LEMAR’s experimental fish infrastructures, located on the Ifremer Centre Bretagne site, are approved for animal experimentation, according to <a href=”https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000022990561&categorieLien=id”>decree n°2013-118</a>, relating to the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

These installations are supplied continuously with sea water from the bottleneck of the Brest bay. They are highly scalable and allow experimentation throughout the life cycle of fish, from larval to adult stages. They are equipped with different devices to act on brightness, temperature, pH or dissolved oxygen. They are highly scalable and allow experimentation throughout the life cycle of fish, from larval to adult stages. They are equipped with different devices to act on brightness, temperature, pH or dissolved oxygen. In addition, some experimental rooms can be connected to a water treatment system for experiments using pathogens or pollutants of organic or microplastic types.

The research carried out on site essentially uses the sea bass model. But some experiments have already been conducted on dorados, soles or flets. The European sea bass (<em>Dicentrarchus labrax</em>) is a fish of economic, aquaculture and halieutic interest. Therefore it has been studied for many years. It is also an animal with a long life cycle whose all stages are perfectly controlled.
Current experiments are focusing on fish acclimatization capacities in the face of global change. For example, since 2013, acidification studies have been conducted to assess the transgenerational effects of exposure to the acidification conditions predicted by the IPCC in 2050 and 2100.

All the research projects carried out in the experimental infrastructures have been previously validated by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research and the Finistère ethics committee. In accordance with the legislation, all persons working with live animals must have completed training leading to a diploma.
Research projects are often conducted as part of collaborative research projects in a national and international context. Some projects are also conducted in partnership with industry.