Juvenile roach were always more abundant in the less modified section (BPS) of the river than in the other sections (RES and TAIL). While the original primary river channel was directly impacted by the flash flood, no significant difference in otolith shape was observed before or after the flash flood. Our results suggest that this part of the reach provides refuge habitats used by fish during high flow events. K E Y W O R D SCyprinidae, flood event, Lower Rhône River, otolith morphometry | INTRODUCTIONThe channelisation and regulation of large rivers have severely impacted fluvial morphology and processes by changing natural hydrological and sedimentary regimes which contribute to the high ecological value of large floodplains (Bravard & Petts, 1996;Poff et al., 1997). The length and habitat heterogeneity of riverine ecotones have been reduced (Schiemer, Zalewski, & Thorpe, 1995;Tockner & Stanford, 2002) and the spatial and temporal patterns of hydrological connectivity have been highly altered (Pringle, 2003;Ward & Stanford, 1995). Populations of highly mobile organisms like fish, which use distinct habitats during their life cycle, have been seriously affected.Major changes in fish assemblages in large European rivers such as the Danube (Balon, Crawford, & Lelek, 1986; Holcik, 1988), the Rhine (Cazemier, 1988;Lelek, 1989) or the Rhône (Pattee, 1988;Persat, 1988) resulted from the 19th century river straightening, the channelisation and the construction of successive diversion dams (mainly during the 20th century) which have created new artificial environments. On the Rhône River, a typical hydropower scheme includes a reservoir (RES) created by the diversion dam built on the upper part of the river, a canal which redirects the main river flow to a power plant, and a bypassed old river that spans for several kilometres. Typically, the tailrace (TAIL) and the bypassed sections (BPS) converge in the downstream RES formed by next diversion dam (see Figure 1). Most of the time, the BPS receives a low minimum instream flow and overflows occur at the dam when river discharge exceeds the capacity of the hydropower plant. However, these released flows (discharge from the dam) are generally lower than the initial discharge prior to the

-In order to assess the impact of water release in the downstream area of the Nam Theun 2 Reservoir (Lao PDR), the spatial and temporal variation of benthic macroinvertebrates was explored. Between 2010 and 2012, five sites were monitored in the Nam Gnom Basin, a tributary of the Xe Bangfai River, receiving the turbinated waters. Repeatedtime collections revealed the presence of 109 taxa mainly identified to the family level, attesting to a rich biota. Preliminary results did not show shifts in diversity, population composition, and feeding metrics. Redundancy Analysis indicated that the altitudinal gradient (i.e. altitude and altitude-related variables) remained the major environmental factor influencing the macroinvertebrates distribution before water discharge. The presence of a tributary downstream of the release point, and the respect of the natural river inflow can explain the preservation of natural conditions. More samples and a strengthened ecological knowledge of Southeast Asian macroinvertebrates are still required to confirm these preliminary results.Key words -freshwater invertebrates, Southeast Asia, biomonitoring, hydropower, downstream section Résumé -Afin d'évaluer l'impact du relâcher des eaux dans la zone aval du Réservoir Nam Theun 2 (RDP du Laos), la variabilité spatio-temporelle des invertébrés aquatiques a été étudiée. Entre 2010 et 2012, cinq sites ont été échantillonnés sur le bassin de la Nam Gnom, un affluent de la rivière Xe Bangfai, qui reçoit les eaux turbinées. Les prélèvements issus du suivi ont permis de mettre en évidence la présence de 109 taxa principalement

The COVID‐19 pandemic has heavily impacted academics’ professional and personal lives, forcing many research groups (labs) to shift from an academic system primarily based on in‐person work to an almost full‐time remote workforce during lockdowns. Labs are generally characterized by a strong lab culture that underpins all research and social activities of its members. Lab culture traditionally builds on the pillars of in‐person communication, knowledge sharing, and all social and professional activities that promote collaboration, team building, scientific productivity, and well‐being. Here, we use the experience of our research group facing the COVID‐19 pandemic to illustrate how proactively reinforcing lab culture and its positive outcomes have been essential to our lab when transitioning from an in‐person to a remote lab environment, and through its ongoing evolution toward a hybrid remote/in‐person model. We argue that the proactive promotion of lab culture in research groups can foster academic resilience during crises, helping research groups to maintain their capacity to conduct scientific activities while preserving a sustainable life/work balance and a healthy mental condition.