Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD European Geosciences Union (EGU)
Résumé : International audience
Pollen and clay mineralogical analyses of a Holocene sequence from Sebkha Boujmel (southern Tunisia) traces the climatic and environmental dynamics in the lower arid bioclimatic zone over the last 8000 years. During the Mid- to Late Holocene transition, between 8 and 3 ka, a succession of five wet/dry oscillations is recorded. An intense arid event occurs between 5.7 and 4.6 ka. This episode marks the onset of a long-term aridification trend with a progressive retreat of Mediterranean woody xerophytic vegetation and of grass steppes. It ends with the establishment of pre-desert ecosystems around 3 ka. The millennial-scale climate change recorded in the data from Sebkha Boujmel is consistent with records from the south and east Mediterranean, as well as with climatic records from the desert region for the end of the African Humid Period (AHP). Eight centennial climatic events are recorded at Sebkha Boujmel and these are contemporary with those recorded in the Mediterranean and in the Sahara. They indicate a clear coupling between the southern Mediterranean and the Sahara before 3 ka. The event at 4.2 ka is not evidenced and the link between events recorded in Sebkha Boujmel and the North Atlantic Cooling events is clearer from 3 ka onwards. These variations indicate the importance of climatic determinism in the structuring of landscapes, with the establishment of the arid climatic conditions of the Late Holocene. It is only from 3 ka onwards that the dynamic of plant associations is modified by both human activity and climatic variability. The climatic episodes identified during the historic period indicate strong regionalisation related to the differential impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) on the Mediterranean basin. The local human impact on regional ecosystems is recorded in the form of episodes of intensification of pastoral and/or agricultural activities. The development of olive production and of several taxa associated with agriculture attest to increasing sedentism among human populations during Classical Antiquity. The significant increase in Artemisia (wormwood) between 1.1 and 0.8 ka (850–1150 AD) is linked to intensive pastoral activity, associated with heightened interannual and/or seasonal climatic instability. A complete re-shaping of the landscape is recorded during the 20th century. The remarkable expansion of the olive tree, and the deterioration of regional ecosystems with the spread of desert species, is linked to recent local socio-economic changes in Tunisia.
ISSN: 1814-9324

hal-01319967
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01319967
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01319967/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01319967/file/cp-12-1339-2016.pdf
DOI : 10.5194/cp-12-1339-2016

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Integrating ecological connectivity into marine ecosystem management and planning is important, especially in a global context of severe fish stocks depletion and growing habitat degradation. Environmental tools such as Marine Protected Areas have been proposed to protect biodiversity, restore damaged ecosystems, sustain fisheries, and rebuild overexploited stocks. The effectiveness of marine protected areas depends in part on the maintenance of connectivity between marine populations, linked by ecological processes such as larval dispersal. In this thesis, we applied a biophysical model driven by ocean currents derived from satellite altimetry to evaluate connectivity between Western Indian Ocean reefs and across the current MPA system in the Mediterranean Sea. We applied different methods of analysis such as graph-theoretic and clustering. In the Western Indian Ocean, marine connectivity analyses show that the number of connections between reefs increases with fish pelagic larval duration. It also highlights a low connectivity across the region and a high interconnectivity within several regions (Mozambique Channel, Mascarene archipelago). In the Mediterranean Sea, connectance is globally low at the regional scale. This connectance is more important in Western than Eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, the marine connectivity analyses revealed high domestic connectivity rates. Depending on the study area, priority reefs or sites for MPA implementation are proposed. Finally, implications for transboundary marine policies and regional cooperation are discussed.
Intégrer les connaissances sur la connectivité écologique dans la gestion des écosystèmes marins est essentiel, surtout dans un contexte d'appauvrissement des ressources marines et de dégradation des habitats côtiers à l'échelle mondiale. Des outils environnementaux, tels que les Aires Marines Protégées ont été mises en œuvre pour protéger la biodiversité, restaurer les écosystèmes endommagés, soutenir les pêcheries et reconstituer les stocks surexploités. Leur efficacité dépend en partie du maintien de la connectivité entre les populations marines, assurée à travers divers processus écologiques dont la dispersion larvaire. Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, un modèle biophysique intégrant des données de courants, issues de mesures d'altimétrie par satellite, a été utilisé pour évaluer la connectivité entre les récifs de l'océan Indien d'une part, et à travers le réseau d'AMP de Méditerranée d'autre part. Différentes méthodes d'analyse ont été utilisées, telles que la théorie des graphes et le clustering. Dans l'océan Indien occidental, l'analyse des connectivités marines montre que le nombre de connexions entre les récifs augmente avec la durée de vie larvaire des poissons. Elle met également en évidence une faible connectivité à l'échelle de la région, mais une forte inter-connectivité au sein de plusieurs sous-régions (Canal du Mozambique, Mascareignes). En Méditerranée, la connectance est globalement faible à l'échelle régionale, bien que plus importante dans le bassin occidental que le bassin oriental. L'analyse des connectivités marines montre également un taux de connectivité élevé à l'échelle d'un même pays. Selon le cas d'étude, une liste de récifs ou de sites prioritaires dans la mise en œuvre des AMP a été proposée. Enfin, les implications de ces résultats en termes de politiques transfrontalières et de coopération régionale sont discutées.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01269631

