EVHOE (« Evaluation Halieutique de l’Ouest Européen ») surveys provide observational data on bentho-demersal communities on the continental shelves of the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea for more than 30 years. The surveys operate a standardized bottom trawling gear and are conducted from 15 to 600 m depth, usually in the fourth quarter of the year, starting at the end of October. The main objectives are the monitoring of 22 commercial stocks of fish species and 10 cephalopods from the North-East Atlantic. The dataset also provide a description of regional diversity, including 250 taxa of fish, 45 taxa of cephalopods and others “commercial” invertebrates and, from 2008, more than 350 other taxa of benthic invertebrates. The acquisition of this dataset, organised by IFREMER, is steered by the IBTS working group organised within the framework of ICES. It is being funded by the European DCMAP programme, in coordination with the French Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA). This dataset is of great interest for the long-term monitoring of the continental shelves of the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea. Moreover, on a larger scale, by being integrated into a European network of bottom trawl surveys, these data play an essential role in studying the evolution of ecosystems from continental shelves to the scale of the eastern North Atlantic. From April 2025, the proposed data have been updated in the latest standard format recognised by IFREMER (‘ELFIC’ format). The 5 data tables are compiled in a .zip file which also contains a document detailing the content of each table and their respective data fields.

Bivalves carbon and nitrogen elemental and isotopic ratios (δ13C, δ15N, C and N%, C:N) times series (1981-2021) from 33 sites in France. Bivalve species are the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, and the mussels Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis. This extensive dataset offers a comprehensive view spanning multiple decades and ecosystems, allowing to track how coastal ecosystems and marine species record changing climate, physical-chemical environments and organic matter cycles. This dataset may also be used to study bivalve physiology. Additionally, these data are crucial for establishing isotope baselines for studying food webs. Ultimately, this data set provide valuable information for more effective ecosystem conservation and management strategies in our rapidly changing world.

An observation network was initiated in 2021 in the framework of the CocoriCO2 project to monitore carbonate parameters along the French coastal systems. Six sites were selected along the French Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines based on their importance in terms of shellfish production and the presence of high- and low-frequency monitoring activities. At each site, autonomous pH sensors were deployed both inside and outside shellfish production areas, next to high-frequency CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) probes operated through two operating monitoring networks (SNO COAST-HF and Ifremer ECOSCOPA). pH sensors were set to an acquisition rate of 15 min and discrete seawater samples were collected biweekly in order to control the quality of pH data (laboratory spectrophotometric measurements) as well as to measure total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations for full characterization of the carbonate system. While this network has been up and running for more than two years, the acquired dataset has already revealed important differences in terms of pH variations between monitored sites related to the influence of diverse processes (freshwater inputs, tides, temperature, biological processes).    

The PHYTOBS-MARCOBOLO dataset comprises long-term time series on marine microphytoplankton, from 2003 to 2021, along the entire French metropolitan coastline. Microphytoplankton data cover microscopic taxonomic identifications and counts. The PHYTOBS-MARCOBOLO dataset corresponds to a dataset extracted from the PHYTOBS network (DOI:10.17882/85178). The PHYTOBS network provides the scientific community and stakeholders with validated and qualified data on the biomass, abundance and composition of marine microphytoplankton in coastal and lagoon waters, with the aim of supporting scientific research. PHYTOBS-MARCOBOLO is a dataset used as part of the Horizon Europe MARCO-BOLO project (https://marcobolo-project.eu/), in which we are currently working to understand and analyze multi-decadal trends in coastal and marine biodiversity on a European scale. The PHYTOBS-MARCOBOLO dataset gathers data from 18 sampling sites, selected from the PHYTOBS-Network dataset according to requirements of time series quality and geographical location of sampling sites established as part of the MARCO-COLO project. This dataset was also formatted according to a template imposed for the European project.

SUCHIMED 2021 is the 10th campaign for monitoring chemical contamination and its evolution in the Mediterranean Sea. It has been designed as a platform supporting various surveillance and research activities, with the main pillar being the RINBIO network, which involves active biosurveillance through mussel caging. Regarding chemical contamination, the main results of this campaign are as follows: In Occitania region: - Chronic presence of DDT for 20 years. - Detection of terrigenous markers (Mn, As) between the mouths of the Aude and Hérault rivers, along with contamination of sediments near Port-La-Nouvelle by HAP and TCE (Pt). In PACA region: - PCB markers detected between the Rhône River and Marseille (in all matrices), originating from multiple sources with no significant changes over the past 20 years. - HAP contamination in sediments of the industrial-port zone in Fos. - Presence of TBT at the Carry-le-Rouet station above ecologically acceptable concentrations (EAC), to be confirmed in the next campaign. - Detection of metallic elements and HAP in sediments near the Marseille urban area, partly in plankton, along with TCE near the Cortiou wastewater treatment plant outfall. - Chronic marking of PCB, HAP, metals (Hg, Pb, Cu, TCE), PBDE, and/or organotin compounds (TBT) in Toulon Bay, showing no significant temporal trend over two decades for the first five compounds. - Detection of Cr, Mn, and Ni in the water column and HAP in sediments near the Var River mouth, with differences in contamination between matrices raising questions about organic matter origin. - Metal (including Pb) and HAP marking in the water column and sediment in Villefranche Bay. Around Corsica: - Strong influence of the island's geological background (i.e., high Cr and Ni content) on obtained concentrations. - Chronic marking of Cu in the water column in the ports of Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio, stable over time, with HAP, metals (Hg, Pb, Zn), and to a lesser extent, PCB detection in Bonifacio sediment. - Marking of HAP and TCE in the sediment of the Bastia coastline. - Detection of Pb and TCE at the Golo River mouth. - Contamination of the Canari site with metals (Cr and Ni in the water column, Cu in sediment), and notably, confirmed ecotoxicity likely linked to these elements. The 2021 campaign highlighted the feasibility of researching effects on caged mussels using biomarkers. Lysosomal markers, less sensitive to trophic differences, proved to best reflect the general stress state of organisms related to their contamination. The study of trophic transfers appears to confirm the decrease in most metallic elements (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb) and HAP, bioamplification of Hg and PCB, and specific bioaccumulation of certain elements by organisms (e.g., As or Zn by mussels, HAP by plankton). Finally, the campaign revealed the presence of micro and mesoplastics at almost all sampled sites. The measured microplastic values align with concentrations observed in the western Mediterranean, with a trend towards reduction based on available 10-year data.

