%0 Journal Article %J Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science %D 2019 %T Assessing the ecological status of an estuarine ecosystem: linking biodiversity and food-web indicators %X During the last decades, the highly-anthropized Seine estuary has been impacted by modification of its habitats (building of a major extension of Le Havre harbour, i.e. Port2000) and a significant natural decrease in freshwater discharge. A Before/After analysis, using a toolbox of indicators, was applied to characterize the effects of both events on the estuarine ecosystem status. We selected from existing tool boxes several indicators derived from food web modelling or community composition data, such as biodiversity indicators, a guild-based index (i.e. Estuarine and Lagoon Fish Index ELFI) and ecological network analysis (ENA) indices. ENA and biodiversity indicators were applied on six spatial boxes describing the Seine estuary and its outlet. Results showed an increase in taxonomic and functional richness over time, mainly due to marinisation, and significant changes in food-web properties in relation to Port2000. ENA indices appeared as a promising method in ecological status assessment, especially for estuaries considered as inherently disturbed. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd %B Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science %I Academic Press %V 228 %G eng %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771419300484 %R 10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106339 %0 Journal Article %J Ecological Indicators %D 2019 %T Measuring sensitivity of two OSPAR indicators for a coastal food web model under offshore wind farm construction %X A combination of modelling tools was applied to simulate the impacts of the future Courseulles-sur-mer offshore wind farm (OWF) construction (Bay of Seine, English Channel) on the ecosystem structure and functioning. To do so, food-web models of the ecosystem under three scenarios were constructed to investigate the effect caused by the OWF of added substrate (reef effect), fishing restriction (reserve effect), and their combined effect. Further, Ecological Network Analysis indices and Mean Trophic Level were derived to investigate their suitability for detecting changes in the ecosystem state. Our analysis suggests changes in the ecosystem structure and functioning after the OWF construction, the ecosystem maturity was predicted to increase, but no alterations in its overall resilience capacity. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd %B Ecological Indicators %I Elsevier B.V. %V 96 %P 728-738 %G eng %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1470160X1830534X %R 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.07.014 %0 Journal Article %J Marine Policy %D 2018 %T Assessing cumulative socio-ecological impacts of offshore wind farm development in the Bay of Seine (English Channel) %X As part of the energy transition, the French government is planning the construction of Offshore Wind Farms (OWFs) in Normandy. These OWFs will be integrated into an ecosystem already facing multiple anthropogenic disturbances. A holistic view of cumulated impacts (OWF construction, global warming and fisheries) were developed on the Courseulles-sur-Mer’ ecosystem through the use of a qualitative mathematical modelling approach. This modelling approach provides the mean to consider alternative hypotheses about how the ecosystem structure and function affects its dynamics. Alternative models were constructed to address the different hypotheses regarding the behaviour of top predator (whether the top predators will be scared away by the OWF or attracted by the reef effect), impacts of global warming and changes in fisheries activities. Key findings from these analyses are that the OWF construction could lead to an increase in benthos species and fish benthos feeders whatever the perturbation scenario, while the predicted response of top predators was ambiguous across all perturbation scenario. Qualitative modelling results can play a vital role in decision making by improving long term planning for the marine environment but also as a tool for communication with the public and so contribute to a better acceptability of the Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) project. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd %B Marine Policy %I Elsevier Ltd %V 89 %P 11-20 %G eng %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X1730444X %R 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.12.007 %0 Journal Article %J Marine Pollution Bulletin %D 2017 %T Before-After analysis of the trophic network of an experimental dumping site in the eastern part of the Bay of Seine (English Channel) %A Pezy, Jean-Philippe %A Raoux, Aurore %A Marmin, Stella %A Balay, Pierre %A Nathalie Niquil %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %X

An experimental study was conducted to assess the physical and biological impacts of muddy fine sand dredged material dumped on a medium sand site Machu offshore the Seine Estuary. Complementary trophic web modelling tools were applied to the Machu ecosystem to analyse the effects of dumping operations. Results show that, after the dumping operations, the biomass of fish increased while invertebrate biomass remained relatively stable through time. Nevertheless, the biomasses of benthic invertebrates, omnivores/scavengers and predators showed some increases, while non-selective deposit feeders and filter feeders decreased. At the ecosystem level, results show that the total ecosystem activity, the ascendency and the overall omnivorous character of the food-web structure increased after dumping operations, whereas recycling subsequently decreased. Finally, the fine and medium sand habitat offshore from the Seine estuary, which undergoes regular natural physical perturbations, shows a high resilience after a short dumping phase. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

