Light pollution impacts on organisms living In coastal environments – LUCIOLE

The objective of LUCIOLE is to characterize the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on coastal areas by answering the question Does the light pollution at night disrupt the biological timing of marine organisms living in coastal environments and what are the consequences? To answer to this issue, we will 1) mapped ALAN in Arcachon bay, a key coastal marine and protected area, using remote sensing and multiscalar analysis of anthropization; 2) assess ALAN impacts on coastal organisms by in situ biomonitoring using biosensors based on behavioral responses; 3) characterize ALAN impacts on biological timing using LEDs lighting at behavioral and molecular scales; and finally 4) assess the consequences of ALAN on the physiology and pathology. The organism studied as ALAN bioindicator will be the oyster Crassostrea gigas, due to its key position on marine coastal ecosystems and its importance in terms of economic activity.