Evolution and use of marine habitat typologies in French marine conservation programs dominance of one or a small number of animal species (PNUE, PAM, CAR/ASP, 2007), - 68 associations defined as a permanent form of a biocenose, manifested as a predominance in a particular plant species determined by a specific ecological compatibility and environmental affinity (PNUE, PAM, CAR/ASP, 2007), - 2 habitat units, corresponding to enclaves, - 1 habitat unit, corresponding to three geomorphologic units. The hierarchy is principally based on a bathymetric zonation called ‘étagement’ (Dauvin et al., 2008a ; 2008b), running from the supralittoral to the bathyal. It is subsequently divided by substratum (muds, sands, pebbles and shingles, hard substrata and rock) with one habitat unit corresponding to an engineer species. Finally, the biocenoses and their respective facies and associations are listed. With regard to the organisation of the typology, we decided to differentiate between biocenoses on the one hand and facies and associations on the other, and to assign numeric codes to the biocenoses and alphabetic codes to the facies and associations. This is because, conceptually, the facies and associations are not considered to be different ‘levels’ within the hierarchy, but rather a particular expression of a specific biocenose (for example, a seasonal or geographically localised manifestation). These units – biocenose, facies and association – are considered to be at the relevant scale for management and implementation of conservation policies. They constitute integrative entities of environmental conditions and of their evolution.
Discussion The longevity of any marine habitat typology is crucial, but there is usually a trade-off between a ‘stable’ categorisation and the need for regular updating based on new survey and research. Within the French Mediterranean typology, the habitat units and associated definitions were not significantly modified (with respect to the scientific literature on which they were based), but the terminology used in this literature was homogenised. This typology will now be used as the French register for Mediterranean marine habitats in the public conservation policies. It also represents a basis for any French proposals on the modification of the EUNIS Habitat classification in the Mediterranean region. The French Mediterranean typology was sent to the Regional Activity Centre for Special Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and there have been proposals to use this work to homogenise a Mediterranean-wide habitat classification at a national and international level (via the Barcelona Convention). Work is currently in hand to update and harmonise an equivalent marine habitat typology for the Atlantic region of France. The initial building blocks include a coastal benthic habitat classification for Brittany, developed via a regional French initiative called ‘REBENT’ (led by IFREMER) (Guillaumont et al., 2008; Bajjouk et al., 2011). The next steps will involve the integration of additional coastal habitats present along the French Atlantic coast, and those of the Atlantic circalittoral and deep sea. A significant contribution will be the outputs of a nationwide
Natura 2000 mapping programme called ‘CARTHAM’, which covers 40% of French territorial waters. As with the national Mediterranean typology, a key result of the development of a national Atlantic typology will be the identification of marine habitats present in French Atlantic waters that are not represented within EUNIS.
Conclusions The two French marine habitat typologies described in this paper will, in combination, form a national reference for marine habitats in France, and will underpin future marine management and conservation initiatives (particularly the MSFD). In parallel, the Service du Patrimoine Naturel is ready to help support the evolution of the EUNIS Habitat classification system using our newly developed national typologies, and to coordinate this support from a French perspective (via the National Museum of Natural History). Initial proposals in this regard have already been submitted to the ETC, and we look forward to deepening our involvement in partnership with other European countries over the coming years.
Acknowledgments We would like to thank Denise Bellan-Santini, Marc Verlaque, Gérard Bellan, Gérard Pergent, Christine Pergent-Martini, Céline Labrune, Patrice Francour and Stéphane Sartoretto for their contribution to the revision of the Mediterranean marine habitats typology and their advice.
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