CLEEO

Arcachon oyster farming's specificity lies in the production of seed and the Bassin d'Arcachon is the first oyster nursery in France and Europe. Oyster farmers are concerned about the significantly low capture rates since 2009, linked to a decrease in the initial number of larvae present in the Bassin, and initiated the implementation of a 2013-2014 framework agreement involving public bodies, local authorities, and local stakeholders. This research project will study the possibility that climate change could be at the root of the difficulties of the Arcachon oyster sector in addition to funding provided by the Aquitaine Region and the SIBA to test other hypotheses (contamination, stock distribution). We propose to test this hypothesis by optimising the biology / economy model developed by G. Irichabeau (2011) using collections of existing data and acquiring any missing data. This project will therefore involve:

• ecologists (UMR EPOC) who will be specifically working on 1) modelling the relationship between capture and climate forcing factors (temperature, nutrient pool), and 2) understanding action mechanisms more finely
• economists (GREThA) who will incorporate the results into a production function to 1) measure the economic impact of these factors and 2) assess the prospects of oyster farming in the near future.

The project therefore falls within priorities 1 and 3 of LabEx COTE with a view to understanding the ecological and social development of the Bassin d'Arcachon in the face of global change.