I am a French doctoral student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. My research focuses on the physiology of organisms and I study the adaptation mechanisms of copepods to anthropogenic stresses such as heat or noise pollution. Copepods, and in particular Calanus finmarchicus, are the subject of particular attention in Norway because they represent a large proportion of the zooplankton in the Atlantic Ocean and are therefore a key food source for economically important fishes. In Trondheim, I am lucky to have access to the only Calanus finmarchicus culture in the world! This gives me the opportunity to work on the entire life cycle of copepods, particularly early life stages and male copepods, which can be difficult to find in the wild.

I presented my work on the effects of environmental challenges on the physiological and life cycle performance of Calanus finmarchicus at the ICOC 2024 in Japan. The focus of my study is to investigate oxidative stress in copepods as an integrated response to stress from climate change and anthropogenic activities. To examine the copepod’s response to various stressors, I am using an aquatic respiratory system (Loligo® Systems) capable of measuring the metabolic rate of one copepod at a time. I showed that increasing temperatures resulted in lower hatching success and higher metabolic rate in C. finmarchicus nauplii. I did not find an additive or synergistic effect of heat combined with oxidative stress in females, suggesting elevated antioxidant defences. Although I observed that males died earlier and in greater numbers than females when exposed to oxidative stress, I did not observe a significant change in their metabolic rate. This lack of increased oxygen consumption may be due to mitochondrial capacity, and I intend to explore this further with the Oroboros® system.

This was my first participation in a WAC conference and it was an incredible experience! I am also grateful to have had the chance to participate in the pre-conference workshop where I met great people and learned a lot about copepods. The conference was also an exciting opportunity to meet other copepodologists who are conducting extensive research on copepods. Besides, it was my very first oral presentation at a conference and receiving an award is a great honour. This gave me confidence and motivation for the continuation of my doctoral research and this day will always remain a special memory of Japan. I would like to thank all the members who organized the conference and workshop, it was an amazing experience and I can't wait to join the next one in Italy!