qu’une réduction hautement significative (p<0,001) des densités moyennes de nématodes
libres marins. Nos résultats ont également montré que la bioremédiation réduit l’effet
toxique du phénanthrène sur la microflore et la nématofaune marines. Ainsi, tous les
essais de biostimulation, seule ou associée à la bioaugmentation, ont révélé une nette
augmentation de la biomasse bactérienne totale et des effectifs moyens des nématodes
par rapport aux microcosmes contaminés. Cette augmentation a été plus accentuée au
niveau des microcosmes de biostimulation et de combinaison avec ajout d’une compo-
sition variée de nutriments.
M o t s - c l e f s : phénanthrène, biostimulation, bioaugmentation, bactéries hétérotrophes,
nématodes libres, bioindicateurs, microcosmes.
Value of bioremediation for reducing the phenanthrene toxic effect
on benthic communities of bacteria and free-living nematodes
Amicrocosm experiment was carried out to evaluate the impact of bioremediation
of marine sediments artificially contaminated with phenanthrene (100 ppm) on benthic
communities of bacteria and free-living nematodes from Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia).
Bioremediation schemes tested included biostimulation and a combination of biostimula-
tion and bioaugmentation by inoculating a strain of the bacterium “Bacillus sp.”, isolated
from contaminated marine sediments. Univariate analyses showed significant diff e r e n c e s
(p<0.05) between controls and contaminated microcosms. Thus, phenanthrene caused a
decrease in the biomass of indigenous bacteria in the water column, at the interface and
in the sediment, and a highly significant reduction (p<0.001) of free-living nematode
densities. Our results also show that bioremediation resulted in a reduction of the phenan-
t h r e n e toxic effect on the marine microflora and nematofauna. All tests of biostimulation
and biostimulation-bioaugmentation combination showed a net increase in the total bac-
terial biomass and densities of nematodes compared to contaminated microcosms. This
increase was more pronounced in microcosms of biostimulation and biostimulation-
bioaugmentation combination with the addition of different nutrients.
Key-words: phenanthrene, biostimulation, bioaugmentation, heterotrophic bacteria,
free-living nematodes, bio-indicators, microcosms.
Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France 136 (1-4)
132