Marine and oceanographic station; marine lab; mesocosm; field work
Abstract :
[en] STARESO (8 ̊45′ E, 42 ̊35′ N) (University of Liège, Belgium) is also a Technical Office toward communities and private customers in the field of marine environmental impact studies. STARESO is located in the Calvi Bay on the northwest coast of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. This oligotrophic area is classified as a “pristine site” where environmental disturbances caused by anthropogenic pressure are exceptionally low. The study site includes representatives of most major coastal ecosystems of the Mediterranean. The Calvi Bay is characterized by healthy benthic and pelagic ecosystems associated with a high biodiversity close the Liguro–Provençal current The marine lab offers direct access to the sea, and facilitates investigations using diving, boats, and laboratories. Since 1970, time series of physical, chemical, and biological data (sampling at sea with automated systems and sensors deployed in the Bay, as well as in situ experiments) have been recorded. In front of the lab, P. oceanica (L.) Delile is the dominant ecosystem going from the surface to a lower limit that reaches 37 m. The direct proximity of underwater in situ field analysis and the wet and dry lab allowed very easy sampling of biological material and fast processing of tissues. Finally, in the same way as an oceanographic ship, the marine lab offers full logistic capabilities (meeting rooms, efficient inter- net connection, meals, and lodging accommodations) that enabled scientific work day and night without interruption.
