Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide biodiversity conservation benefits in a range of marine habitats. Many protected areas are established and governed through top-down or shared governance arrangements, yet little is known about how these governance strategies compare in terms of the protection benefits they provide to MPAs globally. Using an extensive data set of MPA conditions, we developed a set of Bayesian hierarchical models to understand the role of shared governance versus federal governance on reef fish biomass from 218 global MPAs. We find greater reef fish biomass benefits in MPAs with shared governance than with top-down, or federal arrangements. We also find greater benefits in older MPAs and MPAs farther away from shore. Our results highlight the fundamental importance of multi-stakeholder participation for improving conservation outcomes, representing an important conservation opportunity for new or existing MPAs. 

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 Pélagiques Gascogne (PELGAS, Doray et al., 2000) integrated survey aims at assessing the biomass of small pelagic fish and monitoring and studying the dynamics and diversity of the Bay of Biscay pelagic ecosystem in springtime. PELGAS has been conducted within the EU Common Fisheries Policy Data Collection Framework and Ifremer’s Fisheries Information System. Details on survey protocols and data processing methodologies can be found in Doray et al., (2014, 2018a). This dataset comprises the biomass (in metric tons) and abundance (in thousands of individuals) of small pelagic fish estimated during the PELGAS survey in the Bay of Biscay in springtime. The dataset also includes the estimation coefficient of variation, derived based on the hydroacoustic methodology described in Doray et al. (2010), and the survey area. Those estimates have been validated by the ICES WGACEGG group and provided to the ICES WGHANSA group for stock assessment purposes. Data have been used in Doray et al., 2018b.

This dataset contains bio-optical measurements and environmental parameters associated with  Deep Chlorophyll Maxima acquired by BGC-Argo profiling floats and matched with mesoscale eddies location from the Ocean Eddy Detection and Tracking Algorithms (TOEeddies) Atlas. For each BGC-Argo profile the data files includes the World Meteorological Organistion (WMO) and profile numbers, geographical position (LON and LAT), the date of the profile in Julian Day (JULD); the qualification of the vertical profile (CARAC_BIO) as Deep Biomass Maximum (DBM), Deep photoAcclimation Maximum (DAM), or presenting no DCM (NO); at the depth of the maximum (DCM_DEPTH), the chlorophyll a concentration (CHLA_DCM, mg chla m-3 ) and the backscattering coefficient (BBP_DCM, m-1); the Mixed Layer Depth (MLD, m), the nitracline depth (NCLINE, m), the mean daily Available PAR in the Mixed Layer Depth (MIPAR_MLD, E m -1 d -1), the daily Available PAR at the nitracline depth (IPAR_NCLINE, E m-2 d-1); the location of the profile (CARAC_EDDY) as being inside the core/periphery (IN/_EN) of a cyclonic/anticyclonic eddy (DEP_/P_), or outside eddy influence (OUT); the processing level (MODE) of the ADT maps used for the TOEddies detection, either Near Real Time (-1), or Delayed Mode (1). The qualification and processing of the BGC-Argo profiles, as well as the DCM detection (DAM/DBM/NO) and the estimation of the environmental parameters, were applied as described from Cornec, M., Claustre, H., Mignot, A., Guidi, L., Lacour, L., Poteau, A., D'Ortenzio, F., Gentili, B., Schmechtig, C.  (2021). Deep chlorophyll maxima in the global ocean: Occurrences, drivers and characteristics. Global Biogeochem Cycles 35. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006759 Data relative to mesoscale eddies were produced by processing daily 0.25°x0.25° AVISO Absolute Dynamical Topography (maps produced by Ssalto/Duacs and distributed by Copernicus-Marine Environment Services) with the TOEddies algorithm (Laxenaire, R., Speich, S., Blanke, B., Chaigneau, A., Pegliasco, C., & Stegner, A. (2018). Anticyclonic Eddies Connecting the Western Boundaries of Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123(11), 7651–7677. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014270)

This folder contains two examples of PAGURE datasets, corresponding to three surveys: -CGFS conducted in 2018 in the English Channel (Northeast Atlantic) -EPIBENGOL conducted in 2019 in the Gulf of Lion (Western Mediterranean) -EVHOE conducted in 2020 in the Bay of Biscay and Celtic Shelf (Northeast Atlantic) Files include metadata for the sampling stations, annotation files. A readme tex file contains the links to the voyage metadata This folder is aimed at providing an example of documented underwater imagery dataset. These data are part of the data exchange conducted in the QuatreA collaboration between the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the University of Tasmania (UTAS).

