Emys-R
A socio-ecological evaluation of wetlands restoration in favour of the European pond turtle Emys reintroduction and associated biodiversity: a pan-European approach
Emys-R is a 3-year participatory action-oriented research project aiming at defining the most effective, socially supported, ecologial methods to restore wetlands in favour of the European pond turtle reintroduction, and associated biodiversity throughout Europe.
🇺🇦 Emys-R stands with Ukraine! 🇺🇦
LAST NEWS: Lastest publication by Nekrasova et al.!
22 April 2024: Nekrasova et al. Fishes published!
18 April 2024: Meeting with land managers and scientists
Land manager CeA and scientific force task IPHC, LIVE and ENGEES met for discussing forthcoming season protocols, data sharing and long term partnership on the Woerr study site and CNRS-labelled SEE-Life Neu Woerr.
17 April 2024: Ukraine is the best proof that life and humanity prevail
In their last publication in Responsible Herpetology Journal, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and colleagues from Ukraine published this stunning paper about herpetofauna on the war front and how, despite all risks, people from Ukraine keep taking care of wildlife and life.
Proof that life and humanity will prevail darkness.
Read the article here
12 April 2024: Emys-R becomes a member of the BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub!
In the context of its ‘BiodivRestore’ ERA-NET COFUND Action to support research on “Conservation and restoration of degraded ecosystems and their biodiversity, including a focus on aquatic systems”, Biodiversa+ and Water4All/Water JPI have established a pan-European Knowledge Hub with the aim to strengthen the knowledge base for the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law.
The BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub will take the form of a dynamic ‘community of practice’ and will be composed of two task forces addressing two main objectives: 1) Strengthening the knowledge base of the implementation of the NRL, based on a needs-driven approach; 2) Advance the Research & Innovation Agenda.
Project leader Dr Jean-Yves Georges has been selected as a member of the Knowledge Hub by the selection committee and will attend the first meeting Paris, 30-31 May 2024, Paris, France.
April 2024: a new documentary about L.H. Bojanus
Enjoy this just-came-out documentary about Bojanus, the FR-born, LT-adopted author of the most famous Anatome Testudinis europeaeae (1819). A very pleasant journey throughout Europe and time… by the Cercle d’histoire Alsace-Lituanie (Strasbourg)… so far in Fr, soon in Lithuanian, hopefully in EN too!
🇺🇦 29 March 2024: Emys-R first public outreach to the people of Ukraine
Dr Oksana Nekrasova, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and Dr Jean-Yves Georges published this very article in the Ukrainian popular science magazine Krainaz about the mysterious world of amphibians of the Middle Dnieper in the context of climate change.
Nekrasova O, Marushchak O, Georges JY (2024) Загадковий світ земноводних Середнього Подніпров’я в умовах глобальних змін клімату. Krainaz 2024(4): online, pdf in Ukrainian and pdf in AI-English
28-29 March 2024: Emys-R at French Emys Workshop (Journées Techniques Cistude, Arles, France)
During the Journées Techniques Cistude, part of the Action National Plan for the European pond turtle held at Tour du Valat (Arles, France; 80 attending people), Dr Vet Benoît Quintard, Dr Jean-Yves Georges and colleagues presented the last updates on veterinarian surveys and scientific monitoring associated to the conservation initiatives in favor of the Emys led on the Neu Woerr transbordering site and beyond.
Promising networking also occurred with colleagues from Spain, Switzerland but also France who are working on similar topics. More here
18 March 2024: Interview by BMBF (DE Funding Agency)
In an interview to the German funding agency BMBF, Project manager Dr Theissinger highlighted the rationale of reintroducing Emys and presented some of the major results of the Emys-R Consortium. More here
4 March 2024: Welcome to our new Master students
We are pleased to welcome our two newest Master students:
Julia Collery is biologist (Strasbourg University), supervised by Pr Combroux and Dr Grac (LIVE-ENGEES)
Chloé Fernando is geograph (Lyon University), supervised by Pr Barbier and Dr Heitz, (GESTE)
22 Feb 2024: New public outreach
In the last issue of Responsible Herpetoculture Journal, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and colleagues published a rationale about bilateral benefits for herpetology and herpetoculture experts in sharing knowledge and practices for best species conservation.
