Joëlle FORGET-LERAY

My research focuses on the development of innovative bioassessment tools based on invertebrate crustacean models, particularly copepods, to better characterize the impact of pollutants on estuarine aquatic ecosystems. It investigates the effects of contaminants on key physiological functions (endocrinology, reproduction, development) while accounting for the influence of biotic (sex, microbiome) and abiotic (pH, salinity, oxygen) factors. By combining bioassays, targeted biomarkers, and open approaches such as proteomics, it contributes to the identification of relevant indicators for assessing ecosystem health. More recently, this work has expanded to address the role of biota in the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in highly contaminated estuarine environments, through an interdisciplinary approach bridging ecotoxicology, microbial ecology, and aquatic hydrology.