The COAST-HF/Arcachon-Ferret time series characterizes the hydrology of the interface between the Arcachon lagoon, located in the South-Western France, and the Atlantic Ocean. A buoy belonging to Phares et Balises is instrumented with a multi-parametric probe that records sub-surface temperature, conductivity, depth, turbidity and fluorescence every 10 minutes since February 2018. It is opérated by the OASU and EPOC teams (Univ. Bordeaux/CNRS). COAST-HF (Coastal OceAn observing SysTem - High Frequency; www.coast-hf.fr) is a national observation network accredited by the CNRS as a national Earth Science Observatory (Service National d’Observation: SNO). It aims to federate and coordinate a set of 14 fixed platforms instrumented with high-frequency in situ measurements for key parameters of coastal waters. The COAST-HF/Arcachon-Ferret buoy is one of them. COAST-HF is part of the French Research Infrastructure dedicated to coastal ocean observations (RI ILICO, https://www.ir-ilico.fr). Data are transmitted to the Coriolis Côtier database (https://data.coriolis-cotier.org/). Data are raw data.

As part of the marine water quality monitoring of the “Pertuis” and the “baie de l’Aiguillon” (France), commissioned by the OFB and carried out by setec énergie environnement, three monitoring stations were installed. Two of them were set up at the mouths of the Charente and Seudre rivers on February 6 and 27, 2019, respectively, while a third was deployed in the Bay of Aiguillon on March 24, 2021. The dataset presented here concerns the station installed in the Bay of Aiguillon. Measurements are organized into .csv files, with one file per year. Data is collected using a WiMO multiparameter probe, which records the following parameters: •    Temperature (-2 to 35 °C) •    Conductivity (0 to 100 mS/cm) •    Pressure (0 to 30 m) •    Turbidity (0 to 4000 NTU) •    Dissolved Oxygen (0 to 23 mg/L & 0 to 250 %) •    Fluorescence (0 to 500 ppb)  

The ICES Working Group on Fisheries Benthic Impact and Trade-offs (WGFBIT) has developed an assessment framework based on the life history trait longevity, to evaluate the benthic impact of fisheries at the regional scale. In order to apply this framework to the Mediterranean sea, several Mediterranean longevity databases were merged together with existing North-East Atlantic ones to develop a common database. Longevity was fuzzy coded into four longevity classes: <1, 1-3, 3-10 and >10 years. Both benthic mega and macrofauna organisms are included in this dataset. Further details about both the purpose and the methodology may be found in ICES (2022) and Cuyvers et al. (2023). The result of the final dataset merging is one dataset containing the fuzzy coded average longevity (and standard deviation) for 2264 taxa and for each, the number of databases used. 

The Argo program provides an unprecedented volume of oceanographic data, yet the complexity of its dataset — involving multiple data modes, quality control flags, and metadata conventions — often hinders its direct usage. The EasyOneArgo initiative addresses this challenge by delivering simplified, high-quality subsets of Argo data, specifically designed to streamline user access and integration. The EasyOneArgo data product is comprised of 4 datasets: - EasyOneArgoTS – A curated selection of temperature-salinity profiles filtered by strict quality criteria and optimized across raw, real-time adjusted, and delayed-mode status. - EasyOneArgoTSLite – The vertically interpolated counterpart of EasyOneArgoTS, with standardized pressure levels between 2 and 6000 dbar. - EasyOneArgoBGC – A curated selection of biogeochemical profiles filtered by strict quality criteria. The BGC parameters include DOXY, NITRATE, PH, CHLA, BBP, and various radiometry parameters. All BGC data are adjusted either in real-time or in delayed-mode. Accompanying TS measurements are also included. - EasyOneArgoBGCLite – The vertically interpolated counterpart of EasyOneArgoBGC, with the same standardized pressure levels as EasyOneArgoTSLite. Note: The BGC vertical interpolation process involves pre-filtering the original data before interpolation. Hence the magnitudes of some of the features are modulated in the BGCLite dataset. Each profile in EasyOneArgo is packaged as a standalone CSV file, with metadata and indexes for seamless retrieval. This work represents a user-centric shift in Argo data delivery: no QC flags, no data modes, no data manuals — just good, clean, structured ocean data ready for immediate scientific application. The EasyOneArgo data product is publicly available through monthly FAIR-compliant releases. We invite community feedback for continued refinement. Please send any comments to Annie Wong (apsw.uw@gmail.com) or Thierry Carval (Thierry.Carval@ifremer.fr).