NNT : 2015LARE0003
tel-01269631
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01269631
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01269631/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01269631/file/2015lare0003_ECrochelet.pdf

Résumé : The MEDECO Leg 2 cruise followed the MEDECO Leg 1 cruise that had crossed the Mediterranean Sea from the west to the east to study benthic communities of the Var canyon, deep corals found on the Calabrian Margin and cold seep ecosystems of the Mediterranean Ridge. The main objective of the MEDECO Leg 2 cruise was to study and compare, using a multidisciplinary approach, the structure and dynamics of deep-sea ecosystems at various active cold seep sites from the Nile deep sea fan and the Calabrian Arc, in the Eastern Mediterranean sea. During MEDECO Legs 1 & 2, a multiscale strategy was promoted to integrate (1) a high resolution cartography of geological structures (km2 scale), (2) a detailed mapping, including video imagery, of smaller-scale areas (scale 100 to 300 m2), (3) the physical, chemical and sedimentary characteristics of the habitat (multiscale), (4) the structure and functioning of faunal communities, including microbes, in terms of composition, diversity and biomass (multiscale), (5) small scale studies of interactions between organisms and their environment (scale < m2), (6) detailed ecophysiological studies at the organism scale on invertebrates. The use of the ROV “Victor 6000” and of various equipments for in situ and ex situ observations and measurements has helped reaching our objectives. The MEDECO cruise represented the key-Mediterranean cruise of the HERMES project “Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas” (P.I. P. Weaver, NOC-Southampton). The cruise was organized to follow the objectives of the HERMES program to better understand the functioning of deep ecosystems of the continental margins aiming at obtaining: (1) the description and quantification of the natural drivers (geological, hydrological, chemical factors) that control the distribution of ecosystems on margins; (2) the characterization and quantification of biodiversity, from bacteria to megafauna, as well as the knowledge of ecosystem functioning; (3) the study of ecosystems dynamics including the biology/physiology of key-species. Specific objectives. Colonization experiments conducted in the frame of two European programs, Diwoo and Chemeco, have given the opportunity to recover the fauna installed in the devices deployed during the Bionil cruise (2006) and to deploy new ones at the same site located in the pockmark area of the central province of Nile deep sea fan.

