Measure the amounts and study the effects of organic and inorganic pollutants.
Traversing European Coastlines
An expedition to study coastal ecosystems and their response to the environment, from molecules to communities
A scientific voyage to address environmental challenges
With TREC, we embark on a journey through European coastlines to explore the biodiversity and molecular adaptability of microbial communities as well as key selected organisms. We focus on coastal habitats as they are the richest in species biodiversity and they also often present the highest levels of pollution.
By combining the expertise and infrastructure of EMBL and our multiple European partners, TREC aims to initiate a new era of coastal ecosystems exploration. The goal is timely and ambitious – to observe, model, and understand the effects of changing environments on organisms and communities, at the cellular and molecular levels.
TREC is a flagship project of Planetary Biology, one of the transversal themes launched by EMBL’s new Programme “Molecules to Ecosystems” 2022-2026.
Measure the amounts and study the effects of organic and inorganic pollutants.
Survey biodiversity loss and monitor the impact of invasive species.
Identify carbon fixation pathways and develop new harnessing strategies.
Measure the impact of global warming and acidification on ecosystems; study molecular adaptations.
Explore symbioses to understand molecular mechanisms of organismal interactions.
Identify new antibiotics, track antimicrobial resistance spread, and design control strategies.
Learn more about the expedition and our activities
Check out the TREC itinerary and sampling strategy
Partners collaborating on the project
Discover the scientific projects driving the expedition
Find out how TREC and local research projects are supported through EMBL’s new mobile service
Scientific workshops and courses for the researchers
Join us on in person and virtually at events and exhibitions
In less than two years, the EMBL-led TREC expedition has demonstrated that large-scale international collaboration is essential for driving ground-breaking planetary and human health research with soc…
EditEMBL Rome volunteers participated in the European Researchers’ Night organised by the CNR in Montelibretti, attended by over 1,500 visitors. They prepared activities and games reflecting the wide vari…
EditDaniele Ancora is an ARISE fellow in the Light Imaging Facility at EMBL Rome. With a background in theoretical physics, he develops algorithms to improve image-based omics technologies. Learn about hi…
EditThe Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation helped fund EMBL’s Advanced Mobile Lab, enabling many experimental concepts.
EditThe TREC expedition concluded its sampling in Greece and strengthened scientific exchange and collaborative networks with their Greek partners during a political and scientific stakeholder event in At…
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