Abstract

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. Details may be found in Foveau A, Vaz S, Desroy N, Kostylev VE (2017) Process-driven and biological characterisation and mapping of seabed habitats sensitive to trawling. PLoS ONE 12(10): e0184486. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184486

Toxic discharges from urban and industrial sources per hydrographic zone of the Loire Bretagne basin. This data was collected as part of the initial assessment of the MSFD with the Water Agency of Loire-Bretagne. Referent expert AAMP: Aurélie Blanck.

Discharges of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter) and toxic releases (MI) per hydrographic zone from industries and communities of the Adour-Garonne basin. This data was collected as part of the initial assessment of the MSFD with the Water Agency of Adour-Garonne. Referent expert AAMP: Aurélie Blanck.

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.

Data represents presence-absence prediction of kelp forest. Biological ground truth data were integrated with high resolution environmental datasets to develop statistical model that accurately predict the structure of Laminaria forests within the Bay of Morlaix. As a direct management output, high-resolution map (25 m2 grid) was produced.

Data represents percentage cover of kelp forest as well as biomass of the 2 main species: L. digitata and L. hyperoborea. The used approach consists in firstly establishing surveys and appropriate processing methods in order to provide a detailed underwater topography of the area and to accurately delineate hard substrates (bedrock) potentially colonized by kelp. Secondly, a habitat suitability model is fitted for each species on some carefully selected field stations, measuring kelp presence/absence and biomass. Predictive maps are produced, based on hard substrate areas previously delineated.