Droits : 2008 Insu, Cnrs, Locean
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00134/24550/22583.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00134/24550/

Éditeur(s) : Public Library Science
Résumé : Biological invasions rank amongst the most deleterious components of global change inducing alterations from genes to ecosystems. The genetic characteristics of introduced pools of individuals greatly influence the capacity of introduced species to establish and expand. The recently demonstrated heritability of microbial communities associated to individual genotypes of primary producers makes them a potentially essential element of the evolution and adaptability of their hosts. Here, we characterized the bacterial communities associated to native and non-native populations of the marine green macroalga Caulerpa racemosa through pyrosequencing, and explored their potential role on the strikingly invasive trajectory of their host in the Mediterranean. The similarity of endophytic bacterial communities from the native Australian range and several Mediterranean locations confirmed the origin of invasion and revealed distinct communities associated to a second Mediterranean variety of C. racemosa long reported in the Mediterranean. Comparative analysis of these two groups demonstrated the stability of the composition of bacterial communities through the successive steps of introduction and invasion and suggested the vertical transmission of some major bacterial OTUs. Indirect inferences on the taxonomic identity and associated metabolism of bacterial lineages showed a striking consistency with sediment upheaval conditions associated to the expansion of their invasive host and to the decline of native species. These results demonstrate that bacterial communities can be an effective tracer of the origin of invasion and support their potential role in their eukaryotic host's adaptation to new environments. They put forward the critical need to consider the 'meta-organism' encompassing both the host and associated micro-organisms, to unravel the origins, causes and mechanisms underlying biological invasions.
Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2013-07 , Vol. 8 , N. 7 , P. -

Droits : 2013 Aires et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00157/26791/24886.pdf
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0068429
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00157/26791/

Éditeur(s) : Université de Bretagne Occidentale
Résumé : The major objectives of this thesis were to study the structure, functioning and dynamics of different faunal assemblages associated with cold seep ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. We focused our study on three main sites: the Marmara Sea, the Mediterranean ridge and the Nile deep sea fan. This thesis aims at determining the environmental signature of Mediterranean sites and the characteristics of the associated fauna at European and global scales. The specific objectives were to (1) determine the composition, diversity, density, biomass of invertebrate assemblages, (2) characterize biogeochemical conditions within different microhabitats in the vicinity of organisms, (3) to define the trophic relationships amongst seep fauna using stable isotope analyses (collaboration) and lastly, (4) to compare the spatial distribution and assemblage characteristics at different spatial scales (local, structure-scale, regional). The results show that (1) the Napoli mud volcano is the richest structure in terms of numbers of taxa while the Nile deep-sea fan sites need additional sampling, (2) a high variability is observed both between the different microhabitats but also within a single microhabitat, (3) the methane and oxygen gradients as well as substratum type are the main structuring factors explaining the distribution of the fauna and (4) the characteristics of the microhabitats, rather than the study area, influence the structure of benthic communities associated with Mediterranean cold seeps.
Les objectifs principaux de cette thèse sont d’étudier la structure, le fonctionnement et la dynamique de différents assemblages de faune associée aux émissions de fluides froids de Méditerranée orientale. Trois principaux sites ont été étudiés : la mer de Marmara, la ride méditerranéenne et le delta profond du Nil. Cette thèse tente de déterminer la « signature environnementale » des sites méditerranéens et les caractéristiques de la faune qui y est associée dans un contexte de marges européennes et mondiale. Les objectifs spécifiques sont (1) de déterminer la composition, la diversité, la densité et la biomasse des assemblages d'invertébrés ; (2) de caractériser les conditions biogéochimiques au sein des différents microhabitats à proximité des organismes; (3) de caractériser les relations trophiques sur les différents assemblages de faune par une approche isotopique (en collaboration) et finalement, (4) de comparer la distribution spatiale et les caractéristiques des assemblages à différentes échelles spatiales (locale, à l’échelle d’une structure géologique, régionale). Les résultats montrent que : (1) le volcan de boue Napoli est le site le plus riche en taxons alors que les sites du delta du Nil nécessiteraient un échantillonnage plus approfondi ; (2) il existe une grande variabilité entre les microhabitats ainsi qu’au sein d’un même microhabitat ; (3) les gradients en méthane, en oxygène ainsi que la nature du substrat sont les principaux facteurs abiotiques expliquant la distribution de la faune, (4) les caractéristiques des microhabitats, plutôt que la zone d’étude, influencent la structure des communautés benthiques associées aux écosystèmes de fluides froids méditerranéens.

