Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle - ECOBIOP

These facilities were developed to experiment on migratory fish, especially the biology (growth, physiology, genetics) and behaviour of species (dispersal, reproduction, migration). The facilities are spread over two distant sites:

• The experimental site of Lapitxuri and its facilities in the town of d'Aïnhoa focus on studying the reproductive behaviour of salmonids.
• The technical platform at the Aquapôle de St-Pée-Sur-Nivelle contains several original tools used in experiments.

The main species studied in these facilities, in controlled or semi-natural environments, are Atlantic salmon, common trout and juvenile eel (fry of the European eel). All stages of development can be studied under a variety of conditions, ranging from an experimental environment (chronotrons, fluviarium) to quasi-natural conditions (Lapitxuri spawning channel). Many parameters can be measured and tracked at multiple temporal and spatial resolutions due to the many tool configurations/adjustments possible (fish density, habitat diversity, depth, speed, etc.) and the many sensors available (temperature, light level , physical chemistry, flow rates, etc.).