A coastal water body is a discrete and significant element of surface water located between the baseline from which to measure the breadth of territorial waters to a distance of one nautical mile. Correspondence reporting of the WFD (Water Framework Directive) : This entity corresponds to the concept of Coastal Water Body (CWBODY) of WISE.

In order to manage coastal monitoring data, Ifremer has developed the Quadrige information system which connects a database to a wide array of tools for interpreting and designing information products. Quadrige is just one element of the Water Information System (SIE) www.eaufrance.fr and, as such, contributes toward the work of the French National Adminitrative Service for Water-Related Data (SANDRE) www.sandre.eaufrance.fr. The main aim of the Quadrige thematic databank is to manage and enhance data from coastal observation and monitoring networks. On a national level, Quadrige is today designated by the French Environment Ministry as the definitive information system for coastal waters, and the tool is therefore common to all of those working in the marine environment sector. The Quadrige databank is composed of data from the Quadrige database and products described or made available on the Envlit website. The Quadrige database contains results about most physical, chemical and biological environmental description parameters. The first data for example dates back to 1974 for the parameters relating to general water quality and contaminants, 1987 for phytoplankton and phycotoxins, 1989 for microbiology, from the early 2000s for the benthic zone. The data is permanently being updated. In Quadrige, an observation location is a geographical location where observations, measurements and/or samples will be taken. These locations can be located in a unique way thanks to their appearance on a map (polygon, line or point). A measurement location can be used by multiple programmes.

A transitional water mass is a discrete and significant element of surface water located near the mouths of rivers or streams, which are partly saline because of their proximity to coastal waters but which are substantially influenced by freshwater currents, constituting the elemental aquatic boundaries destined for the evaluational unit of the DCE. Correspondence DCE reporting: This entity corresponds to the concept of Transitional Water Body (TWBODY) of the WISE.