Droits : 2010 The Author, UBO
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13138/10178.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13138/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
With the health of the world’s oceans threatened as never before, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a vitally important role in protecting marine and coastal habitats. Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective draws on the results of a major EU-sponsored research project related to the establishment of networks of MPAs in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that transpired from February 2011 to January 2016. Featuring contributions by leading university- and national research institute-based scientists, chapters utilize the latest research data and developments in marine conservation policy to explore issues related to ways in which networks of MPAs may amplify the effectiveness and conservation benefits of individual areas within them. Topics addressed include the broader socio-economic impacts of MPAs in the Mediterranean and Black Seas; the use of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to resolve conflicts between marine resource use and protection; special protection measures under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD); ecological value assessments in the Black Sea; the Ecosystem Approach (EA) for managing marine ecosystems; MPAs along Turkey’s Black Sea coast; MPAs and offshore wind farms; and managing and monitoring MPA networks within and between the Black and Mediterranean Seas.Timely and important, Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective offers invaluable insights into the role of MPAs in preserving the welfare and long-term viability of our world’s oceans.
Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective

ISBN : 978-1-119-07577-6
hal-01562040
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01562040

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Station Biologique
Résumé : International audience
This study deals with temporal variations in eel diet Anguilla anguilla sampled at each of the four seasons in the Languedocian Prévost lagoon (Gulf of Lion) from Autumn 1998 to Summer 1999. The following feeding indices were calculated based on observations of 12 categories of prey found in the contents of full stomachs: coefficient of vacuity CV, degree of fullness DR, occurrence frequency PP, relative abundance N (in %) and relative weight P (in %). The interpretation of results is also based on the Costello's method (1990) which combines PP and N. Anguilla anguilla mainly feeds on benthic organisms, primarily Gammarus gr. locusta, Polychaeta, insect larvae, small fish. Based on variations in eel diet, seasonal influence is illustrated by a decrease in feeding activity in summer which gradually increases during the following seasons. The good trophic quality available to eels in the Prévost lagoon depends on its hydrodynamics which is directly related to the movement of water entering and leaving lagoon by a short communication with the sea. This water movement accelerates the enrichment and production processes of this ecosystem. Changes observed during the four seasons illustrate an opportunistic type of feeding behaviour. Eels consume the most available benthic prey. They favour the importance of the prey at a given moment without using a particular feeding strategy like specialisation or generalisation. Thus, eel adapts its diet in adjusting available energy resources in the ecosystem. Because of this, the lagoon-resident species Anguilla anguilla is an obvious indirect bioindicator of the trophic capacity and present level of confinement in the brackish water lagoon ecosystem of Prévost.
ISSN: 0007-9723

hal-00753021
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00753021

Éditeur(s) : Wiley-blackwell Publishing, Inc
Résumé : Recent theoretical and field studies conducted in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems have suggested that diversity could be a more complex and multi-component concept than previously thought. However, it is still poorly understood to what extent the information provided by the various indices is complementary with regard to diversity, and to what extent this complementarity is reproducible in different situations or at different scales of observation. In the present work, we have analysed the reproducibility of the empirical relationships between 11 diversity indices related to four major aspects (components) of species diversity (species richness, rarity, evenness and species taxonomy) in order to determine whether there is a general pattern of redundancy or complementarity in diversity measures that holds across years, areas and spatial scales. We have applied this approach to groundfish diversity through the analysis of 2404 trawl hauls collected during the first large-scale annual surveys carried out using a single sampling design throughout the northern Mediterranean Sea (ranging from 36.3 to 45.7 degrees N, and 5.3 degrees W to 28 degrees E). Whatever the years, areas and scales studied, we found a strong reproducibility in the number and the nature of the main complementary components of diversity. The whole set of diversity indices considered may be roughly split into 6 complementary groups of descriptors. This result highlights that, in contrast to what is still the usual practice, monitoring diversity should not be based on only one or two of the most widely used components, even at large scale. Finally, in a context where developing tools for monitoring diversity is considered as a high priority worldwide, the strong reproducibility of the relationships between diversity indices we observed offers a basis for discussion of the feasibility and relevance of proposing a general shortlist of indices for monitoring diversity at different management scales.
Ecography (0906-7590) (Wiley-blackwell Publishing, Inc), 2010-12 , Vol. 33 , N. 6 , P. 1123-1135

