HABIS

Harmful Algal Blooms: a threat for sustainability of exploited BIvalveS

Coordination

Hélène Hégaret et Caroline Fabioux

Project type

National

Funding

ANR

Project duration

Start Date

27/04/2024

End Date

27/04/2024

Links

HABs are now considered as a major environmental, societal and economic concern for the sustainability of marine ecosystems and their uses and appear as a scientific challenge in national and international research strategies (Paris Agreement, UNESCO). Often synchronized with the reproduction period of bivalves, these HABs are suspected to be responsible for recruitment defects of bivalves regularly observed along the French coast. These recruitment anomalies could, in the long term, modify the structure of wild populations and affect the sustainability of the resources of exploited species while development of aquaculture is essential to support the food needs of a growing world population. HABIS project analyzes the vulnerability of exploited bivalves to regularly blooming or emerging HAB species along French coasts. Our funnel-shaped strategy relies on in vitro large screening of HAB toxicity using bioassays on gametes and larvae. For the more risky pairs of HAB/bivalve the nature of the toxic compounds of HAB is researched. Meanwhile, the cellular (flow cytometry, imaging) and molecular mechanisms (transcriptomics, epigenomics) of toxicity on bivalve reproduction and development is studied by an integrative physiological approach from individual to gene, over a generation and the offspring to consider the transgenerational consequences of HAB. These results will implement bioenergetic models to prediction purposes. HABIS actively participates to public awareness of the consequences of increasing human ecological footprints and global change on the development of HAB and their impacts by developing classes, art and communication towards general public and transfer knowledge to stakeholders. This multidisciplinary project brings together biologists, and chemists, and involve some professional partners, such as a private hatchery, the local aquaculture and fisheries committee and artists involved in communications actions.