Comparaison de la qualite des zones de nourriceries cotieres du littoral francais a partir de l'etude d'indices de condition mesures sur des juveniles de soles

Coastal and estuarine ecosystems provide nursery habitat for various marine species. Habitat quality has potential effects on growth and survival of fish juveniles. As quality can not be measured directly, we have used two kind of condition indices to assess growth and nutritional status of 0-group soles juveniles : - morphometric indices - biochemical indice Biochemical indice values show that each area provides good feeding condition. Unlikely, morphometric condition factors show differences in habitat quality between eastern Channel and Bay of Biscay. Juveniles have better condition in the eastern Channel. Condition indices didn’t enable us to find any general relationship between human effects and habitat quality.