Department IV. EDUCATION AND NATURE

Section 7. Freshwater biology

• Study of benthic organisms of ancient lakes such as lakes Baikal, Tanganyika and Nyasa/Malawi. Owing to their largely endemic fauna, these lakes are excellent natural laboratories for the research on evolution and speciation.
• Ecologic strategies of fresh-water organisms, notably through particular adaptations of their spreading mechanisms and of their life-cycles.
• Study of the bio-indicators of water pollution.

  The studied organisms are branchiopods, chironomids, leeches and ostracods.

• The section is in charge of the coordination of the Sexasex-project (this website will be opened in a new window).

Section 8. Biological evaluation

• Research on population dynamics of threatened species :
• identification, systematics and eco-ethologic analysis of vulnerable species and populations;
• dynamics and extinction risks of small populations;
• methodology of data-collecting by marking, identification and individual follow-up;
• elaboration and follow-up of programs for the restoration of populations.
• Research concerning protected, or to be protected, areas :
• identification, evaluation and demarcation of zones of biological interest;
• elaboration of criteria for the selection of protected areas;< /li>
• conditions of sufficiency of the protected zones' networks;
• typology of environments (works edited by the European Community);
• principles of environment management and their application to complex sites;
• biological indicators.
• Study of the impacts on environment.
• Study and planning of cheiropterologic sites.

=> Section's site (this website will be opened in a new window).

Section 9. Educational and museological services

• The purpose of this section is to make the Museum accessible and profitable to visitors. It elaborates new exhibitions, carries out didactic tasks, welcomes and guides the visitors through the Museum.

=> Educational and museological services website