The marine mollusc platform in Bouin

Bouin
Infrastructure for living resources
The Bouin experimental platform pre-grows batches of bivalves to meet the needs of Ifremer’s research projects. It is part of the Atlantic Marine Molluscs Experimental unit (EMMA). Its facilities are primarily used to develop work on the health of marine ecosystems. The platform also conducts its own research and development work in the field of water treatment for shellfish farming in order to improve animal safety and environmental protection.
Aerial view of the Bouin platform

1,600 m²

for rearing and experimentation

3

rooms for microalgae production under controlled conditions

1 million

seed oysters per year

A few applications

Supplying laboratories with bivalve molluscs

The bivalve mollusc seed produced at Ifremer’s La Tremblade and Argenton facilities are brought to Bouin for the pre-growth stage. The mollusc-farming polder area of Bouin is ideal for producing the microalgae feed necessary for this pre-growth. Then, when the seed reach the right size, they are supplied to the Institute’s scientists for analysis and/or experiments. 

 

Hosting experiments

The marine mollusc platform in Bouin houses experiments carried out by scientists from a wide range of laboratories. These mostly involve studies of biological and chemical contaminants (viruses, bacteria, toxic microalgae or chemical pollutants) affecting the health of consumers or shellfish.

 

Improving water treatment

The platform helps to improve the safety of shellfish production. The research carried out at Bouin aims to improve quality control for the water entering and leaving the process. Different treatments, such as membrane filtration or activated carbon adsorption, are tested to disinfect and decontaminate chemically the seawater that supplies shellfish farms in enclosed structures. Studies are also carried out to reduce the impact of shellfish farming and ensure the preservation of biodiversity by treating farm waste.

 

Two raceways in the nursery with strainers, housing batches of bivalve molluscs for pre-growth

Damien Réveillon, Ifremer researcher in the Microalgae Metabolite Laboratory. Nantes Ifremer Centre. 2022.
Damien Réveillon
Ifremer | Researcher in the Microalgae Metabolite Laboratory
Credit: Ifremer
Collaboration with the Bouin platform is essential for me to obtain oysters and mussels that have not been in contact with certain biological contaminants so that I can use them as a reference for my future analyses.
Contact
Christophe Stavrakakis
Environmental engineer, Atlantic Marine Mollusc Experimental Unit, Ifremer
christophe.stavrakakis@ifremer.fr +33 2 40 37 42 29

In pictures

<p>Clémence Cordier, doctoral researcher at PMMB (2017–2019), in front of a pilot membrane filtration installation used in the European FEAMP PEMPEC project, coordinated by the M2P2 laboratory at the University of Aix Marseille.</p>
<p>Culture of the microalga Skeletonema marinoi.</p>
<p>Tanks for producing the microalga Skeletonema marinoi as feed.</p>
<p>Pre-growth nursery area. Killian Guyomard, aquaculture technician, cleaning the strainers.</p>
<p>Crassostrea gigas cupped oyster seed.</p>
<p>Counting the bacterial colonies present in seawater (Mathias Papin, biological technician).</p>
<p>Culture room for small volumes of feed microalgae.</p>

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Aerial view of the Argenton station by the sea
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