The French national network (REMI) includes a regular monitoring system and a warning system: - The regular monitoring system checks that the level of microbiological contamination in each production area remains within the limits set by the classification defined in the prefectural decree and tests unusual occurrences of contamination. - The warning system is triggered when results of the monotoring programme exceed or are at risk of exceeding the norms defining the quality classes and thresholds, or in case of contamination risk (pollution spillage, storms, etc.), or even in the case of a suspected or confirmed epidemic in shellfish.

Since 2008, the Coastal Chemical Contamination Observation Network (ROCCH) has taken over from RNO (French National Observation Network for Quality in Marine Environments), which had existed since 1974. ROCCH aims to meet national, community and international obligations relating to monitoring chemicals in marine environments. It is therefore more of a control network than a heritage network as RNO once was. The backbone of ROCCH is to apply the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and to meet the obligations set out in OSPAR Conventions and in Barcelona. As the WFD insisted on decentralization, ROCCH has gone from having just one project leader (the Ministry for the Environment) to having many decision-makers (water agencies, DIREN etc.). Chemical analyses are no longer conducted by Ifremer alone, but are attributed to other partners following calls for tender. ROCC also includes the monitoring of chemicals in shellfish production areas for the Food safety agency (DGAL) and the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries. Monitoring focuses on the three regulated metals: mercury, lead and cadmium in the given areas. Monitoring of these chemical contaminants is conducted in the three marine matrices: water, biota and sediment. Testing also includes imposex, the biological effect of tributyltin (TBT), as required by the OSPAR convention.

The definitive coastal information system, Quadrige stores coastal observation and monitoring network data. In order to manage coastal monitoring data, Ifremer developed the Quadrige² information system. Quadrige is one element of the Water Information System (SIE) http:// www.eaufrance.fr, et à ce titre, contribue aux travaux du Secrétariat d'Administration National des Données Relatives à l'Eau (SANDRE) http://www.sandre.eaufrance.fr. Quadrige Marine Zones is a reference source unique to the Quadrige system. It is used to break down the coast of the French mainland and overseas territories into large areas and to connect each one with observation and monitoring locations.