Benthic-pelagic coupling under juvenile oyster influence in a French Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Thau Lagoon)

The aim of the present work was to test the influence of juvenile oyster culture on benthic-pelagic coupling in the French Mediterranean Thau Lagoon. Although the period of juvenile growth induces the introduction of millions of juvenile oysters in the lagoon over a short duration, the effects on the water-column and on the benthic ecosystem are poorly known. Using a multiple ecological approach, water column parameters, sedimentation rates, sediment characteristics and benthic fluxes were monitored on three occasions during the oyster pre-growth period, from October to December, at two sites inside the farming area and two sites outside the farming area that served as reference. In the water column, results showed a significant lower ratio between total phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a) and degraded pigments (pheopigment), a significant increase in the contribution of phytoplankton containing chlorophyll-b (ie chlorophytes) to total phytoplankton biomass and a significant decrease in the contribution of phytoplankton containing chlorophyll-c (mainly diatoms) to the total phytoplankton biomass at farm sites, attributed to the grazing pressure caused by juvenile oysters on large particles, as described for adult oysters. No significant effect was observed at the benthic interface during this period, due to the dispersion of the small quantities of biodeposit produced by juveniles in the low water temperature conditions. A multivariate approach supported the effect of juvenile oysters on the water column and revealed a trend in benthic conditions with farm sites being distinct from the reference ones. The long farming history of the lagoon could have shaped sediment properties such that farming areas maintain different benthic conditions.