Marine experiments and sampling

Endoume marine station (SME) is equipped with 40 aquariums in constant use, both with running and artificial seawater, for the maintenance and experimentation of the marine organisms studied at IMBE.
A fleet of small-volume running seawater aquariums (from 13L to 24L) is dedicated to experiments on thermotolerance, the impact of pollutants on organisms and life cycles. The responses of living organisms are observed on different scales: morphological, anatomical, genetic and epigenetic. These analyses are facilitated by the proximity of these aquariums to the other shared services also present at the Endoume Marine Station: the shared molecular biology service and the shared histology service.
The artificial seawater aquariums (4 of 150L) offer controlled systems (pH, temperature, photoperiod, salinity) for separate analysis of the effect of varying different parameters.
These aquariums are currently used for manipulating model organisms studied at IMBE, but could also enable us to attract researchers from other units wishing to work on living organisms.
We also have a fleet of larger aquariums, enabling us to maintain various organisms dedicated to experimentation.

These approaches ex situ are supplemented by approaches in situ carried out by IMBE divers as part of the joint OSU-PYTHEAS diving service. The presence of this joint service on the Endoume site also ensures rapid and efficient transport from the sea samples to the aquariums, limiting disruption and facilitating the acclimatisation of our models.

The Experiments and resources at sea department is to facilitate access for IMBE members and external staff to the various techniques used, while providing the expertise and advice of the staff involved in defining, planning, budgeting, training (trainees, PhD students - technical staff, teacher-researchers, researchers, etc.) and supporting the various scientific projects.