REPHY : la surveillance du phytoplancton et des phycotoxines

Phytoplankton are unicellular microalgae. It is a biological compartment fundamental to life in the oceans, forming the basis of the food chain. It also conditions life on Earth, producing half of the oxygen we breathe. To date, some 5,000 species have been described in the global ocean, some 50 of which produce toxins that can accumulate in the shellfish we eat. The development of phytoplankton (abundance, biodiversity and biogeographical distribution) depends on the conditions
it finds: light, temperature, nutrients, interactions with other living organisms present, etc. Its observation in coastal areas provides valuable information on the state of water masses, the health of ecosystems and the health risk linked to toxins. REPHY is one of Ifremer's scientific priorities, monitoring phytoplankton population dynamics and related hydrological conditions. Data on phytoplankton and the associated hydrological context, collected since 1987, contribute to a better scientific understanding of the coastal marine environment through the study of phytoplankton community responses to environmental changes (REPHY-Observation component), the assessment of coastal environment quality (REPHY-Surveillance component, in response to the WFD and the DCSMM) and the impact of toxin-producing species (REPHY-Sanitary component).