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.

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.

Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons of the bay of Biscay was realized by the deep sea laboratory of Ifremer. Data came from the EVHOE 2009 cruise in the framework of the CoralFish project and as part of an agreement between Ifremer and the Agence des Aires Marines Protégées. The method was based on image analyses. Images were acquired using the towed camera « SCAMPI » during the EVHOE 2009 cruise (from 18/10/2009 to 01/12/2009, chief scientists: Jean-Pierre LEAUTE and Michèle SALAUN). Observed habitats were defined according to the CoralFish typology (J.S. Davies, B. Guillaumont, F. Tempera, A. Vertino, L. Beuck, S.H. Ólafsdóttir, C.J. Smith, J.H. Fosså, I.M.J. van den Beld, A. Savini, A. Rengstorf, C. Bayle, J.-F. Bourillet, S. Arnaud-Haond, A. Grehan, 2017. A new classification scheme of European cold-water coral habitats: Implications for ecosystem-based management of the deep sea, In Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Volume 145, 2017, Pages 102-109, ISSN 0967-0645, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.014).

Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons of the bay of Biscay was realized by the deep sea laboratory of Ifremer. Data came from the CE0908 cruise in the framework of the CoralFish project and as part of an agreement between Ifremer and the Agence des Aires Marines Protégées. The method was based on image analyses. Images were acquired using the towed camera « SCAMPI » during the CE0908 cruise (from 28/04/2009 to 19/05/2009, chief scientists: Anthony GREHAN, Brigitte GUILLAUMONT and Christian MOHN). Observed habitats were defined according to the CoralFish typology (J.S. Davies, B. Guillaumont, F. Tempera, A. Vertino, L. Beuck, S.H. Ólafsdóttir, C.J. Smith, J.H. Fosså, I.M.J. van den Beld, A. Savini, A. Rengstorf, C. Bayle, J.-F. Bourillet, S. Arnaud-Haond, A. Grehan, 2017. A new classification scheme of European cold-water coral habitats: Implications for ecosystem-based management of the deep sea, In Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Volume 145, 2017, Pages 102-109, ISSN 0967-0645, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.014).

Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons of the bay of Biscay was realized by the deep sea laboratory of Ifremer. Data came from the EVHOE 2012 cruise in the framework of the CoralFish project and as part of an agreement between Ifremer and the Agence des Aires Marines Protégées. The method was based on image analyses. Images were acquired using the towed camera « SCAMPI » during the EVHOE 2012 cruise (from 18/10/2012 to 02/12/2012, chief scientists: Jean-Pierre LEAUTE and Michèle SALAUN). Observed habitats were defined according to the CoralFish typology (J.S. Davies, B. Guillaumont, F. Tempera, A. Vertino, L. Beuck, S.H. Ólafsdóttir, C.J. Smith, J.H. Fosså, I.M.J. van den Beld, A. Savini, A. Rengstorf, C. Bayle, J.-F. Bourillet, S. Arnaud-Haond, A. Grehan, 2017. A new classification scheme of European cold-water coral habitats: Implications for ecosystem-based management of the deep sea, In Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Volume 145, 2017, Pages 102-109, ISSN 0967-0645, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.014).

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.

Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons of the bay of Biscay was realized by the deep sea laboratory of Ifremer. Data came from the BOBECO cruise in the framework of the CoralFish project and as part of an agreement between Ifremer and the Agence des Aires Marines Protégées. The method was based on video and image analyses. Videos and Images were acquired using the ROV Victor 6000 during the BOBECO cruise (from 9/09/2011 to 11/10/2011, chief scientists: Sophie Arnaud-Haond et Anthony Grehan). Observed habitats were defined according to the CoralFish typology (J.S. Davies, B. Guillaumont, F. Tempera, A. Vertino, L. Beuck, S.H. Ólafsdóttir, C.J. Smith, J.H. Fosså, I.M.J. van den Beld, A. Savini, A. Rengstorf, C. Bayle, J.-F. Bourillet, S. Arnaud-Haond, A. Grehan, 2017. A new classification scheme of European cold-water coral habitats: Implications for ecosystem-based management of the deep sea, In Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Volume 145, 2017, Pages 102-109, ISSN 0967-0645, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.014).

Habitat typology obtained from the statistical analysis of underwater video data collected from the STAVIRO autonomous unbaited video technique (AMBIO project)

Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons of the bay of Biscay was realized by the deep sea laboratory of Ifremer. Data came from the BOBGEO2 cruise in the framework of the CoralFish project and as part of an agreement between Ifremer and the Agence des Aires Marines Protégées. The method was based on image analyses. Images were acquired using the towed camera « SCAMPI » during the BOBGEO2 cruise (from 18/07/2010 to 25/07/2010, chief scientist: Jean-François BOURILLET, Ifremer Brest). Observed habitats were defined according to the CoralFish typology (J.S. Davies, B. Guillaumont, F. Tempera, A. Vertino, L. Beuck, S.H. Ólafsdóttir, C.J. Smith, J.H. Fosså, I.M.J. van den Beld, A. Savini, A. Rengstorf, C. Bayle, J.-F. Bourillet, S. Arnaud-Haond, A. Grehan, 2017. A new classification scheme of European cold-water coral habitats: Implications for ecosystem-based management of the deep sea, In Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Volume 145, 2017, Pages 102-109, ISSN 0967-0645, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.014).

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.