UM atUM [S02-ep05]: From Invasive Fish to the Sensory Analysis Lab
This week on *AUM science*, Rodolphe Gozlan, a researcher atISEM, talks to us about invasive species, with a particular focus on freshwater fish. In the second half of the program, Eric Picou gives us a tour of the sensory analysis lab at the Sciences pour l’œnologie laboratory. Finally, Sylvie Rapior will tell us about the Fall Mushroom and Plant Fair.
Today we’re telling you the story of a spectacular escape. We’re in Paris in the 19th century. The capital is buzzing with excitement over its status as the capital of the empire. Great explorations and colonization are opening France up to the world. Scientists, naturalists, and the general public are marveling at the animal and plant species brought back from the four corners of the globe to fill museums and botanical gardens. At the National Museum of Natural History, a fish from North America is causing a sensation because of its funny whiskers, which make it look like a cat. Just the appearance? Not really, because like any self-respecting feline, the catfish is a freedom-loving creature that doesn’t let itself be confined so easily—and it was quite simply through the sewer system that this non-native species eventually made its way into the Seine. A century later, our escapee proved to be more invasive than it first appeared, and this indomitable creature now finds itself classified as a pest.
As you’ve probably gathered, today we’re talking about invasive species—specifically freshwater fish. Our guest is a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences in Montpellier. He co-authored a review on the subject published in *Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics*.
Recommended Reading
Freshwater Fish Invasions: A Comprehensive Review
In the second part of the program, we head to the Gaillarde campus, where we tour the sensory analysis lab at the Sciences for Oenology laboratory with Eric Picou. Here, a panel of experts is trained to measure and evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of wines—whether floral, fruity, oaky, toasty, or smoky—which supports the objectives of numerous research programs in oenology.
Finally, Sylvie Rapior, a researcher at the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, will be our last-minute guest, and she’ll talk to us about the Fall Mushroom and Plant Fair, which will be held Saturday and Sunday at the School of Pharmacy.
AtUM , you’ve got the schedule—let’s get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Report: Aline Périault
Editing : Bruno Bertrand
Director: Adeline Floc’h
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