Experimental Platform in Aquaculture (PEA)

The Experimental Platform in Aquaculture supports the activities of the team « Domestication in Inland Aquaculture » of the laboratory Animal and Agroecosystem (L2A).

In accordance with the quality approach of Lorraine University, the experimental platform has been one of the ten research facilities that have been labeled in 2019 with the highest level of recognition (three stars) by Lorraine University.

This experimental platform allowed L2A to integrate European networks AQUAEXCEL 2020 (2015-2020) then AQUAEXCEL 3.0 (2020-2025) and presently AQUASERV (2024-2029). These networks aim at pooling most effective aquaculture research facilities (34 partners, 11 countries), including production systems, major fish species and disciplinary fields in aquaculture.

The PEA is accessible to any proposal of collaboration from research laboratories or companies. These last years, numerous scientists from Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, have realized a part of their research works in our infrastructures.

Presentation :

To perform his research works, DAC team has, from April 2014, an 800 m2 Experimental Platform in Aquaculture (PEA) on the campus of the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies of Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (54500 France).

This platform meets the technical and regulatory requirements governing user establishments of animals dedicated to scientific purposes to conduct experiments on domestication of new freshwater fish species (for example common perch, pikeperch) in recirculating aquaculture systems. It is certified by the Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations (approval number : E54-547-18).

The diversity of species, life stages, biological traits, potentially studied, provides the opportunity to conduct numerous experiments in various fields such as nutrition, growth, well fare, genetics of fish or mixing of species in farmed conditions (pikeperch, sturgeon, tench, black-bass). The infrastructures of the PEA and the expertise of the staff allow to answer numerous questions of fish farmers.

Facilities of the platform : (3,2 M euros, funding from FEDER – Lorraine University – L2A– Conseil Régional de Lorraine)

Technical installations (200m2) with climatic engineering equipment (temperature regulating unit, air handling unit, blowers and boilers)
16 identical and independent rooms (10m2) called ecotrons (figure 2) each containing a breeding tank (2m3 useful volume) in RAS conditions. A LED lighting allows to simulate dawn and dusk to cope with current research work. These ecotrons allow to conduct a multifactor approach.
Acclimatization room with four 1700 liters tanks.
Hatchery room (figure 3) with two incubation tables (each containing 60 racks)
Larval rearing station (figure 4) composed of ten 700 liters tanks in RAS conditions.
Live prey rearing room.
Zebrafish rearing room, containing three autonomous farming batteries with a capacity of 5 000 adults
Laboratory dedicated to water physical and chemicals analyses and to experimental sampling.
Computer station for Centralized Technical Management allowing the control of environmental parameters and remote monitoring of functioning to achieve optimal security of animals and proper management of experimental protocols. The equipment controlled by CTM allows a highly accurate regulation of key factors for fish reproduction such as temperature (±0,1°C regulation) and light (photoperiod and light intensity ±1lux). These parameters can be individually controlled all over the 20 rooms of the platform.
In an adjacent building, an annex contains two rooms, one, thermoregulated, is occupied by five mini hatcheries individually controlled, the other is dedicated to the study of behavior (larvae and juveniles).
the approval of the facility also covers an aquaponic greenhouse (on the site of Montet Brabois IUT) equipped with 12 aquaponic units on a 32m2 surface.

Training courses

Initial and continuing educations are also dispensed at the platform. The staff helps PhD students and trainees from a range of courses (BTS, bachelor, master) to perform research works requiring the use of fish. They develop awareness about legislation, animal wellfare, good practices.

Each year, as part of continuing education, an additional training course in animal experimentation on fish is organized for technicians, searchers working on fish models.

Technology transfer to professionals : some examples of carried out works

Optimization of larval rearing protocol for pikeperch (European project DIVERSIFY, 2013-2018).
Effects of photoperiod on common perch reproduction (AQUAEXCEL).
Effects of lipidic diet on reproduction success in common perch (FEAMP PERCIHATCH, 2018-2021)
Effects of temperature during pre-ovulatory phase on reproduction quality in male common perch and consequences on sperm cryopreservation.
Optimization of growing out protocol in common perch in RAS conditions (SARL Lucas Perches)

Contacts :

Scientific manager

Marielle THOMAS

Marielle.thomas@univ-lorraine.fr ; Tél. 03.72.74.52.02.

Operational manager

Yannick LEDORE, Technical and biological management of PEA.

Yannick.ledore@univ-lorraine.fr ; Tél. 03.72.74.50.71.

See also : https://aquaexcel2020.eu/ul-epa