Droits : 2010 The Authors / Ecography
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00029/14064/11382.pdf
DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.06259.x
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00029/14064/

Éditeur(s) : The Oceanography Society
Résumé : Submarine hydrocarbon seeps are geologically driven "hotspots" of increased biological activity on the seabed. As part of the HERMES project, several sites of natural hydrocarbon seepage in the European seas were investigated in detail, including mud volcanoes and pockmarks, in study areas extending from the Nordic margin, to the Gulf of Cadiz, to the Mediterranean and Black seas. High-resolution seabed maps and the main properties of key seep sites are presented here. Individual seeps show ecosystem zonation related to the strength of the methane flux and distinct biogeochemical processes in surface sediments. A feature common to many seeps is the formation of authigenic carbonate constructions. These constructions exhibit various morphologies ranging from large pavements and fragmented slabs to chimneys and mushroom-shaped mounds, and they form hard substrates colonized by fixed fauna. Gas hydrate dissociation could contribute to sustain seep chemosynthetic communities over several thousand years following large gas-release events.
Oceanography (1042-8275) (The Oceanography Society), 2009-03 , Vol. 22 , N. 1 , P. 92-109

Droits : 2009 by The Oceanography Society. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy this article for use in teaching and research. Republication, systemmatic reproduction, or collective redistirbution of any portion of this article by photocopy machine, reposting, or other means is permitted only with the approval of The Oceanography Society. Send all correspondence to: info@tos.org or The Oceanography Society, PO Box 1931, Rockville, MD 20849-1931, USA.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6387.pdf
DOI:10.5670/oceanog.2009.11
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6387/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer
Résumé : International audience
The aim of this chapter is to provide a general overview of the main ecological aspects of Anthozoan-Symbiodinium mutualisms in the Mediterranean Sea. There are reports of at least twelve species of symbiotic anthozans in the basin. These anthozoans establish symbiotic relations with Symbiodinium Temperate A and B2 (Symbiodinium psygmophilum), corresponding to the only two species of Symbiodinium described in the region. A synthesis of the trophic and biochemical aspects of the interaction between Symbiodinum and their cnidarian hosts is given to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that maintain this special association. Finally, current knowledge about the ecological importance of this interaction in engineering species is examined. This review is framed to highlight the ecological importance of this symbiotic relationship in ecosystem construction and maintenance on an enclosed, temperate marine basin.
The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future

ISBN : 978-3-319-31303-0
hal-01546929
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01546929
DOI : 10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_24

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity in the light of past demographic events linked with climatic shifts will help to forecast evolutionary trajectories of ecosystems within the current context of climate change. In this study, mitochondrial sequences and microsatellite loci were analysed using traditional population genetic approaches together with Bayesian dating and the more recent approximate Bayesian computation scenario testing. The genetic structure and demographic history of a commercial fish, the black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus, was investigated throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The results suggest that the species recently underwent population expansions, in both seas, likely concomitant with the warming period following the Last Glacial Maximum, 20 000 years ago. A weak contemporaneous genetic differentiation was identified between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. However, the genetic diversity was similar for populations of the two seas, suggesting a high number of colonizers entered the Black Sea during the interglacial period and/or the presence of a refugial population in the Black Sea during the glacial period. Finally, within seas, an east/west genetic differentiation in the Adriatic seems to prevail, whereas the Black Sea does not show any structured spatial genetic pattern of its population. Overall, these results suggest that the Black Sea is not that isolated from the Mediterranean, and both seas revealed similar evolutionary patterns related to climate change and changes in sea level.
ISSN: 1471-8278

hal-01330323
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01330323
DOI : 10.1111/mec.13616

