The Sclerochronology Service is organized in different dedicated rooms:

•     A "wet" room for the reception and dissections of samples as well as for the simplest observations on fish or crustaceans;
•     A "dry" room for microscopy and more delicate measurements;
•     A "white" room for the preparation of ultra-clean samples for ultrastructure or microchemistry analysis.

All rooms can be darkened in order to work on fluorescently marked structures.

Wet area

It is mainly dedicated to sorting, dissection and short term storage in freezers (-20° and -80°C).
We also perform sample preparation for stable isotope analysis.

Main equipments

• 10 m of straw mattress
•  Freezers and a refrigerator
•  1 Large tank for coarse sorting, rinsing
•  2 Articulated suction arms (BAO)
•  1 Fume cupboard; extractor hood
•  2 Protective masks
•  1 Eye Wash Shower
•  1 Chemical cabinet
•  1 Production of demineralized water
•  2 Balances, from 5 to 4100 g. d: 0.01g
•  1 Oven
•  1 Ultrasonic tank
•  2 Magnifying lamps
•  3 Binoculars
•  1 Cold light generator
•  2 Colony counters

Acquisition area called "dry" room

This is where samples are observed and data are recorded.
This space can be a dark room to increase the quality of the observations and especially to visualize epifluorescence marks. A precision balance (0 to 120g. d : 0.1mg) is installed on an anti-vibration table.

Imaging stations available

Microscope Station Nikon 90i
Objectifs x 1 x 10 x 20 x 50 x 100 (à sec) ; tête, objectifs, xyz motorisés

• Microscope Station Nikon 90i
  Objectifs x 1 x 10 x 20 x 50 x 100 (à sec) ; tête, objectifs, xyz motorisés
  Intensilight generator for fluorescence; self-centered transmitted light
  Polarizer & Analyzer
  Digital camera
  Dedicated computer with NISD software to make counts and measurements, acquire images and videos
  Connection to the internal network and Internet

•  Binocular Station Nikon SMZ 1500
  Objectifs x 1 x 10 x 20 x 50 x 100 (à sec) ; tête, objectifs, xyz motorisés

• Episcopic and diascopic lighting
• Polarizer & Analyzer
• Large working distance (110 mm)
• Trinocular output with digital color camera
• Dedicated computer with NISD software to make counts and measurements, acquire images and videos. Connection to the internal network and Internet

"White Room"

This laboratory is used for the preparation of clean samples, under controlled atmosphere conditions, for microanalysis, otolith microchemistry, scale and bone treatment.
Possible darkness. The storage room for calcified specimens is used to guarantee the long-term integrity of the collections.
This laboratory is classified ISO 8.

Main equipments

• Nikon SMZ 25 acquisition station
  • Objective 1 and 0.5x
  • Zoom 0.63 to 15.75
  • Episcopic and diascopic lighting
  • Motorized xyz
  • Fluorescence module (tetracycline, alizarin and calcein)
  • Large working distance
  • DSRi2 wide-field camera & dedicated NIS software to acquire large images, mosaic reconstitution, videos, counting and measurement.
• Nikon Eclipse Ni Data Acquisition Station
  • Objectives 10, 20, 50 and 100
  • xyz motorized turntable
  •  DSRi2 wide field camera & NIS software
  • Analyzer and polarizer
• Laminar flow hood Iso 5
• Vacuum oven
• 1 Polisher Strueurs
• Horizontal diamond wire saw Escil W3400
• 1 Hot plate up to 450° C
• 1 Fisher Bioblock Heating Shaker
• 4 Nalgene drying cabinets
• Retsch shredder
• Sartorius M-power balance, capacity: 4100 g, d: 0.0.1 g
• Eppendorf Centrifuge 5424
• Marie Bath LSCI 6L, 5 to 110°C
• Vortex mixer Stuart SA8

Plan