The Toulon area has a high population density (ca. 350,000
inhabitants). Little Bay (LiB) (sampling point: Lat. 43 060 500 N;
Long. 05 550 000 E; 12 m depth) is the site of a major commercial
and military port. There is a considerable environmental impact on
LiB through raw sewage from the Toulon area and inputs from
maritime (French Navy and commercial) traffic. Since 1979, regular
measures have been made by the national monitoring network of
marine environments (Réseau National d’Observation (RNO), Institut
Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la MER (IFREMER)).
High concentrations of xenobiotic compounds (i.e. zinc,
mercury, lead and poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) have been
found in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). LiB also has a high
abundance of zooplankton, low zooplankton diversity and a dominant
species