Éditeur(s) : Inter-Research
Résumé : The spatial structure of demersal fish assemblages on the continental shelf of the NW Mediterranean Sea was examined on a large scale between the Straits of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Lions. In contrast to its predominant role in the spatial distribution of species composition, described worldwide, it seems depth has only a limited effect on the distribution patterns of the total abundance and diversity of demersal fishes. In addition, evidence is provided for the division of the whole study area into 3 geographical fish assemblages. The influence of Atlantic inputs and the semi-permanent Almena-Oran hydrographic front play a key role in defining the Alboran Sea as a specific fish fauna area. Moreover, the clear differentiation between 2 distinct assemblages in the Gulf of Lions and the Catalan Sea could be partly linked to the North Balearic front. These results contribute to the current debate on the definition of spatial units for the purpose of demersal fisheries management. They also stress the complexity of developing an ecosystem approach which deals simultaneously with species composition and biodiversity aspects of ecosystems management.
Marine Ecology Progress Series (0171-8630) (Inter-Research), 2005-08 , Vol. 297 , P. 245-257

Droits : Inter-Research 2005
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-3623.pdf
DOI:10.3354/meps297245
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3623/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : Fire-history reconstructions inferred from sedimentary charcoal records are based on measuring sieved charcoal fragment area, estimating fragment volume, or counting fragments. Similar fire histories are reconstructed from these three approaches for boreal lake sediment cores, using locally defined thresholds. Here, we test the same approach for a montane Mediterranean lake in which taphonomical processes might differ from boreal lakes through fragmentation of charcoal particles. The Mediterranean charcoal series are characterized by highly variable charcoal accumulation rates. Results there indicate that the three proxies do not provide comparable fire histories. The differences are attributable to charcoal fragmentation. This could be linked to fire type (crown or surface fires) or taphonomical processes, including charcoal transportation in the catchment area or in the sediment. The lack of correlation between the concentration of charcoal and of mineral matter suggests that fragmentation is not linked to erosion. Reconstructions based on charcoal area are more robust and stable than those based on fragment counts. Area-based reconstructions should therefore be used instead of the particle-counting method when fragmentation may influence the fragment abundance.
ISSN: 0033-5894

hal-00903607
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00903607
DOI : 10.1016/j.yqres.2013.01.003

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Station Biologique
Résumé : International audience
This study focuses on the diet of the eel Anguilla anguilla, sampled during one month of each of the four seasons from autumn 1998 to summer 1999 in the Languedocian Ingril Lagoon (Gulf ot Lion). The following feeding indices were calculated based on observations of 11 categories of prey found in the contents of full stomachs: coefficient of vacuity (CV), degree of fullness (DR), occurrence frequency (PP, in %), relative abundance (N, in %) and relative weight (P, in %). A parallel monitoring of the benthic macrofauna was conducted in autumn and spring. The interpretation of the results is based on the degree III of the scale of confinement established by Guélorget & Perthuisot (1983) and on the Costello et al. (1990) method, which combines PP and N. A. anguilla mainly feeds on benthic organisms, primarily amphipods crustaceans, polychaetes, insect larvae and small fish. The eel's feeding activity is very low in November and February and usually increases during May. The trophic quality available to the eel population in the Ingril Lagoon depends on its hydrodynamic variables, which are directly related to its close communication with the sea. Changes observed in the eel's diet over this year long study illustrate an opportunist type of feeding behaviour that reflects the typical composition of the macroinvertebrate species assemblage at a given point in time. Eels consume the type of benthic prey that is most available at a given moment without using a particular feeding strategy (e.g., specialisation or generalisation). The eels adapt by shifting their diet according to the energetic resources available in the ecosystem, which vary depending on hydrological regime. Thus, the facultative catadromous migrant species Anguilla anguilla could be used as a bioindicator of changes in the biological zonation and in the available food resources in the brackish ecosystem of Ingril Lagoon during its lagoon-resident ecophase.
ISSN: 0007-9723

