THE PLAKTON COMMUNITIES

Person in charge:

Vanina Pasqualini

Problematic issues

The coastal environments (sea and lagoon) are important areas for the exchange of materials and energy. Anthropogenic pressures, through both population growth and use, lead to increased and unsustainable exploitation of ecosystem resources, resulting in the erosion of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems. Significant changes in ecological balances have been observed on a global scale that could threaten the sustainability of the environment itself. In the current demographic, economic and ecological context, the conservation and restoration of these coastal environments appears to be a necessity for the society. With the demonstrated impact of global changes (anthropogenic and climatic), the exact response of interface zones is yet to be established. The phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, at the base of trophic systems, are particularly sensitive to the spatiotemporal variations of the physical chemistry parameters in the coastal environments. Any disturbances and ecological modifications at their level can have major consequences on ecosystems and ultimately on fisheries resources. These communities are therefore key links to be studied and monitored, especially within the context of the Directives Framework of the European Union.

Objectives

Our objective is to respond to societal demands for diagnosis, expertise, ecological engineering and decision support and remediation, based on the knowledge of the dynamics of the planktonic communities and the consequences on the functioning of ecosystems. Planktonic diversity is not yet fully known. The full extent of the Phytoplanktonic diversity is not yet fully known. The phytoplankton represents an unexplored and unexploited biodiversity. The research on the understanding of plankton (phytoplankton and zooplankton) must be pursued. This resource can be valuable in various fields such as nutrition (aquaculture), cosmetics and the environment (phycotoxins, water purification).

Steps to be taken

• Comprehension of both the dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in coastal environments and the consequences of these variations on ecosystem functioning, to support decision-making and for the remediation.
• Isolate and study certain phytoplankton and zooplankton species of interest observed along the Corsican coastline, to allow control of their cultivation and production. The objective therein is to create a strain database and study the potential of these strains, with a view to promoting them in various fields (e.g. aquaculture, cosmetics).
• To produce phytoplankton and zooplankton to provide food for the species of interest selected and exploited on the Stella Mare platform.