Dynamique et réponse fonctionnelle des foraminifères et de la macrofaune benthiques en zone ostréicole dans les pertuis charentais

In oyster farming areas, organic matter fluxes toward sediment is increased. Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) reject organic-rich faeces and pseudofaeces as a result of filtration process. Organic matter can be consumed by benthic fauna, but in excess it can entails the reduction of benthic faunal species richness, abundance and biomass. Organic matter degradation also induces hypoxic (or anoxic) conditions in the sediment, and production of ammonia and sulfides in toxic concentrations. The main objective of this study is to assess the effects of oyster farming on benthic intertidal ecosystems in the Pertuis Charentais. Benthic macrofauna, living (stained) foraminifera, and physicochemical characteristics of the water column and sediment were used as indicators to evaluate these effects. A multidisciplinary approach was conducted across the Pertuis Charentais at 3 different spatial scales: an oyster trestle (micro-scale), an oyster culture area (meso-scale) and various sites across the Pertuis Charentais (macro-scale). The study was also realised at 4 different temporal scales: some months for the spatial micro-scale, every two weeks for 2 years at meso-scale and once per season during one year at macro-scale. In this study, I found that oyster farming enriches sediment in fine particles, organic matter (up to 12 %), particulate organic carbon (15-20 µg mg 1) and leads to high microphytobenthic biomass. Moreover, the association of seasonnal warming (during spring and summer), remineralisation of accumulated organic matter and short-term hypoxic conditions leads to sulfides and ammonium production. Consequently, the benthic biodiversity decreases and the population dynamic is disturbed. The population dynamic disturbance is characterised by fast abundance rises followed by high mortality rates. In these conditions, tolerant benthic macrofaunal (Cirratulidae, Spionidae and Capitellidae) and foraminiferal (Ammonia tepida and Cribroelphidium gunteri) species are promoted. AMBI index confirms "medium" ecological quality of oyster farming areas. On the contrary, across the control sites, sensible species are maintained (Amphipods, Rosalina cf. vilardeboana). Comparison of oyster farming techniques shows that on-bottom culture is less disturbing for benthic ecosystem than off-bottom culture. Axial tomodensitometry, an innovative method, was used to describe in 3D the sedimentary column organisation. I show that oyster farming modifies the sedimentary column functioning. Indeed, the macrofaunal diversity decrease leads to the modification of the functional diversity of assemblages. Thus, the vertical distribution of living foraminifera is limited in oyster farming areas, because their distribution is tightly related to macrofaunal bioturbating modes.