PROTEKER: implementation of an underwater observatory at the Kerguelen islands (Southern Ocean)

• Main Authors: Féral, Jean-Pierre, Saucède, Thomas, Poulin, Elie, Christian, Marschal, Marty, Gilles, Roca, Jean-Claude, Motreuil, Sébastien, Beurier, Jean-Pierre
• Other Authors: Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biogéosciences UMR 6282 (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universidad de Chile = University of Chile Santiago (UCHILE), Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls (OOB), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de droit maritime et océanique (CDMO), Université de Nantes - UFR Droit et Sciences Politiques (UFR DSP), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN), The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarc*; Antarctic; Kerguelen Islands; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04653601; https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.2399.0644

International audience In the current context of climate changes, variations of the sea level and of marine biodiversity, (extinction, shifts, replacements, “exotic” and invading species) will affect the Southern Islands lying in the surroundings of the Polar Front, particularly in coastal waters. Sites explored during past ocean cruises or by diving around Kerguelen, have given place to collections and research tasks and have been revisited during scientific cruises of the trawler «La Curieuse ». The observations and the examination of these new collections are compared with those carried out since the Seventies. All the data, old and new, are/will be captured in existing or compatible databases associated with a GIS. Certain species of which the genetic structure is known are selected for a genetic monitoring and the determination of sensitive areas. All this will bring the scientific bases to the determination of zones to be protected (site, area and optimum distances between the protected zones) and managed. Diving is used to monitor eight relevant sites (typical sub-Antarctic coastal benthic habitats distributed in the Bay of Morbihan [four], the North of Kerguelen [two] and the South of Kerguelen [two]) by means of photo and video survey, temperature loggers and colonization plates installed at two depths, 5 and 15m. The representativeness of selected sites was controlled by diving in several similar habitats. Data from the loggers have been recovered since 4 years at some sites (equipped first). The colonization plates collected each year (when possible) are treated for metagenomics (settlement and colonization dynamics). The inventory of biodiversity is also completed. The often harsh operating environment means that the materials used must be robust and that the techniques should be as simple as possible while ensuring the durability and the reliability of the installation. [ www.proteker.net ]