Sète, France
Description of the infrastructure: MEDIMEER is a unique platform on the French Mediterranean coast designed to run in-situ mesocosm experiments in coastal waters (Fig.9.14). The facility, with up to 12 pelagic mesocosms (1.2 m diameter, 2 m depth, ~2 m3 volume each), is moored in the Lagoon of Thau, 20 km southwest of Montpellier, hosted by the Marine Station of Sète, which belongs to the University of Montpellier (Dep.1). The mesocosms are attached to pontoons, maintained by a floating structure made of stainless steel and moored in the lagoon to provide natural water- temperature and light conditions. Six mesocosms can be fitted with a sensor array, enabling the acquisition of high- frequency data during experiments. Moreover, instruments for continuous measurements of air temperature and solar irradiance are installed on the same pontoon.
Several laboratories immediately adjacent to the mesocosm infrastructure are dedicated to participating in MEDIMEER experiments. They provide access to 2 wet laboratories (total area of 35 m2), 2 microbiological laboratories (total area of 40 m2), chemical laboratory (15 m2), microscopy laboratory (20 m2), 4 multitask laboratories (total of 65 m2 for sample processing), workshop (50 m2) and office space (60 m2) in the nearby buildings of the Marine Station of Sète. Available equipment and instruments include spectrofluorometer, spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere, oxygen titrator, nutrient autoanalyser, flow cytometer (FacsCalibur, Becton Dickinson), PAM fluorometer (Aquapen, PSI), epifluorescence microscope, dissecting microsopes, and various benchtop instruments (pumps, liquid nitrogen container, balances, incubators, ovens, cooled centrifuges, hoods, and more).
Pelagic, marine, outdoor, in-situ
1. Permanent floating structure: up to 12 pelagic mesocosms (1.2 m diameter, 2 m depth, ~2 m3 volume each). Fig. 1 & 2
2. Permanent floating structure: 3. Indoor structure:
3. Mobile: LAMP is composed of 9 individual structures that can be deployed individually or bonded according to experimental design. Fig. 3
CO2, pH, nutrients, plankton composition, temperature, light, salinity, turbulence, conductivity, chlorophyll a fluorescence and dissolved oxygen concentration. Some of The data are stored and transmit in real time
Plankton food web structure and functioning and their responses to global and local stressors.
Interactions between planktonic organisms and changes in structure and function of planktonic food web.
Effects of warming, increase of ultraviolet-B radiation and pH on planktonic food web.
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