Exploring the hidden biodiversity of Pyrenean lakes, sentinels of climate change, using high-resolution portable genomics.

PyriSentinel is a cross-border collaborative project led by Hannah Benisty of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in coordination with the Centre for Research on Ecological and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Andorra Recerca + Innovació (ARI) and the National Centre for Scientific Research. Scientist – Station for Theoretical and Experimental Ecology (CNRS-SETE) and Environmental Geography (CNRS-GEODE).

The aim of PyriSentinel is to explore the hidden biodiversity of Pyrenean lakes, which act as sentinels of climate change, using high-resolution portable genomics.

The high-altitude lakes of the Pyrenees are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of global change and are representative of high-altitude lakes in the Northern Hemisphere.
This project will study the microorganisms found in more than 300 high-altitude lakes using advanced and innovative DNA sequencing techniques.
Characterising the biodiversity of microorganisms is crucial for assessing the productivity of ecosystems, as they play a role in the nutrient cycle, water purification and interactions with macro-organisms. It is also essential for assessing the potential impact of climate change on these reservoirs.
The data and metadata resulting from this study will be deposited in publicly accessible repositories as they are collected.
In addition, a training programme will be developed for stakeholders in local and regional communities, such as national park managers, so that they can use the biomonitoring tools developed to continue studying microbial diversity over the long term.
The project is 65% co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra programme (POCTEFA 2021-2027), with the aim of strengthening economic and social integration in the Spain-France-Andorra border region.

Partners:

- Centro de Investigación en Aplicaciones Ecológicas y Forestales (CREAF) CREAF | Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre

- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale (CNRS-SETE) et GEODE : Géographie de l'environnement (univ-tlse2.fr)

- Andorra Recerca i Innovació (ARI) Andorra Recerca + Innovació | Andorra Recerca + Innovació (ari.ad)
 

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