Recherche des marqueurs d'exposition aux contaminants et de fréquentation des habitats chez l'anguille Anguilla anguilla de l'estuaire de l'Adour : de la réponse moléculaire à la microchimie de l'otolithe

In a context of decline of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) and search for biological markers of habitat use and quality, a multidisciplinary approach was engaged on the Adour estuary and its associated wetlands. Two axes were developed. The first axe aimed at highlighting the successive presence of the species in different ecosystems based on the otolith elemental composition. The second aimed at the evaluation of the chemical pressure underwent by eels based on the contaminant bioconcentration in soft tissues and the early molecular response to the chemical stress. With a view to the analyses of otolith elemental composition taking into account the 3D structure, the low elemental concentration in the matrix and keeping the finest spatial resolution, four micro sampling strategies and multi elemental analyses using femtosecond laser ablation ICP-MS were tested (crater, 1D scan, 2D scan, flash ablation). The strategy showing the best compromise according to the objectives (continuous recording, multi elemental approach) was applied on otolith of yellow eels from the Adour. The simultaneous use of Sr and Ba profiles, after validation, represents a new tool, easy, fast and reliable for the reconstruction of freshwater and brackish ecosystems use by eel avoiding misinterpretation due to vaterite inclusions. Three major behaviors were highlighted on the Adour: a residency in brackish water, a residency in freshwater and nomad behavior. The last one is illustrated by a shift to brackish water after three to four years spent in freshwater. Simultaneously, the study of inorganic and organic contamination of eel soft tissues showed that sampled wetlands are moderately contaminated. These results were confirmed by the first estimation, in wild conditions, of the early response to the chemical stress using the hepatic expression of CYP1A1 gene measured by real time RT-PCR. Conversely, in the downstream part of the Adour estuary, Hg loads in eels, especially methyl mercury, and PCBs analyses indicate values that need further investigations considering the European norms of consumption. The comparison of the different markers used (heavy metal and organochlorinated compounds contamination of soft tissues, condition index) support a lower quality of the estuary despite higher eel growth rate on this site. This study supports the use of numerous markers in integrated studies in order to understand and specify the relationships between eels and their continental growth zones.