%0 Journal Article %J Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science %D 2020 %T Isotopic analyses, a good tool to validate models in the context of Marine Renewable Energy development and cumulative impacts %A Raoux, A. %A Pezy, J.-P. %A Ernande, B. %A Nathalie Niquil %A Dauvin, J.-C. %A Grangeré, K. %K alternative energy %K detection method %K Dieppe %K Ecopath with Ecosim %K ecosystem approach %K English Channel %K food web %K France %K Isotopic nitrogen analysis %K marine ecosystem %K model validation %K Normandie %K Offshore wind farm %K policy making %K Seine Maritime %K trophic level %K wind farm %X As part of the energy transition, the French government is planning Offshore Wind Farm (OWF) constructions in the next decades. An integrated ecosystem approach of two future OWF sites of the Eastern English Channel (Courseulles-sur-mer and Dieppe-Le Tréport) was developed to model the marine ecosystems before the OWF implementation. Such ecosystem models allow simulating the possible reef and reserve effects associated to the presence of the farm, and to character the overall changes in the food-web functioning. This holistic view of OWF effects could be replicated on other sites and form the basis of an ecosystem based management of marine renewable energies. However, to use these models for management purpose, they need to be validated. In order to do so, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen were used for determining the accuracy of the effective trophic levels computed in these two models. Results showed that trophic levels estimated by the two models were consistent with the trophic levels estimated by the independent isotopic data. In the context of OWF development and cumulative impacts analysis, this step of validation of the models is essential for developing their use by management actors and policy makers. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd %B Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science %V 237 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106690 %0 Journal Article %J Ecological Informatics %D 2020 %T An open-source framework to model present and future marine species distributions at local scale %A Ben Rais Lasram, F. %A Hattab, T. %A Nogues, Quentin %A Beaugrand, G. %A Dauvin, J.C. %A Halouani, G. %A Le Loc'h, F. %A Nathalie Niquil %A Leroy, B. %K Climate Change %K ecological modeling %K English Channel %K filter %K future prospect %K hierarchical system %K marine ecosystem %K sampling %K scenario analysis %K species diversity %X Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are useful tools to project potential future species distributions under climate change scenarios. Despite the ability to run SDMs in recent and reliable tools, there are some misuses and proxies that are widely practiced and rarely addressed together, particularly when dealing with marine species. In this paper, we propose an open-source framework that includes (i) a procedure for homogenizing occurrence data to reduce the influence of sampling bias, (ii) a procedure for generating pseudo-absences, (iii) a hierarchical-filter approach, (iv) full incorporation of the third dimension by considering climatic variables at multiple depths and (v) building of maps that predict current and potential future ranges of marine species. This framework is available for non-modeller ecologists interested in investigating future species ranges with a user-friendly script. We investigated the robustness of the framework by applying it to marine species of the Eastern English Channel. Projections were built for the middle and the end of this century under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios. © 2020 Elsevier B.V. %B Ecological Informatics %V 59 %G eng %U https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85086876945&doi=10.1016%2fj.ecoinf.2020.101130&partnerID=40&md5=0a5c308eac10a69880027d5de2e6fe98 %R 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101130 %0 Journal Article %J Ocean and Coastal Management %D 2019 %T Vitamine ENA: A framework for the development of ecosystem-based indicators for decision makers %A Safi, Georges %A Giebels, D. %A Arroyo, N.