Does global warming favour the occurrence of recent blue mussel mortality events in France?

We report in this work data of two independent studies carried out in the Pertuis Charentais for which a link might exist? A 30-years local time series study of hydro-climatic variations in water temperature and salinity, which show a significant warming of the water masses in the Marennes Oleron bay (+ 1.5 °C) associated with a significant drop ( > -15%) of freshwater intakes by nearby rivers. In this changing local climate context several major epizootics have appeared, severely affecting farmers and the production of Pacific oysters and mussels, from the first French shellfish-producing department (catching and growing, Agreste, 2012). Following massive mortality event of blue mussels in 2014, a specific study (MORBLEU) is conducted, trying to identify the factors favoring the development of the phenomenon which, furthermore, involves pathogenic bacteria. First analyzes of environmental conditions suggest that there may be a link between: i) the local climate context, ii) a downward trend in phytoplankton diversity indices, iii) imbalances in the dynamics of bacterial community composition. These last two points are concomitant with the recent emergence of spring mortalities of mussels. The hypothesis of this link asks the question of evolution in the interactions between the plankton communities of the water column, mussel microbiota and the emergence of pathogenic microbial flora in bivalve mollusks as underlying the recent shellfish mortality events. Such question  requires performing functional ecology approach with long term monitoring at different scales, involving particularly NGS technology (metabarcoding) for environmental DNA research. Such a study is under way.

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Pepin Jean-Francois, Soletchnik Patrick, Le Moine Olivier, Polsenaere Pierre, Genauzeau Sylvie, Robert Stephane, Grizon James, Seugnet Jean-Luc, Schmitt Anne, Chabirand Jean-Michel, Tourbiez Delphine, Travers Marie-Agnes, Guesdon Stephane (2017). Does global warming favour the occurrence of recent blue mussel mortality events in France?. COAST Bordeaux 2017 "Evolution systémique et de la biodiversité des environnements côtiers et littoraux sous la pression du changement climatique, des facteurs naturels et anthropiques locaux". Du 7 au 10 novembre 2017, Bordeaux. https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00415/52697/

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