Marushchak O, Nekrasova O, Pupins M, Georges JY (2024) Herpetology and herpetoculture: the bridge between. Responsible Herpetoculture Journal 13: 6-12 (pdf)
More about the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation
20 Feb 2024: Project Manager Dr PD Kathrin Theissinger joined her new lab at Justus Liebig University Giessen
Project Manager Dr PD Kathrin Theissinger joined her new lab at Justus Liebig University Giessen, where she starts her prestigious DFG Heisenberg Program funded GroupLeader position on Key factors shaping interactions between freshwater crayfish and their invasive disease. Please note her new contact details and affiliations on her page
20 Feb 2024: Dr Oksana Nekrasova awarded by ANR for an extended PAUSE grant
Our colleague Dr Oksana Nekrasova from Ukraine has been successfully awarded for an extension of her PAUSE grant by ANR. This will permit her to maintain her research in a safer place at IPHC, Strasbourg, while extending her activities through new research projects under her leadership.
19-29 Feb 2024: Creation of 9 new adaptive ponds on Woerr study site
Part of WP3, LIVE, ENGEES and land manager CeA have organized the digging of 9 new adaptive ponds on the French study site, with experimental compartments for testing original designs aiming at preventing the spread of invasive crayfish. This new pondscape will be monitored partly by Master student Julia Collery, under supervision by Pr Isabelle Combroux and Dr Corinne Grac.
15 Feb 2024: Field visit with new stakeholder
Land manager Lydia Razafindralay (CeA) and Project leader Jean-Yves Georges met a new stakeholder, Gilbert, hunter and trapper. All partners will contribute to an emerging field study to assess habitat use, biometry and diet (for a start) of this alien species that recently settled on the Woerr and is a major preedator for most local species including the Emys.
In add, nice sightings of beavers and some Emys that already benefit from mild weather… summer is coming!
14 Feb 2024: Dr Oksana Nekrasova granted by GARD24 for the 10th World Congress of Herpetology
Dr Oksana Nekrasova received a GARD24 travel grant for attending the 10th World Congress of Herpetology, Borneo, 5-9 August 2024, where she will present a joint contribution Nekrasova et al. entitled Unveiling Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis distribution in Europe: Identifying threats and potential refuges for amphibians.
Read abstract here
4 Feb 2024: Woerr topography measurements
Jean-Yves Georges and Komlan Toudji (just back from Togo) measured the topography of an existing trench between the acclimatization ponds and the gravel pond. This is part of the (hopefully) forthcoming Emys-Disperse project, that aims at creating a permanently watered dispersion channel between the two most resilient water bodies of the Woerr site for facilitating the seasonal forth-and-back movements of Emys while limiting predation by terrestrial predators and preventing settlement of burrowing invasive calico crayfish.
16 Jan 2024: First publication of the year!
Dr Oleksii Marushchak signed as first author a stunning data paper revealing massive helminth diversity in common amphibians and reptiles, including the Emys, based on very uncommon field monitoring conditions and even more incredible overall conditions in Ukraine.
Marushchak O, Syrota Y, Dmytrieva I, Kuzmin Y, Nechai A, Lisitsyna O, Svitin R (2024) Helminths found in common species of the herpetofauna in Ukraine. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113770. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e113770 (pdf)
16 Jan 2024: Biodiversa+ Mid Term Review Meeting
As one of the 22 projects funded by the Biodiversa+ & Water JPI joint call, Emys-R mid-term achievements were presented at the review meeting by Project leader (screenshots by Kathrin Theissinger).
8 Jan 2024: Welcome Fanny Kuttler!
Fanny joined IPHC for running her Master research project entitled Habitat use and reproduction strategies of populations of European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in contrasted environmental conditions.
More here
01 Jan 2024: Some traffic-jam on the Emys-R website
More than 15.000 unique visitors clicked on the Emys-R website last year!
Emys-R is funded through the 2020-2021 Biodiversa & Water JPI joint call for research proposals, under the BiodivRestore ERA-Net COFUND programme, and with the funding organisations Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France), Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Germany), State Education Development Agency (VIAA, Latvia), and National Science Center (NSC, Poland).
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