%B Marine Pollution Bulletin %V 118 %P 101-111 %8 05/2017 %G eng %R {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.042} %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Sea Research %D 2017 %T Regional and latitudinal patterns of soft-bottom macrobenthic invertebrates along French coasts: Results from the RESOMAR database %A Régis K. Gallon %A Nicolas Lavesque %A Jacques Grall %A Céline Labrune %A Antoine Grémare %A Guy Bachelet %A Hugues Blanchet %A Paulo Bonifácio %A Vincent M.P. Bouchet %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %A Nicolas Desroy %A Franck Gentil %A Laurent Guerin %A Céline Houbin %A Jérôme Jourde %A Sandrine Laurand %A Michel Le Duff %A Vincent Le Garrec %A Xavier de Montaudouin %A Frédéric Olivier %A Francis Orvain %A Pierre-Guy Sauriau %A Eric Thiébaut %A Olivier Gauthier %K France %K Latitudinal pattern %K Regional pattern %K Soft-bottom %K Species richness %K Zoobenthos %X

This study aims to describe the patterns of soft bottom macrozoobenthic richness along French coasts. It is based on a collaborative database developed by the “Réseau des Stations et Observatoires Marins” (RESOMAR). We investigated patterns of species richness in sublittoral soft bottom habitats (EUNIS level 3) at two different spatial scales: 1) seaboards: English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean Sea and 2) 0.5° latitudinal and longitudinal grid. Total observed richness, rarefaction curves and three incidence-based richness estimators (Chao2, ICE and Jacknife1) were used to compare soft bottom habitats species richness in each seaboard. Overall, the Mediterranean Sea has the highest richness and despite higher sampling effort, the English Channel hosts the lowest number of species. The distribution of species occurrence within and between seaboards was assessed for each major phylum using constrained rarefaction curves. The Mediterranean Sea hosts the highest number of exclusive species. In pairwise comparisons, it also shares a lower proportion of taxa with the Bay of Biscay (34.1%) or the English Channel (27.6%) than that shared between these two seaboards (49.7%). Latitudinal species richness patterns along the Atlantic and English Channel coasts were investigated for each major phylum using partial LOESS regression controlling for sampling effort. This showed the existence of a bell-shaped latitudinal pattern, highlighting Brittany as a hotspot for macrobenthic richness at the confluence of two biogeographic provinces.

%B Journal of Sea Research %V 130 %P 96 - 106 %G eng %U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385110116302660 %R https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2017.03.011 %0 Journal Article %J Marine Policy %D 2016 %T The Channel ecosystem, a cross-roads of anthropogenic pressures and scientific studies: Lessons learned from the European \INTERREG\ \IV\ projects (2009–2015) %A L Evariste %A Pascal Claquin %A Jean-Paul Robin %A Arnaud Auber %A Abigail McQuatters-Gollop %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %B Marine Policy %V 63 %P 158 - 165 %8 11/2015 %G eng %0 Conference Proceedings %B Proceedings of the Congress on artificial reefs : from materials to ecosystems %D 2015 %T Artificial reef: Multiscale monitoring of colonization and primary production - Récif artificiel: mise en place d’un suivi de la colonisation a plusieurs échelles %A Pascal Claquin %A Leroy, Fanny %A Anne-Marie Rusig %A Isabelle Mussio %A Eric Feunteun %A Foveau, Aurélie %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %A Régis Gallon %A Lebrun, J-L %A Lestarquit, Mabel %A Francis Orvain %A Anne-Sophie Martinez %A Desoche, E %A Napoléon, Camille %A Roussel, Déborha %A Boutoil, Mohamed %B Proceedings of the Congress on artificial reefs : from materials to ecosystems %7 M. Boutouil & S. Leboulanger %C ESITC Caen %V 1 %P 103-110 %8 01/2015 %@ 978-2-95517664-0-5 %G eng %6 1 %0 Conference Proceedings %B Proceedings of the Congress on artificial reefs : from materials to ecosystems %D 2015 %T Colonisation à court terme par le benthos sur un éco-récif artificiel %A Foveau, Aurélie %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %A Anne-Marie Rusig %A Isabelle Mussio %A Pascal Claquin %B Proceedings of the Congress on artificial reefs : from materials to ecosystems %7 M. Boutouil & S. Leboulanger %C ESITC Caen %V 1 %P 119-126 %8 01/2015 %@ 978-2-95517664-0-5 %G eng %6 1 %0 Journal Article %J Mar Pollut Bull %D 2015 %T What did we learn from PEGASEAS forum "Science and Governance of the Channel Marine Ecosystem"? %A L Evariste %A Claquin, Pascal %A Jean-Paul Robin %A Arnaud Auber %A Abigail McQuatters-Gollop %A Fletcher, Stephen %A Glegg, Gillian %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %X

