Ecophysiology of Brown Ring Disease in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, experimental and modelling approaches

Brown Ring Disease (BRD) in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is a disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio tapetis. This pathology was first observed in Northern Brittany (France) in 1987. The pathogenic agent enters in the extrapallial cavity (i.e. the space between mantle and shell), disrupts the normal production of periostracal lamina and causes an anomalous deposition of periostracum on the inner shell of the clams. Infected clams exhibit a characteristic brown deposit on the peripheral inner surface of the valves that gave the disease its name. This disease can be associated with mass mortalities impacting clam aquaculture. The objective of this thesis, based on both modelling and experimental approaches, was to provide further insight on the linkages between the host physiology and the development of BRD, with a special emphasis on the host energy balance.