The Arcachon Bay is a unique and ecologically important meso-tidal lagoon on the Atlantic coast of south-west France. The Arcachon Bay has the largest area of dwarf seagrass (Z. noltei) in Europe, the extent of which was stable in their extent between the 1950s and 1990s, but a decline in seagrass was observed in mid-2000. The decline of Zostera (seagrass) may have a significant impact on sedimentation in this coastal ecosystem rich in marine life. Interface cores were collected in September 2022 to determine sediment and mass accumulation rates (SAR, MAR) in the Arcachon Bay. Ten study areas were selected, distributed over most of the areas where seagrass meadows are actually observed. Two sites were visited each time, one with the presence of Zostera noltei in good condition (Healthy) and the other where the sediment was bare (Bare). Maximum water heights during spring tides range from 3.44 m for the deepest site (Garrèche) to 2.09 m for the shallowest site (Fontaines). A total of 20 sediment cores were sampled and carefully extruded every 1 cm from the top to the bottom of the core. The sediment layers were used to determine dry bulk density and selected radioisotope activities: DBD, 210Pb, 226Ra, 137Cs, 228Th and 40K expressed as %K). 

The BenthOBS dataset includes long-term time series on marine benthic macrofauna, since 1967, along the whole French metropolitan coast. It includes 20 sampling location. BenthOBS aims to establish a national network for the observation of macrozoobenthos. In a context of global change, It is essential to have time series capable of highlighting and understanding ongoing changes in the specific diversity within communities and their consequences on the functioning of marine ecosystems. The BenthOBS network provides the scientific community and stackers with validated data on the following parameters: specific abundance, sediment size composition, sediment organic matter, sediment C content, sediment N content.

This dataset gathers isotopic ratios (carbon and nitrogen) and concentrations of both priority (mercury species and polychlorinated biphenyls congeners) and emerging (musks and sunscreens) micropollutants measured in a host-parasite couple (hake Merluccius merluccius muscle and in its parasite Anisakis sp) from the south of Bay of Biscay in 2018. In addition, the hake infection degree measured as the number of Anisakis sp. larvae was added for each hake collected.

Mesoscale dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea have been investigated for years and anticyclonic eddies are regularly observed features in the Algerian Basin. In early spring 2016, a field experiment during the ProtevsMed 2016 cruise thoroughly investigated this specific eddy, when it was located near the North Balearic Front, taking high-resolution (Seasoar) hydrological transects, several CTD casts and LADCP measurements. In addition, four drifting buoys were released in the eddy core. These in situ measurements revealed that the vertical structure of this anticyclone was made of two water lenses of very different origins (Atlantic Water above and Western Intermediate Water below) spinning together. In the vicinity of the North Balearic Front, which may act as a dynamical barrier for structures, the eddy interacted with a subsurface anticyclonic eddy made of modal water, which fostered cross-front exchanges generating filaments by stirring. The high-resolution sampling revealed fine scales structures both adjacent to the eddy and within its core. The eddy has been targeted from 21 March to 1 April 2016 taking advantage of a meteorological window. It has been sampled with:  - a towed undulating vehicle, the SeaSoar designed and built by Chelsea Instruments; it gets mounted on its sides two Sea-bird SBE-9 (SBE 3 temperature and SBE 4 conductivity sensors)  and a Wetlabs Fluorometer of type ChloroA WetStar  - CTD casts performed with a Sea-bird SBE-9 (SBE 3 temperature and SBE 4 conductivity sensor) and an RDI 150 kHz current profiler mounted in a general oceanics 12-place rosette, with12l Niskin bottles  - drifters with holey-sock positioned at 50 m deep below the expected Ekman layer thickness (remaining in the eddy until mid May).

The willingness to pay (WTP) of people to protect animal populations can be used as a tool for these populations’ conservation. The WTP reflects the non-use value of animals, which can be significant for charismatic species. This value can be used as an economic criterion for decision-makers in order to recommend protective measures. The definition of the WTP to protect a species is challenging, as valuation methods are time-consuming and expensive. To overcome these limitations, we built a benefit transfer function based on 112 valuation studies and apply it to 440 Mediterranean marine species. We extracted these species from the IUCN database and retrieved some required parameters from, amongst others, the FishBase database. Marine mammals appear to have the highest WTP value followed in order by sea turtles, sharks and rays, and ray-finned fishes. Commercial fish species appear to have the highest values amongst the fish class.