The ESA Sea State Climate Change Initiative (CCI) project has produced global daily merged multi-sensor time-series of along-track satellite altimeter significant wave height data (referred to as Level 3 (L3) data) with a particular focus for use in climate studies. This dataset contains the Version 3 Remote Sensing Significant Wave Height product, which provides along-track data at approximately 6 km spatial resolution. It has been generated from upstream Sea State CCI L2P products, edited and merged into daily products, retaining only valid and good quality measurements from all altimeters over one day, with simplified content (only a few key parameters). This is close to what is delivered in Near-Real Time by the CMEMS (Copernicus - Marine Environment Monitoring Service) project. It covers the date range from 2002-2021. The altimeter data used in the Sea State CCI dataset v3 come from multiple satellite missions (Envisat, CryoSat-2, Jason-1, Jason-2, Jason-3, SARAL, Sentinel-3A), therefore spanning over a shorter time range than version 1.1. Unlike version 1.1, this version 3 involved a complete and consistent retracking of all the included altimeters. Many altimeters are bi-frequency (Ku-C or Ku-S) and only measurements in Ku band were used, for consistency reasons, being available on each altimeter but SARAL (Ka band).

The ClimateFish database collates abundance data of 15 fish species proposed as candidate indicators of climate change in the Mediterranean Sea. An initial group of eight Mediterranean indigenous species (Epinephelus marginatus, Thalassoma pavo, Sparisoma cretense, Coris julis, Sarpa salpa, Serranus scriba, Serranus cabrilla and Caranx crysos) with wide distribution, responsiveness to temperature conditions and easy identification were selected by a network of Mediterranean scientists joined under the CIESM programme ‘Tropical Signals’ (https://www.ciesm.org/marine/programs/tropicalization.htm; Azzurro et al. 2010). Soon after, and thanks to the discussion with other expert groups and projects, C. crysos was no longer considered, and Lessepsian fishes (Red Sea species entering the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal) were included, namely: Fistularia commersonii, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Pterois miles, Stephanolopis diaspros, Parupeneus forskali, Pempheris rhomboidea and Torquigener flavimaculosus. Considering the trend of increase of these species in the Mediterranean Sea (Golani et al. 2021) and their projected distribution according to climate change scenarios (D’Amen and Azzurro, 2020), more data on these tropical invaders are expected to come in the future implementation of the study. Data were collected according to a simplified visual census methodology (Garrabou et al. 2019) along standard transects of five minutes performed at a constant speed of 10m/min, corresponding approximately to an area of 50x5m. Four different depth layers were surveyed:  0-3m, 5-10 m, 11-20 m, 21-30 m. So far, the ClimateFish database includes fish counts collected along 3142 transects carried out in seven Mediterranean countries between 2009 and 2021, for a total number of 101'771 observed individuals belonging to the 15 fish species. Data were collected by a large team of researchers which joined in a common monitoring strategy supported by different international projects, which are acknowledged below. This database, when associated with climate data, offers new opportunities to investigate spatio-temporal effects of climate change in the Mediterranean Sea and test the effectiveness of each species as a possible climate change indicator.   Contacts: ernesto.azzurro(at)cnr.it   References: Azzurro E., Maynou F., Moschella P. (2010). A simplified visual census methodology to detect variability trends of coastal mediterranean fishes under climate change scenarios. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 39. D’Amen, M. and Azzurro, E. (2020). Lessepsian fish invasion in Mediterranean marine protected areas: a risk assessment under climate change scenarios. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 77(1), pp.388-397. Garrabou, J., Bensoussan, N., Azzurro, E. (2019). Monitoring climate-related responses in Mediterranean marine protected areas and beyond: five standard protocols. Golani D.,  Azzurro E.,  Dulčić J.,  Massutí E., Orsi-Relini L.  (2021).  Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea.  2nd edition  [F. Briand, Ed.]  365 pages.  CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco. ISBN number  978-92-990003-5-9   

In order to better characterize the genetic diversity of Cetaceans and especially the common Dolphin from the Bay of Biscay, sequences from the mitochondrial Cytochrome B region were obtained from water samples acquired close to groups of dolphins.

