The presence of IRL EARLY at OIST reflects a joint commitment to advancing marine sciences and evolutionary developmental biology. EARLY supports collaborations between OIST research units (Marine Eco-Evo-Devo, Marine Climate Change, Computational Neuroethology etc...) and French partners (BIOM unit (CNRS UMR 7232) at the Oceanological Observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer, CRIOBE (CNRS UAR 3278) at Moorea). Any other laboratory from OIST or CNRS is encouraged to participate, provided that its scientific focus aligns with the research conducted at EARLY. It enables long-term hosting of CNRS researchers at OIST, funds collaborative visits, and helps develop high-impact international research programs.

IRL EARLY aims to structure an international research community focused on the life cycle of tropical marine species. Its goals include:

• Developing collaborative projects funded at the European and Asian levels
• Promoting mobility between CNRS and OIST researchers
• Building synergies with French labs and Pacific partners (Japan but also Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore)
• Offering a training platform for early-career scientists
• Promoting open science and interdisciplinary approaches to global marine challenges

EARLY supports several flagship programs:

• The Clownfish Research Collective, a growing network of 50+ researchers focused on the development of clownfish as an Eco-Evo-Devo model
• The “West Pacific Network for Marine Biology” which brings together marine science researchers in the West Pacific region with their French colleagues
• Joint projects with CNRS laboratories in France. For example:
  • Study of megacolonies, a new social organization of anemonefish
  • Characterization of the ecological and phenotypic diversity of anemonefish
  • Decoding the physiological links between fish and their environment
• Research on climate and anthropogenic stresses impacts on coral reef fish development
• Bilateral mobility programs (e.g., scientific collaborations, field work)