A physiological parameter measurement room is dedicated to biofilms and phytoplankton, and a biometry room to macrophytes.

A wide range of in situ and ex situ sampling and measurement equipment is managed in the PVA unit, including equipment for characterizing ecosystem hydromorphology. A metrology room keeps this equipment up to date.

Physiological measurement room

Main equipment in this room

• 6m fixed wet bench
• vacuum air network
• 1 flow cytometer coupled to a x4, x10 and x20 photonic microscope (FlowCam®), equipped to detect fluorescence emitted by chlorophyll. A color camera generates digital images of the detected particles, according to user-defined parameters. These images provide access to 64 two-dimensional measurement parameters (size, shape, etc.), enabling them to be classified according to user-defined imaging filters
• 3 fluorometers (PHYTO-PAM®, Imaging-PAM®, DIVING-PAM®) to measure photosynthetic performance: of the different algal groups present in phytoplankton and biofilms, and of macrophytes
•  anti-vibration table for precision balance measurements
• the room can be completely opaque

Biometrics room

Main equipment in this room

• 2 ovens
• 7 m removable dry bench and 1.5 m fixed dry bench
• precision weighing balances
• water supply (hot, cold)
• air conditioning
• refrigerator

Measuring and sampling equipment and metrology room

Measurement and sampling equipment

A non-exhaustive list of equipment owned by the PVA division is given below:

• automatic and manual water samplers
• manual sediment samplers (Van Veen bucket, Eckman bucket, corer)
• plankton nets
• surber,
• manual and electric filtration pumps
• field fluorometers, including:
  • the Algae Torch® is a waterproof instrument used in aquatic environments to quantify cyanobacteria and total phytoplankton. It enables rapid determination of chlorophyll a concentrations in total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, as well as measuring turbidity
  • the Fluoroprobe®: the bbe spectrofluorimetric probe is a submersible probe that provides the concentration in μg equivalent of chl a.L-1 of different classes of algae, continuously along a lake's water column. The Fluoroprobe is a field instrument used in aquatic environments to analyze phytoplankton and phytobenthos. It measures the following parameters: depth; temperature; transmission; total chlorophyll a concentration reflecting the quantity of algae present in the environment of the following algae groups (Chlorophyceae; Cyanobacteria; Diatoms; Cryptophytes and yellow substances)
  • light radiation measuring instrument: consisting of a housing (LI-COR 250) combined with a LI-193SA spherical quantum sensor (bulb) or a LI-190SA quantum sensor. These sensors measure photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in air and/or water, i.e. the light used by plants for photosynthesis (between 400 and 700 nm). Unit of measurement: µmoles per second per square meter ((µmol.s^-1.m^-2)
  • Current meter: the MARSH McBIRNEY FLO MATE 2000 measures liquid flow velocity using a directional electromagnetic sensor. It is suitable for medium to high velocity measurements (0.00 to 2.50 m/s)
  • various multiparameter sensors
  • echo sounders
  • centimetric Gps
  • experimental devices:
    • assortment of biofilm collection trays
    • benthic bells
  • agitators
  • sieves
  • ultrasonic tank
  • aquascope
  • …

Metrology room

This room is used for all metrology-related operations.

Main equipment in this room

• 6m fixed wet and dry bench,de paillasse humide et sèche fixe de 6m
•  water supply (hot, cold)
• air conditioning
• 1 m laminar flow hood
• refrigerator