Adaptations métaboliques des organismes dans la zone de balancement des marées (implications sur la biodiversité locale dans un contexte de changement climatique)

La zone côtière représente seulement une petite partie de la surface océanique, mais elle joue un rôle important dans le cycle du carbone. Pour contribuer à préciser ce rôle, l objectif de cette thèse était d étudier les flux de carbone, en immersion et en émersion, des communautés benthiques intertidales vivant sur les estrans rocheux. La respiration et la calcification des principales espèces macrozoobenthiques ont été mesurées en laboratoire pour d estimer les différentes adaptations métaboliques liées à une vie en milieu intertidal. En complément, les flux globaux de carbone des communautés ont été quantifiés aux interfaces air-sédiment et eau-sédiment grâce à des mesures in situ. D une manière générale, la respiration de la communauté prévaut sur la production primaire, en conséquence les estrans rocheux semi-battus peuvent être considérés comme hétérotrophes. Grâce aux mesures de respiration en laboratoire et aux comptages d espèces effectués sur les côtes rocheuses bretonnes, nous avons pu estimer la contribution du macrozoobenthos aux flux de carbone à une échelle régionale. La comparaison entre les résultats in situ et les études en laboratoire à permis de valider nos méthodes.Coastal zone represents only a small part of ocean surface, but play a major role in carbon cycling. Ro help clarify this role; this thesis aimed to study carbon fluxes of intertidal benthic rocky shore communities during immersion and emersion. Respiration and calcification measurements of principal macrozoobenthic species were performed in the laboratory in order to evaluate their different metabolic adaptation to intertidal conditions. In addition, community carbon fluxes were quantified in situ at the air-sediment and water-sediment interfaces. Community respiration generally prevails on primary production indicating that semi-exposed intertidal rocky shore communities could be considered as heterotrophic. The contribution of macrozoobenthic organisms to carbon fluxes was estimated on a regional scale through respiration and calcification rates measured in the laboratory and species abundances recorded in Brittany (France) exposed rocky shores. The comparison between in situ and laboratory studies allowed our methods validation.BREST-SCD-Bib. electronique (290199901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Differential δ13C and δ15N signatures among scallop tissues: Implications for ecology and physiology

International audienceThere have been several studies where the isotopic composition of organisms has been determined seasonally, but fewer have examined separate organs. In this context, separate organs (e.g. gonad, digestive gland and muscle), of a suspension-feeder, the scallop Pecten maximus, were used to assess seasonal changes of both stable isotopes and biochemical components. Our study used multiple indicators (stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes ratios, biochemical components and seston Chl a) to track nutritive activity and energy allocation in P. maximus from the Bay of Brest (France). In addition to seasonal variation in the isotopic composition of P. maximus tissues, we found strong differences in the mean isotopic signatures of different organs. This has serious implications for interpretation of animal diets and potential use in animal physiology. Furthermore, we present evidence that seasonal variations of metabolism will cause changes in the isotopic composition not related to changes in the diet. Interpretation of isotopic data may require consideration of values from several separate organs. Finally, 15N appears powerful to track metabolite fates in the scallop P. maximus

Physiological condition of the warty venus (Venus verrucosa L. 1758) larvae modulates response to pile driving and drilling underwater sounds

Noise is now recognized as a new form of pollution in marine coastal habitats. The development of marine renewable energies has introduced new sonorous perturbations, as the wind farm installation requires pile driving and drilling operations producing low frequency sounds at high sound pressure levels. Exponential expansion of offshore wind farms is occurring worldwide, making impact studies, particularly on benthic species highly abundant and diverse in the coastal area used for wind farming, a necessity. As larval recruitment is the basis for establishing a population, we conducted an experimental study to assess the interactive effects of pile driving or drilling sounds and larval rearing temperature on the endobenthic bivalve Venus verrucosa. In ectothermic animals, temperature modifies the organism’s physiology, resulting in performance variability. We hypothesize that temperature modulation could change larval responses to noise and explore the potential interacting effects of temperature and noise. Using two distinct rearing temperatures, physiologically different batches of larvae were produced with contrasting fatty acid content and composition in the neutral and polar lipid fractions. Without defining any absolute audition threshold for the larvae, we demonstrate that the effects of temperature and noise were ontogenic-dependent and modulated larval performance at the peri-metamorphic stage, acting on the metamorphosis dynamic. At the pediveligers stage, a strong interaction between both factors indicated that the response to noise was highly related to the physiological condition of the larvae. Finally, we suggest that underwater noise reduces the compensatory mechanisms established to balance the temperature increase

Reconstruction of seasonal temperature variability in the tropical Pacific Ocean from the shell of the scallop, <i>Comptopallium radula</i>

