Objective
The morphological study of cetacean cochlea as well as the possible alterations associated to sound exposure, represent a key conservation issue to assess the effects of acoustic pollution on marine ecosystems. Noise pollution could affect cetaceans by causing lesions in their inner ear, which can be severe enough to be lethal. In cases of severe permanent hearing loss, supporting cells of the organ of Corti replace apoptotic hair cells that are responsible for transducing the signal and enhancing auditory sensitivity and frequency selectivity. The objectives of this study consist in conducting a comparative ultrastructure morphological analysis of the cochlea from stranded cetaceans to 1) to assess their species specific hearing sensitivities by creating cochlear frequency maps and 2) to investigate possible lesions as a consequence of sound overexposure. Once the cochlear frequency map for a species is resolved, it will be possible to estimate the acoustic characteristics of a source that may have caused these lesions. In addition, this study will 3) investigate the process of hair cell apoptosis and the subsequent ‘scar’ formation to be able to distinguish newly formed lesions from old ones. Toothed whales have remarkable hearing protective mechanisms to insulate them from noise. Our research will also focus on 4) examining the potential elements that might play a role in this protective mechanism. To achieve these four objectives, the applicant will fine tune the protocol of ear analysis using electron microscopy and applying immunohistochemistry techniques. The expertise of the Hearing team of the Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (Inserm Unit 1051, France), and its microscopy and imaging facilities will be invaluable for the accomplishment of our study. This research will bring tools to the decision makers to better regulate marine activities and will contribute with essential knowledge for assessing the effects of noise pollution cetacean hearing.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy electron microscopy
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75654 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.