The French Atlantic coast hosts numerous macrotidal and turbid estuaries that flow into the Bay of Biscay that are natural corridors for migratory fishes. The two best known are those of the Gironde and the Loire. However, there are also a dozen estuaries set geographically among them, of a smaller scale. The physico-chemical quality of estuarine waters is a necessary support element for biological life and determines the distribution of species, on which many ecosystem services (e.g. professional or recreational fishing) depend. With rising temperatures and water levels, declining precipitation and population growth projected for the New Aquitaine region by 2030, the question of how the quality and ecological status of estuarine waters will evolve becomes increasingly critical. The MAGEST (Mesures Automatisées pour l’observation et la Gestion des ESTuaires nord aquitains) high-frequency monitoring of key physico-chemical parameters was first developed in the Gironde estuary in 2004 ; the Seudre and Charente estuaries were instrumented late 2020. First based on real-time automated systems, MAGEST is now equipped by autonomous multiparameter sensors. Depending of the stations, an optode is also deployed to secure dissolved oxygen measurement. By the end of 2020, MAGEST had 12 instrumented sites. Portets is a measuring station located in the upper Gironde estuary (Garonne subestuary, about 20 km upstream of the Bordeaux metropolis.

The diet and stable isotopic (i.e. δ15N and δ13C values) compositions of eels have been studied during each season of 2019 with a fyke net in six estuaries located along the French coast of the eastern English Channel (Slack, Wimereux, Liane, Canche, Authie and Somme estuaries) (10.1371/journal.pone.0270348).

French Zostera Marina et Zostera Noltei abundance data are collected during monitoring surveys on the English Channel / Bay of Biscay coasts. Protocols are impletmented in the Water Framework Directive. Data are transmitted in a Seadatanet format (CDI + ODV) to EMODnet Biology european database. 35 ODV files have been generated from period 01/01/2004 to 31/12/2021 for Z. Marina and from 01/01/2011 to 31/12/2021 for Z. Noltei.  

The Mediterranean Sea is generally described as an oligotrophic area where primary productivity is limited to a few coastal environments with nutrient-enriched fluvial input. However, several studies have revealed that the hydrology of the western Mediterranean has major seasonal productive patterns linked either to significant riverine input or to seasonal upwelling cells. This study aims to: i) discuss organic microfossils (i.e. pollen and dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, as well as other non-pollen palynomorphs) from two different productive areas of the western Mediterranean Sea, and ii) examine the importance of the interconnections between marine and continental influences responsible for modern palynomorph distributions. Based on 25 samples from the Gulf of Lion (GoL) and Algerian Margin, this study key findings are: i) that GoL marine productivity is driven by the combination of discharges from the Rhône River and seasonal upwelling mechanisms, ii) that the strong productive pattern of the northern African coast is driven by water density front mixings and related upwellings. These two patterns are discussed in the light of major links that provide a better understanding of the signatures of marine and continental bio-indicators. The dinocyst Lingulodinium machaerophorum can be considered as a tracer of Rhône River plume influence in the GoL. Brigantedinium taxa are shown to be upwelling-sensitive in both studied areas. Typical differences in vegetation across the north–south climate gradient in the western Mediterranean Basin are highlighted by the larger ratio of Euro-Siberian to Mediterranean pollen taxa in the northern sector. Synoptic maps also illustrate the complex interactions of environmental drivers determining the distributions of continental and marine palynomorphs in the western Mediterranean Sea.

French intertidal and subtidal Macroalgae taxa data are collected during monitoring surveys on the English Channel / Bay of Biscay coasts.  Protocols are implemented in the Water Framework Directive. Data are transmitted in a Seadatanet format (CDI + ODV) to EMODnet Biology european database. 131 ODV files have been generated from period 01/01/2006 to 31/12/2021.

This dataset provides surface Stokes drift as retrieved from the wave energy spectrum computed by the spectral wave model WAVEWATCH-III (r), under NOAA license, discretized in wave numbers and directions and the water depth at each location. It is estimated at the sea surface and expressed in m.s-1. WAVEWATCH-III (r) model solves the random phase spectral action density balance equation for wavenumber-direction spectra. Please refer to the WAVEWATCH-III User Manual for fully detailed description of the wave model equations and numerical approaches. The data are available through HTTP and FTP; access to the data is free and open. In order to be informed about changes and to help us keep track of data usage, we encourage users to register at: https://forms.ifremer.fr/lops-siam/access-to-esa-world-ocean-circulation-project-data/ This dataset was generated by Ifremer / LOPS and is distributed by Ifremer / CERSAT in the frame of the World Ocean Circulation (WOC) project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Global wave hindcast (1961-2020) at 1° resolution using CMIP6 wind and sea-ice forcings for ALL (historical), GHG (historical greenhouse-gas-only), AER (historical Anthropogenic-aerosol-only), NAT (historical natural only) scenario.