International audienceWe investigated the oxygen isotope composition (d18O) of shell striae from juvenile Comptopallium radula (Mollusca; Pectinidae) specimens collected live in New Caledonia. Bottom-water temperature and salinity were monitored in-situ throughout the study period. External shell striae form with a 2-day periodicity in this scallop, making it possible to estimate the date of precipitation for each calcite sample collected along a growth transect. The oxygen isotope composition of shell calcite (d18Oshell calcite) measured at almost weekly resolution on calcite accreted between August 2002 and July 2003 accurately tracks bottom-water temperatures. A new empirical paleotemperature equation for this scallop species relates temperature and d18Oshell calcite: t(°C)=20.00(+/-0.61)-3.66(+/-0.39)x(d18Oshell calcite VPDB -d18Owater VSMOW) The mean absolute accuracy of temperature estimated using this equation is 1.0 °C at temperatures between 20 and 30 °C. Uncertainties regarding the precise timing of CaCO3 deposition and the actual variations in d18Owater at our study sites probably contribute to this error. Comparison with a previously published empirical paleotemperature equation indicates that C. radula calcite is enriched in 18O by ~0.7‰ relative to equilibrium. Given the direction of this offset and the lack of correlation between shell growth rate and d18Oshell calcite, this disequilibrium is unlikely to be related to kinetic isotope effects. We suggest that this enrichment reflects (1) a relatively low pH in the scallop's marginal extrapallial fluid (EPF), (2) an isotopic signature of the EPF different from that of seawater, or (3) Rayleigh fractionation during the biocalcification process. Relative changes in d18Oshell calcite reflect seawater temperature variability at this location and we suggest that the shell of C. radula may be useful as an archive of past seawater temperatures

Anthropogenic boat noise reduces feeding success in winter flounder larvae (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)

The aim of this study was to explore an emerging discipline addressing the impact of anthropogenic noise on larval stages of marine organisms. We assessed the influence of boat noise on the feeding behaviour of the pelagic larvae of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Walbaum, 1792). The hypothesis was that boat noise influences the feeding behaviour of P. americanus flounder larvae independently of prey density. Aquaria containing P. americanus larvae were placed in water baths in which boat noise was diffused for the “noise” treatment and compared to control aquaria with no sound emissions. Larvae were filmed using cameras placed above the aquaria and their behaviour was recorded. Larvae exposed to anthropogenic noise displayed significantly fewer hunting events than controls, and their stomach volumes were significantly smaller. This noise effect was the same at all prey densities used, suggesting that larval feeding behaviour is negatively impaired by anthropogenic noise. Keywords : Feeding behaviour ; Winter flounder ; Larvae ; Anthropogenic noise ; Vessel noise

Variation in Size and Growth of the Great Scallop Pecten maximus along a Latitudinal Gradient

Understanding the relationship between growth and temperature will aid in the evaluation of thermal stress and threats to ectotherms in the context of anticipated climate changes. Most Pecten maximus scallops living at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere have a larger maximum body size than individuals further south, a common pattern among many ectotherms. We investigated differences in daily shell growth among scallop populations along the Northeast Atlantic coast from Spain to Norway. This study design allowed us to address precisely whether the asymptotic size observed along a latitudinal gradient, mainly defined by a temperature gradient, results from differences in annual or daily growth rates, or a difference in the length of the growing season. We found that low annual growth rates in northern populations are not due to low daily growth values, but to the smaller number of days available each year to achieve growth compared to the south. We documented a decrease in the annual number of growth days with age regardless of latitude. However, despite initially lower annual growth performances in terms of growing season length and growth rate, differences in asymptotic size as a function of latitude resulted from persistent annual growth performances in the north and sharp declines in the south. Our measurements of daily growth rates throughout life in a long-lived ectothermic species provide new insight into spatio-temporal variations in growth dynamics and growing season length that cannot be accounted for by classical growth models that only address asymptotic size and annual growth rate

Marine invertebrates and noise

Within the set of risk factors that compromise the conservation of marine biodiversity, one of the least understood concerns is the noise produced by human operations at sea and from land. Many aspects of how noise and other forms of energy may impact the natural balance of the oceans are still unstudied. Substantial attention has been devoted in the last decades to determine the sensitivity to noise of marine mammals—especially cetaceans and pinnipeds—and fish because they are known to possess hearing organs. Recent studies have revealed that a wide diversity of invertebrates are also sensitive to sounds, especially via sensory organs whose original function is to allow maintaining equilibrium in the water column and to sense gravity. Marine invertebrates not only represent the largest proportion of marine biomass and are indicators of ocean health but many species also have important socio-economic values. This review presents the current scientific knowledge on invertebrate bioacoustics (sound production, reception, sensitivity), as well as on how marine invertebrates are affected by anthropogenic noises. It also critically revisits the literature to identify gaps that will frame future research investigating the tolerance to noise of marine ecosystems

La coquille Saint-Jacques, sentinelle de l'océan

National audienceLa coquille Saint-Jacques ne mène pas toujours à Compostelle ! Depuis vingt ans, Laurent Chauvaud l'écoute, l'observe et nous ouvre d'autres chemins aventureux. Grâce à la recherche scientifique, la coquille est une machine à remonter le temps, une archive environnementale, une sentinelle des évolutions du milieu marin et du réchauffement climatique, un modèle mathématique. Mais aussi un instrument de musique : le claquement de ses valves est riche de messages. La coquille nous révèle au quotidien l'état de santé de la mer. Son histoire est une odyssée jamais racontée ; sa biologie, un miracle de la nature. Ce sont les secrets de la coquille Saint-Jacques que nous dévoile ce récit ludique, écologique et merveilleux ! Laurent Chauvaud, directeur de recherche au CNRS, nous emmène au coeur de son laboratoire situé à l'extrémité de la rade de Brest, mais aussi en Norvège, Californie, Arctique et Antarctique. Au cours de ses explorations, il nous révèle les coulisses de son métier qui cultive la sérendipité, cet art de trouver ce qu'on ne cherche pas