Observations are made using macro and microscopic tools, all equipped with a digital video acquisition system. They contain a large collection of taxonomic documentation (micro-algae, micro-meiofauna, macrophytes). Two of these rooms can be opaque to allow observations in the dark, for epifluorescence for example.

Main equipment in theses 3 rooms

• 6 x 13 m dry benches
• 7 microscopes (5 upright and 2 inverted), including 1 equipped for epifluorescence. Objectives range from x4 to x100, dry or oil (up to x2500). Depending on the model, microscopes are equipped for: brightfield (BF), darkfield (DF), differential interference contrast (DIC), phase contrast (Cph), fluorescence (FL) or polarization (POL). Some are equipped with transmitted and/or incident lighting, motorized stages and associated image analysis software
• 1 micromanipulator for micro-organism selection
• 1 binocular magnifier
• 1 mantle