Intriguing freshwater eels of the world, 35 years of scientific quest and perspectives for their conservation

Freshwater anguillid eels appeared about 65 My ago, a little before the dinosaurs disappeared. This evolutionary longevity is based on a successful and mysterious biological cycle, that has been the object of scientific and philosophical debates that started more than 2400 years ago when Aristotle wondered about the origin of the eels. In 1922, Johannes Schmidt reported on his pioneering discovery of the spawning areas of Atlantic eels in the Sargasso Sea, and this was followed almost 70 years later by Dr. Katsumi Tsukamoto who discovered the spawning area of the Japanese eels in 1991.

Eels have gone through, over the millennia of their existence, major ecological crises, changes in climatic and oceanic regimes, they have witnessed the birth and development of humanity. Once abundant to the point of being considered a nuisance, the European eel has declined so much in the past 40 years that it is now classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. The European management plan, which was promulgated in 2010, mainly targeted the reduction of fishing effort and, to a lesser extent, the restoration of ecological continuity. The effects have been limited as the European eel population as signs of recovery remain uncertain.

During his presentation, Eric Feunteun will present some of the research he has conducted, thanks to international cooperation, during more than 30 years of research. He will present recent key discoveries on the biological cycle of eels and on the causes of their decline which are essentially linked to the effects of global change: change in ocean regimes, contamination by organic and metallic pollutants and loss of habitats. Management perspectives will be presented.

Pr. Eric Feunteun

National Museum of Natural History, Dinard, France

École Pratique des Hautes Études – Paris Sciences et Lettres

This is a free event, but booking a ticket is required.

Doors open at 5.30pm.