Know more

The PEARL facility (Plateforme expérimentale aquatique de Rennes - Le Rheu) runs experiments on freshwater aquatic environments.

Its tools – lentic microcosms and mesocosms, lotic channels, artificial spawning beds, etc. – facilitate an experimental approach covering several biological cycles of the aquatic plants or animals to be studied. They are designed for studying aquatic ecosystem functioning and assessing the impact of human activity on environments and their constituent communities, populations and individuals. Some of the facilities can be used to produce model organisms for a range of research programmes.

PEARL is one of the founding facilities of AnaEE-France (Analyses et expérimentation sur les écosystèmes - France), the national infrastructure for ecosystems research. AnaEE-F was set up under the Investissements d'Avenir programme, which is part of the national biology and health infrastructure programme. It encompasses a unique set of experimental, analytical and modelling facilities and information systems, all devoted to freshwater ecosystem biology.

This experimentation facility, in Rennes and Le Rheu, is authorised to conduct animal experiments and to keep and raise non-domestic animals.

See facilities.