As one of the busiest marine ecosystems in the world, the English Channel is subjected to strong pressures due to the human activities occurring within it. Effective governance is required to improve the combined management of different activities and so secure the benefits provided by the Channel ecosystem. In July 2014, a Cross-Channel Forum, entitled "Science and Governance of the Channel Marine Ecosystem", was held in Caen (France) as part of the INTERREG project "Promoting Effective Governance of the Channel Ecosystem" (PEGASEAS). Here we use outputs from the Forum as a framework for providing Channel-specific advice and recommendations on marine governance themes, including the identification of knowledge gaps, which may form the foundation of future projects for the next INTERREG project call (2015-2020).

%B Mar Pollut Bull %V 93 %P 1-4 %8 2015 Apr 15 %G eng %N 1-2 %R 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.02.021 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Sea Research %D 2014 %T Multiscale patterns in the diversity and organization of benthic intertidal fauna among French Atlantic estuaries %A Hugues Blanchet %A Benoît Gouillieux %A Sandrine Alizier %A Jean-Michel Amouroux %A Guy Bachelet %A Anne-Laure Barillé %A Jean-Claude Dauvin %A Xavier de Montaudouin %A Valérie Derolez %A Nicolas Desroy %A Jacques Grall %A Antoine Grémare %A Pascal Hacquebart %A Jérôme Jourde %A Céline Labrune %A Nicolas Lavesque %A Antoine Meirland %A Thiebaut Nebout %A Frédéric Olivier %A Corine Pelaprat %A Thierry Ruellet %A Pierre-Guy Sauriau %A Sébastien Thorin %K Diversity %K Estuaries %K Macrozoobenthos %K Structuring Factors %K WFD %X

Based on a parallel sampling conducted during autumn 2008, a comparative study of the intertidal benthic macrofauna among 10 estuarine systems located along the Channel and Atlantic coasts of France was performed in order to assess the level of fauna similarity among these sites and to identify possible environmental factors involved in the observed pattern at both large (among sites) and smaller (benthic assemblages) scales. More precisely this study focused on unraveling the observed pattern of intertidal benthic fauna composition and diversity observed at among-site scale by exploring both biotic and abiotic factors acting at the among- and within-site scales. Results showed a limited level of similarity at the among-site level in terms of intertidal benthic fauna composition and diversity. The observed pattern did not fit with existing transitional water classification methods based on fish or benthic assemblages developed in the frame of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). More particularly, the coastal plain estuaries displayed higher among-site similarity compared to ria systems. These coastal plain estuaries were characterized by higher influence of river discharge, lower communication with the ocean and high suspended particulate matter levels. On the other hand, the ria-type systems were more dissimilar and different from the coastal plain estuaries. The level of similarity among estuaries was mainly linked to the relative extent of the intertidal “Scrobicularia plana–Cerastoderma edule” and “Tellina tenuis” or “Venus” communities as a possible consequence of salinity regime, suspended matter concentrations and fine particles supply with consequences on the trophic functioning, structure and organization of benthic fauna. Despite biogeographical patterns, the results also suggest that, in the context of the WFD, these estuaries should only be compared on the basis of the most common intertidal habitat occurring throughout all estuarine systems and that the \{EUNIS\} biotope classification might be used for this purpose. In addition, an original inverse relation between γ-diversity and area was shown; however, its relevance might be questioned.

%B Journal of Sea Research %V 90 %P 95 - 110 %8 07/2014 %G eng %U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385110114000495 %R http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2014.02.014