hal-00753020
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00753020

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD National Academy of Sciences
Résumé : International audience
Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) constitute one of the most diverse and ecologically important groups of phytoplankton. They are considered to be particularly important in nutrient-rich coastal ecosystems and at high latitudes, but considerably less so in the oligotrophic open ocean. The Tara Oceans circumnavigation collected samples from a wide range of oceanic regions using a standardized sampling procedure. Here, a total of similar to 12 million diatom V9-18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) ribotypes, derived from 293 size-fractionated plankton communities collected at 46 sampling sites across the global ocean euphotic zone, have been analyzed to explore diatom global diversity and community composition. We provide a new estimate of diversity of marine planktonic diatoms at 4,748 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Based on the total assigned ribotypes, Chaetoceros was the most abundant and diverse genus, followed by Fragilariopsis, Thalassiosira, and Corethron. We found only a few cosmopolitan ribotypes displaying an even distribution across stations and high abundance, many of which could not be assigned with confidence to any known genus. Three distinct communities from South Pacific, Mediterranean, and Southern Ocean waters were identified that share a substantial percentage of ribotypes within them. Sudden drops in diversity were observed at Cape Agulhas, which separates the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and across the Drake Passage between the Atlantic and Southern Oceans, indicating the importance of these ocean circulation choke points in constraining diatom distribution and diversity. We also observed high diatom diversity in the open ocean, suggesting that diatoms may be more relevant in these oceanic systems than generally considered.
ISSN: 0027-8424

hal-01545320
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01545320
DOI : 10.1073/pnas.1509523113

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
ISSN: 0032-079X

hal-01092820
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01092820
DOI : 10.1007/s11104-010-0333-2

Éditeur(s) : Université des Antilles Études caribéennes
Résumé : L’incendie de forêt reste incontestablement un des facteurs de dégradation les plus dévastateurs dans le bassin méditerranéen, lequel est caractérisé par une végétation très inflammable et des conditions climatiques chaudes et sèches. Le Maroc, pays du pourtour méditerranéen, n’est pas épargné par ce fléau, avec 3000 ha de forêts qui partent annuellement en fumée ; cette situation est aggravée par les difficultés de régénération et de restauration des espaces, marqués par une vulnérabilité naturelle telle que celle de la Mâamora. Pour répondre à cela, la conception d’un plan d’aménagement anti-feux visant à conférer à la forêt de la Mâamora une immunité élevée contre les incendies, nécessite non seulement une connaissance approfondie du milieu, mais aussi une analyse appropriée du phénomène « incendie ». La présente étude qui se penche sur le diagnostic et l’analyse des incendies survenus en Mâamora, a permis de constater que les zones d’interface homme-forêt (routes, douars, etc.) n’ont pas d’influence sur l’occurrence des incendies. Il ressort également que l’activité pastorale, pratiquée d’une certaine façon, pourrait jouer un rôle important dans la diminution des risques d’incendie. En outre l’étude révèle que la charge du combustible représente le facteur prépondérant qui régit à la fois l’éclosion des incendies et leur propagation, cette charge étant étroitement liée à la qualité de la station (sol et pluviométrie).
Forest fires are the main disturbance and the degradation factor most devastating that can affect forested areas, especially in the Mediterranean basin when species are highly flammable and climate conditions are marginal. Morocco as a Mediterranean country is not spared from this phenomenon, thus 3000 ha of forest are burned every year, and this situation is aggravated by the low rate of regeneration and restoration of the unbalanced ecosystems such as the Mâamora. To mitigate this situation, the establishment of an effective management plan for forest fire prevention requires not only an intimate knowledge of environment but also a perfect analysis of fire phenomenon. Therefore in this study, we focused our diagnosis on the analysis of old fires occurred in the past in Mâamora forest. The study highlighted that human-forest interface areas (roads, villages) have no influence on fires occurrence. Besides it was shown that grazing practiced in a well-balanced way, could play a key role in reducing fire hazards. In addition the study reveals that fuel load of is the major factor that governs both fire ignition and fire spread of, this load is closely related to site quality (soil and rainfall)
Maroc

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
urn:doi:10.4000/etudescaribeennes.10978
http://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/10978

