Agnes Lèbre: The Observer at the Observatory

Astronomer Agnes Lèbre has something extra. Like her university colleagues, she conducts research and teaches, but her department also includes an observational mission. She was even the first researcher at the University of Montpellier (UM) to be granted CNAP ( National Council of Astronomers and Physicists ) status in 1993, a specific state body that allocates one-third of its time to observational services dedicated to the astronomy community. " Today, there are four of us at the UM with CNAP status ," she proudly states, having paved the way by advocating for this status 30 years ago. 

Ecosystem monitoring with Oreme

In practice, she began by working with the Pic du Midi Observatory to prepare the observation nights for the research teams using the famous Bernard Lyot telescope perched at 2800 meters in the Pyrenees. All the while, she conducts her own research on very specific stars, the red supergiants: she observes the surface of these stars, older and larger than the sun, to study their magnetism.

Her work as an observer predisposed her to join one of the 25 Earth and Space Science Observatories in France, the Montpellier Observatory, established in 2009. " I became Deputy Director of the Montpellier Environmental Research Observatory (OREME) in 2016 through my work within an observation service ," explains Agnes Lèbre, who had already led several research units, including her Montpellier Universe and Particles Laboratory ( LUPM ) as Deputy Director from 2015 to 2016. " I opened myself up to new scientific communities, in Earth and Water Sciences, but also in Ecology and the Environment ," says the astronomer, who emphasizes the importance the Montpellier Observatory places on monitoring ecosystems. "The challenge, in particular, is to assess the effects of human activities—from local pollution to climate change—on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. "

"From the supergiant star to the pollen grain"

In August 2024, she took over as director of OREME from academician and hydrologist Eric Servat. The new director is keen to champion the " scientific continuum " covered by OREME's numerous observation programs, " from supergiant stars to pollen grains, and even bacteria! That's the diversity of the systems our observations focus on. " 

Affiliated with the University of Montpellier, the CNRS, the IRD, and INRAE, OREME currently comprises thirty observation services . These services cover a wide range of research topics, such as the vulnerability of Mediterranean forests to climate change, antibiotic resistance in the Lez River, and the evolution of the Thau Lagoon. While many observation programs are located in Occitanie, others extend to the Southern Hemisphere, including coastal monitoring of the Mediterranean region and a hydro-climatological observatory in West Africa. These observation services are carried out in collaboration with the eight laboratories associated with OREME, which work both in the region and in the Global South. " Approximately 250 researchers, out of the 1,200 in these teams, work directly with us on their research. "

Long-term data collection

In addition to geographic and disciplinary coverage, observatories of the Earth and Space Sciences must guarantee the long-term collection of data. " Oreme, within its means, ensures the continuity of measurements and the preservation of data ," emphasizes Agnes Lèbre. It can rely on several large pieces of equipment and about twenty administrative and technical staff to operate them. These include an experimental platform for the geochemical analysis of samples, the Medimeer platform dedicated to the study of marine ecosystems, the Sète marine station, and two vessels for conducting marine expeditions. 

And how do you manage all the collected data? " An information system certifies the data and makes it available in the form of usable databases. It is one of Oreme's missions to disseminate information as widely as possible, sometimes after a period of embargo while awaiting scientific publication of results, for example ," explains the director, who specifies that this mission of dissemination to the scientific community and the general public is " particularly important " to her.

Oreme regularly organizes conferences and scientific workshops. The next event will be a day entitled "Journey into Geosciences: From the Habitable Planet to Critical Mineral Resources," on November 12, 2024, at La Panacée. " While the morning is reserved for the scientific community of laboratories affiliated with Oreme, the afternoon is open to the general public. This year marks a first, as this conference has been included in the curriculum for secondary school teachers, and the event will also be broadcast live online! " exclaims the person who always readily participates in science outreach initiatives.