impact crater, which is now buried beneath sediments.
A new study that demonstrates CEREGE’s expertise in the analysis of impact structures and which is now being prominently featured on the INSU-CNRS website.

Read the full article on the INSU-CNRS website
You can also find the original scientific paper here:
Quesnel, Y., Kuzina, D., Gattacceca, J., Uehara, M., Kharisov, A., Badyuov, D., Rochette, P. (2026). Geophysical update on the diameter of the Zhamanshin impact structure, Kazakhstan. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 1–19.
⁠DOI: 10.1111/maps.70218

A new meteorite crater has been discovered… thanks to Google Maps!

Elodie Gazquez — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:18 +0000

What if a simple look on Google Maps could reveal a meteorite crater dating back 390 million years ?

This is the story of a discovery made by a member of the public that led an international team, including Jérôme Gattacceca, a CNRS research director at CEREGE, to confirm the existence of the Uhackatik crater in Quebec.

How do geologists manage to prove that it is indeed an impact crater? What evidence do they look for in the field? And how can we determine the age of an event that occurred nearly 390 million years ago?

Find out what went on behind the scenes of this discovery by reading the article and listening to the interview with Jérôme Gattacceca, who looks back on this scientific mission.

Read the article and listen to the interview:

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2268642/cratere-meteorite-cote-nord-decouvert-citoyen

The 19th International Congress on Magnetism in Geosciences brings together 115 researchers

Elodie Gazquez — Tue, 7 July 2026 12:43:00 +0000

On the 19th^e International Congress on Magnetism The geosciences conference has just come to an end; it brought together nearly 115 researchers and PhD students for a week in Collonges-la-Rouge.

François Demory A representative from CEREGE was a member of the organising committee alongside Pierre Camps and Paul Antonio (Géosciences Montpellier), Sonia Rousse (GET Toulouse) and François Leveque (La Rochelle).

Return of Ethiopian palaeontological collections held at CEREGE

Elodie Gazquez — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:23:55 +0000

On 15 June 2026, an official ceremony to return palaeontological collections took place in Addis Ababa, attended by the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE), CEREGE and several scientific and institutional partners.

The samples in question had been discovered in Ethiopia during scientific expeditions carried out in the 1960s and 1970s. Having been held at CEREGE for several decades as part of long-standing Franco-Ethiopian scientific collaborations, they have been officially handed over to the Ethiopian authorities to be added to the national collections.

CEREGE is proud to have contributed to this initiative, which illustrates the importance of international partnerships in advancing scientific knowledge and promoting World Heritage.

COSMO 2026: an international conference on research into cosmogenic nuclides

Elodie Gazquez — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:01:15 +0000

The event will take place from 16 to 18 June 2026 COSMO 2026, the international conference on cosmogenic nuclides, organised jointly by Aix-Marseille University and the CNRS. This event will bring together the international scientific community to discuss the latest advances in the use of cosmogenic nuclides for the study of surface processes and landscape evolution.

The programme includes lectures, poster presentations and opportunities for discussion among specialists in the field. Three internationally renowned scientists will be speaking as guest speakers: Hella Wittmann-Oelze (GFZ Potsdam), Duna Roda Boluda (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and Greg Balco (Berkeley Geochronology Centre).

In the run-up to the conference, the CEREGE will host a day of workshops on 15 June 2026 at the Arbois campus. Participants will be able to attend practical sessions on the databases and tools used by the community, as well as a tour of the platform ASTER, a leading facility for the measurement of cosmogenic nuclides using accelerator mass spectrometry.

Several members of CEREGE are involved in organising the 2026 event.

Read more:

Cosmo2026 – SciencesConf

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

Elodie Gazquez — 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

Elodie Gazquez — 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

Elodie Gazquez — 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

Elodie Gazquez — 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.