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : This study aimed to analyze the role river floods play in triggering gravity flows and to investigate the role of submarine canyon systems as a conduit for terrigenous material to the deep sea. Two years of measurements in the Var canyon at depths ranging from 1200 m to 2350 m indicate that six floods of the Var River triggered hyperpycnal flows, an important mechanism for transporting particulate matter to the deep-sea floor. These sediment gravity flows were characterized by a sudden increase of current velocity that lasted 8 to 22 h and by downward particle fluxes that reached up to 600 g m(-2)d(-1) of particles and 3.1 g m(-2)d(-1) in terms of organic carbon. These large inputs of sediment and organic carbon may have a significant impact on deep-sea ecosystems and carbon storage in the Mediterranean Sea.
Marine Geology (0025-3227) (Elsevier), 2009-07 , Vol. 263 , N. 1-4 , P. 1-6

Droits : 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6640.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.margeo.2009.03.014
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6640/

Éditeur(s) : Inter-research
Résumé : Marine protected areas (MPAs) have the potential to enhance the long-term sustainability of coastal resources, and the artisanal fisheries which depend on them. However, recreational fisheries, which are increasing their impacts on coastal resources worldwide, may reduce the benefits that MPAs provide to declining artisanal fisheries. Here we used the Bonifacio Straits Natural Reserve (BSNR) Corsica as a study case to simulate the combined effects on coastal resources of artisanal and recreational fishing efforts. The BSNR ecosystem was modelled using mass-balance modelling of trophic interactions. This model was compared to another built on a non-protected area from the same region. We aggregated fishing fleets into artisanal and recreational categories, and we simulated various combinations of fishing effort over a 20 yr dynamic simulation using Ecosim. We showed that fishing activities have an additional top-down effect on the food web and that they decrease the targeted group's biomass, such as piscivorous species. We found, for some trophic groups, non-trivial patterns of biomass variation through trophic cascades. Our trophic approach revealed that some groups may suffer a biomass decrease when MPAs are set or enforced, due to the combined effect of artisanal and recreational fisheries. Overall, our results illustrate the value of modelling to manage MPAs, as a complementary tool to surveys. Models provide the opportunity to anticipate the potential consequences, at the ecosystem level, of socio-political decisions that aim to sustain coastal resources while managing artisanal and recreational fisheries.
Marine Ecology-progress Series (0171-8630) (Inter-research), 2010-08 , Vol. 412 , P. 207-221

Droits : Inter-Research 2010
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12436/9246.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12436/9247.pdf
DOI:10.3354/meps08679
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12436/

Éditeur(s) : Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd
Résumé : We report the northernmost and deepest known occurrence of deep-water pycnodontine oysters based on two surveys along the French Atlantic continental margin to the La Chapelle continental slope (2006) and the Guilvinec Canyon (2008) The combined use of multibeam bathymetry seismic profiling CTD casts and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) made it possible to describe the physical habitat and to assess the oceanographic control for the recently described species Neopycnodonte zibrowii These oysters have been observed in vivo in depths from 540 to 846 m colonizing overhanging banks or escarpments protruding from steep canyon flanks Especially in the Bay of Biscay such physical habitats may only be observed within canyons where they are created by both long-term turbiditic and contouritic processes Frequent observations of sand ripples on the seabed indicate the presence of a steady but enhanced bottom current of about 40 cm/s The occurrence of oysters also coincides with the Interface between the Eastern North Atlantic Water and the Mediterranean Outflow Water A combination of this water mass mixing internal tide generation and a strong primary surface productivity may generate an enhanced nutrient flux which is funnelled through the canyon When the ideal environmental conditions are met up to 100 individuals per m(2) may be observed These deep-water oysters require a vertical habitat which is often incompatible with the requirements of other sessile organisms and are only sparsely distributed along the continental margins The discovery of these giant oyster banks illustrates the rich biodiversity of deep-sea canyons and their underestimation as true ecosystem hotspots (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved
Deep-sea Research Part I-oceanographic Research Papers (0967-0637) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2010-12 , Vol. 57 , N. 12 , P. 1561-1572

Droits : 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00023/13419/14034.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.dsr.2010.09.002
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00023/13419/