Stocks (abundance and biomass) of the slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata Linnaeus, 1758 in the Pertuis Charentais shallows were estimated in 2011 and mapped (Sauriau et al., 2011). The influence of the estimate includes the Pertuis Breton, the eastern part Pertuis Antioch Fouras peninsula and the Bay of Marennes-Oléron where the latter earlier estimates are available. Contours and surface areas of the crepidula were previously determined by acoustic imaging performed aboard the VO/Haliotis in 2008 and 2009, interpreted and validated by spot sampling in 2009 (Curti, 2009). Sampling stocks of 2011 is based on a stratified random sample of 40 banks with a proportional distribution of sampling of 200 stations between banks. The listing for each crepidula bank stocks (abundance in millions, biomass in tonnes) both living and dead, these shells may provide support to potential new colonization.

The rasters correspond to the prediction uncertainties associted with the production of Mediterranean bioregions of megabenthic communities

The raster corresponds to the predicted Mediterranean bioregions of megabenthic communities.

These rasters correspond to the environmental predictors used in the production of Mediterranean bioregions of megabenthic communities

The shapefile corresponds to areas where predicted bioregions were extrapolated for lack of benthic in-situ observations.

Sediment average grain size in the European North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean waters was generated from Euseamap 2023 sediment categories. This rough granulometry estimate may be used for habitat models at meso- and large scale.

The geographical distribution of the main Sabellaria Hermelles alveolata beds (Linné, 1767) from the coast of the Pertuis Charentais was compiled from 2010 to 2012. The inventory focuses on the tidal beds (+ 6-0 m marine coast) and compiles two cartographic sources from the project CARTHAM Natura 2000 at sea of the Agency of Marine Protected Areas: 1) Hermelles inventories made on 2011 by the Association IODDE on the west of Oleron Island and 2) mapping inventory of intertidal marine habitats by LIENSs (in cooperation with CREOCEAN, Ré Nature Environnement, GEO-Transfert et la LPO Moëze-Oléron). Methodologies used by IODDE on Oléron combine ground truths with reports with Geographic Information System (GIS). The methodologies used by LIENSs to estimate the extension of the intertidal habitats throughout the Pertuis Charentais combine aerial image analysis, remote sensing, field validations by differential GPS and thematic analysis using GIS (Cajeri et al., 2012). It is during these ground truths that the presence of tackles or small Hermelles reefs was noted. The IODDE results have allowed an almost exhaustive inventory of Hermelles reefs west of Oleron. Those of LIENSs have clarified the distribution of Hermelles on most of the Pertuis Charentais foreshores.

Process-driven seafloor habitat sensitivity (PDS) has been defined from the method developed by Kostylev and Hannah (2007), which takes into account physical disturbances and food availability as structuring factors for benthic communities. It is a conceptual model, relating species’ life history traits to environmental properties. Physical environment maps have been converted into a map of benthic habitat types, each supporting species communities with specific sensitivity to human pressures. It is based on two axes of selected environmental forces. The "Disturbance" (Dist) axis reflects the magnitude of change (destruction) of habitats (i.e. the stability through time of habitats), only due to natural processes influencing the seabed and which are responsible for the selection of life history traits. The "Scope for Growth" (SfG) axis takes into account environmental stresses inducing a physiological cost to organisms and limiting their growth and reproduction potential. This axis estimates the remaining energy available for growth and reproduction of a species (the energy spent on adapting itself to the environment being already taken into account). It can be related to the metabolic theory of the ecology. The process-driven sensitivity (PDS) can be seen as a risk map that combines the two previous axes and reflects the main ecological characteristics of the benthic habitats regarding natural processes. Areas with low disturbance are areas with a naturally low reworking of the sediment, allowing the establishment of a rich sessile epifauna community, with K-strategy species. Areas with low SfG means that the environmental factors, even though there are not limiting, are in lower values, i.e. that it imposes a cost for species to live. In areas combining low disturbance and low SfG, big suspension-feeder species with long life and slow growth can often be found: these species are more vulnerable in case of added disturbance.