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While invisible to the naked eye, aquatic microbial communities contribute to a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services, including primary production, organic matter degradation, nutrient recycling, micropollutant dissipation and transformation. Given the widespread contamination of the environment that occurred in a context of global change, preserving aquatic ecosystem health requires to protect microbial diversity and functions from the adverse ecological effects of micropollutants and multiple stressors.

In this context, our Research Group on Aquatic Microbial Ecology combines microcosm experiments and in situ surveys to provide knowledge and develop innovative tools and approaches to:

• Describe how micropollutants affect the vulnerability and resilience of benthic microbial biodiversity and associated ecological functions in a context of multiple stresses,
• Evaluate the ecological quality of contaminated aquatic ecosystems through the study of natural periphytic and sediment microbial communities.