Mission and objectives

The CARRTEL Joint Research Unit (UMR CARRTEL – INRAE and Université Savoie Mont Blanc) conducts fundamental and applied research focused on lake ecosystems. CARRTEL generates knowledge on the functioning of lakes and their catchment areas, develops indicators to assess the status and evolution of aquatic environmental quality, and contributes to supporting lake management. These ecosystems are studied in the context of global change (climate change and anthropogenic pressures) and multiple interacting pressures.

Main objectives

The research conducted by CARRTEL aims to understand how local and global pressures affect lake resources and ecological functions. Various disciplines and approaches (experimental studies, limnology, palaeolimnology) are used to understand and model the ecological trajectories of lakes.

The specific objectives are:
(i) to understand the role of biodiversity, trophic networks and biogeochemical processes in lake functioning;
(ii) to assess the effects of climate change, in interaction with other anthropogenic pressures, on organisms and the properties of lake systems;
(iii) to evaluate functional relationships between atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic compartments in order to identify and quantify the processes and fluxes occurring within the lake meta-ecosystem.

Research activities of the unit

CARRTEL has expertise in:
(i) the characterisation of biological communities, their interactions and their organisation into trophic networks;
(ii) the identification of mechanisms regulating biogeochemical processes, lake productivity and the dynamics of biological communities (from plankton to fish);
(iii) the impact of global and local drivers on lake systems and their responses to stressors at different levels of organisation, from species to communities and even to the ecological functions of lake ecosystems.

Research

The two main research disciplines are ecology and limnology. Questions related to functional lake ecology are addressed across different spatial and temporal scales, while considering different levels of biological organisation (from genetics to ecological networks).

The research activities are conducted within the context of global change and involve multiple disciplines (microbiology, trophic ecology, ichthyology, stress ecology, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular ecology, modelling, etc.) in order to gain the most comprehensive understanding possible of lake functioning and trajectories.

The main challenges are:
(i) preserving biodiversity and lake quality;
(ii) understanding the mechanisms underlying ecological functions and carbon dynamics in lakes;
(iii) developing and improving ecological assessment tools by integrating next-generation approaches (high-throughput measurements).

Part of the research is conducted at the interface between science and management, through close collaborations with lake managers.

Collaborations and expertise

French Biodiversity Agency (OFB):
Within the framework of the ECLA R&D Centre (Lake Ecosystems), UMR CARRTEL co-develops operationally oriented research activities with the French Biodiversity Agency.

OSUG:
Since 2022, UMR CARRTEL has been a member of the Grenoble Observatory of Sciences of the Universe (OSUG).

Sentinel Lakes Network:
UMR CARRTEL is involved in this network dedicated to improving knowledge and supporting the management of high-altitude lakes.

Lake managers:
UMR CARRTEL maintains strong interactions with managers of major peri-Alpine lakes (CIPEL, CISALB, SILA, CCLA) to ensure ecological monitoring of these ecosystems with major socio-economic importance.

International collaborations:
UMR CARRTEL contributes to international networks such as GLEON (Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network) and PAGES (Past Global Changes). The unit leads the COST PARAQUA action (COST Action CA20125) and participates in various European projects (INTERREG, Twinning programmes, CSA HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-09).

Research Infrastructure

UMR CARRTEL coordinates the Collective Scientific Infrastructure OLA (Observatory and experimentation on LAkes).

This facility provides field-based and experimental analytical capacities in limnology to analyse and understand the evolution and functioning of lakes exposed to local and global anthropogenic pressures.

This infrastructure follows an Open Science approach (open information system for historical lake data) and is affiliated with the national ANAEE-France research infrastructure (Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems).

Teaching and training

CARRTEL researchers with teaching responsibilities are strongly involved in university education across various programmes at Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB).

UMR CARRTEL also contributes to continuing education programmes (limnology, Water Framework Directive fisheries surveys, specialised training in plankton taxonomy, sclerochronology, next-generation biomonitoring using environmental DNA), as well as the organisation and hosting of international summer schools in limnology.