-L. %A Heymans, J.J. %A Preciado, I %A Raoux, Aurore %A Schückel, U. %A Samuele Tecchio %A de Jonge, V.N. %A Nathalie Niquil %K Average mutual information %K Carbon %K Carbon flux %K Criteria and indicators %K Decision making %K Ecological network analysis %K ecosystem function %K ecosystem management %K ecosystem structure %K Ecosystem-based management %K Ecosystems %K Efficiency %K environmental indicator %K Environmental management %K Environmental regulations %K food web %K Good environmental status %K holistic approach %K Interaction strength %K marine ecosystem %K Marine pollution %K Marine strategy framework directives %K Water conservation %K Water Framework Directives %X The Water Framework Directive (article 2, paragraph 21) as well as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, Descriptor 4) stress the need for assessing the quality of the structure and the functioning of ecosystems. The MSFD also underlines the urgent need for development, testing, and validation of ecosystem state indicators. Holistic function-based criteria and indicators as provided by Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) could be used to define and assess the ‘Good Environmental Status’ of marine ecosystems. This approach also feeds Ecosystem Based Management (EBM). ENA generally analyses the fluxes’ quality of a single medium such as here the carbon fluxes in a food web and produces a number of useful metrics that indicate, inter alia, the total carbon flow through the system, the quality of the functioning of the system or the trophic efficiency of system. A short list of indices [i.e. Detritivory over Herbivory ratio (D/H), Connectance Index (CI), Transfer Efficiency (TE) over trophic levels, System Omnivory Index (SOI), Finn's Cycling Index (FCI), relative Redundancy (R/DC), Average Mutual Information (AMI) and Interaction Strength (IS)] is proposed for practical use. This paper presents a first framework for OSPAR Regional Sea Convention food web indicators based on ENA. These are presented here focusing on their applicability and what is needed for implementation, illustrating their potential use by case studies. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd %B Ocean and Coastal Management %I Elsevier Ltd %V 174 %P 116-130 %G eng %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096456911830591X %R 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.03.005 %0 Journal Article %J ICES Journal of Marine Science %D 2017 %T Towards ecosystem-based management: Identifying operational food-web indicators for marine ecosystems %A Tam, J.C. %A Link, J.S. %A Rossberg, A.G. %A Rogers, S.I. %A Levin, P.S. %A Rochet, M.-J. %A Bundy, A. %A Belgrano, A. %A Libralato, S. %A Maciej Tomasz Tomczak %A Van De Wolfshaar, K. %A Pranovi, F. %A Gorokhova, E. %A Large, S.I. %A Nathalie Niquil %A Greenstreet, S.P.R. %A Druon, J.-N. %A Lesutiene, J. %A Johansen, M. %A Preciado, I. %A Patricio, J. %A Palialexis, A. %A Tett, P. %A Johansen, G.O. %A Houle, J. %A Rindorf, A. %K Biomass %K coexistence %K ecosystem approach %K ecosystem management %K ecosystem resilience %K environmental assessment %K environmental indicator %K food web %K marine ecosystem %K primary production %K strategic approach %K trophic status %X Modern approaches to Ecosystem-Based Management and sustainable use of marine resources must account for the myriad of pressures (interspecies, human and environmental) affecting marine ecosystems. The network of feeding interactions between co-existing species and populations (food webs) are an important aspect of all marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Here we describe and discuss a process to evaluate the selection of operational food-web indicators for use in evaluating marine ecosystem status. This process brought together experts in food-web ecology, marine ecology, and resource management, to identify available indicators that can be used to inform marine management. Standard evaluation criteria (availability and quality of data, conceptual basis, communicability, relevancy to management) were implemented to identify practical food-web indicators ready for operational use and indicators that hold promise for future use in policy and management. The major attributes of the final suite of operational food-web indicators were structure and functioning. Indicators that represent resilience of the marine ecosystem were less developed. Over 60 potential food-web indicators were evaluated and the final selection of operational food-web indicators includes: the primary production required to sustain a fishery, the productivity of seabirds (or charismatic megafauna), zooplankton indicators, primary productivity, integrated trophic indicators, and the biomass of trophic guilds. More efforts should be made to develop thresholds-based reference points for achieving Good Environmental Status. There is also a need for international collaborations to develop indicators that will facilitate management in marine ecosystems used by multiple countries. © 2017 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. All rights reserved. %B ICES Journal of Marine Science %I Oxford University Press %V 74 %P 2040-2052 %G eng %U https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-abstract/74/7/2040/2970046 %R 10.1093/icesjms/fsw230