Aquaria and Experimental Chambers

ZAE is one of the most modern facilities in the Mediterranean area. It is designed to hold different aquatic organisms and to facilitate research in several aspects of their biology. It occupies an area of more than 650 m² including a separate room with a collection tank and a series of filters that provide different quality waters. The water is obtained through a pipe 300 meters from the coast and at 10 m depth. The facility includes several designated areas with aquaria where different species with similar photoperiod conditions are kept. In addition, it holds eleven chambers devoted to the culture of species that require other specific experimental conditions. ZAE also includes a flume tank and several laboratories. The facility is computer-controlled and monitored 24 hours a day by a system of sensors connected to alarms. A total of nine water regimes (related to temperature and salinity) can be supplied to more than 150 aquaria with capacities ranging from 15 to 5,000 liters. The environmental variables that can be controlled are light intensity, photoperiod, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients. Altogether, this makes it possible to simulate a wide range of aquatic habitats, from subpolar to tropical.