165
The CHARM3 project is the logical follow-up
to CHARM1 (2003–2005, 1.1 M€, 5 partners)
and CHARM2 (2006–2008, 2.1 M€, 6 partners).
Firmly grounded on results obtained in the previous phases, the overarching objective of
CHARM3 was to conduct multidisciplinary studies through an ecosystem-based approach, where
human beings are considered as an integral part
of the ecosystem. Compared to CHARM1 and
CHARM2, the CHARM3 has been extended to
the entire English Channel and the southern part
of the North Sea, and new research areas (economics, climate change) have been investigated.
CHARM3 combined a wide range of expertise
fi elds, including marine sciences (oceanography,
marine biology, fi shery science), economics, legislation, geography (e.g. cartography, spatial
analysis, geographical information systems), statistical and conceptual modelling (habitat and
trophic network models), marine conservation
planning and information technologies (e.g. web
technologies, programming). Many of these
skills are interdisciplinary by nature, an essential
aspect for any integrated approach. Seventeen
French and British partners have been involved in
the project and pursued three main groups of
actions: (1) collection and standardisation of
information, (2) integration of information and
(3) development of tools to disseminate
information.
3.4
VECTORS Project
The ongoing EU FP7-funded VECTORS project
(Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine
Life, Impact on Economic Sectors) (2011–2015)
acquired considerable knowledge on the effects
of past, present and future vectors of change on
the marine environment. Pressures could be
direct (e.g. maritime freight as invasive species
vector, climate change and ocean acidifi cation,
intensive living and mineral resources exploitation) or indirect (e.g. energy-producing devices,
demographic pressure on the coasts, tourism, recreational activities). The VECTORS project is
particularly investigating how vectors change
and their interactions result in changes in three
specifi c processes: blooms of non-endemic and
nonindigenous species, spreading of endemic
species and changes of commercial species distribution and productivity. More details on the
VECTORS project, including scientifi c production, may be found on http://www.marinevectors.eu/
3.5
COMANCHE Project
King scallop ( Pecten maximus ) is an important
species in the English Channel, notably as it
constitutes the fi rst species in landings (15–
20,000 t per year) for the French fi shing fl eet
(700 fi shing vessels) based in this maritime
area. Due to its economic importance, several
scientifi c studies have been conducted on this
species, but mainly at local scales. Moreover,
despite the basic knowledge acquired through
these studies, several points of the scallop
dynamics
remain
poorly
understood.
Additionally, episodic perturbations (e.g. introduction of competitor, development of toxic
algal blooms) have affected the king scallop
populations in unpredictable ways, making it
even more diffi cult to apprehend the dynamics
of the populations and their interactions with the
rest of the ecosystem. In this context, the ongoing COMANCHE (COquilles Saint-Jacques de
la MANCHE) project (2012–2015), co-funded
by the French National Research Agency , aims
at improving our knowledge on the relationship
between king scallop and its ecosystem, in an
integrated fashion, and over the whole English
Channel. The characteristics and the structure of
the exploited populations of king scallop have
been investigated, with the objective of determining the position of this species within the
English Channel ecosystem and of quantifying
the impacts associated to its exploitation. These
objectives are being pursued through a multidisciplinary approach, involving physicists, biologists and economists, but also regional
stakeholders (e.g. fi sheries regional committees). More details on the COMANCHE project
may be found on http://wwz.ifremer.fr/defi manche/Projets/En-cours/COMANCHE .
The Channel Programme: A Large-Scale Integrated Approach
The CHARM3 project is the logical follow-up
to CHARM1 (2003–2005, 1.1 M€, 5 partners)
and CHARM2 (2006–2008, 2.1 M€, 6 partners).
Firmly grounded on results obtained in the previous phases, the overarching objective of
CHARM3 was to conduct multidisciplinary studies through an ecosystem-based approach, where
human beings are considered as an integral part
of the ecosystem. Compared to CHARM1 and
CHARM2, the CHARM3 has been extended to
the entire English Channel and the southern part
of the North Sea, and new research areas (economics, climate change) have been investigated.
CHARM3 combined a wide range of expertise
fi elds, including marine sciences (oceanography,
marine biology, fi shery science), economics, legislation, geography (e.g. cartography, spatial
analysis, geographical information systems), statistical and conceptual modelling (habitat and
trophic network models), marine conservation
planning and information technologies (e.g. web
technologies, programming). Many of these
skills are interdisciplinary by nature, an essential
aspect for any integrated approach. Seventeen
French and British partners have been involved in
the project and pursued three main groups of
actions: (1) collection and standardisation of
information, (2) integration of information and
(3) development of tools to disseminate
information.
3.4
VECTORS Project
The ongoing EU FP7-funded VECTORS project
(Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine
Life, Impact on Economic Sectors) (2011–2015)
acquired considerable knowledge on the effects
of past, present and future vectors of change on
the marine environment. Pressures could be
direct (e.g. maritime freight as invasive species
vector, climate change and ocean acidifi cation,
intensive living and mineral resources exploitation) or indirect (e.g. energy-producing devices,
demographic pressure on the coasts, tourism, recreational activities). The VECTORS project is
particularly investigating how vectors change
and their interactions result in changes in three
specifi c processes: blooms of non-endemic and
nonindigenous species, spreading of endemic
species and changes of commercial species distribution and productivity. More details on the
VECTORS project, including scientifi c production, may be found on http://www.marinevectors.eu/
3.5
COMANCHE Project
King scallop ( Pecten maximus ) is an important
species in the English Channel, notably as it
constitutes the fi rst species in landings (15–
20,000 t per year) for the French fi shing fl eet
(700 fi shing vessels) based in this maritime
area. Due to its economic importance, several
scientifi c studies have been conducted on this
species, but mainly at local scales. Moreover,
despite the basic knowledge acquired through
these studies, several points of the scallop
dynamics
remain
poorly
understood.
Additionally, episodic perturbations (e.g. introduction of competitor, development of toxic
algal blooms) have affected the king scallop
populations in unpredictable ways, making it
even more diffi cult to apprehend the dynamics
of the populations and their interactions with the
rest of the ecosystem. In this context, the ongoing COMANCHE (COquilles Saint-Jacques de
la MANCHE) project (2012–2015), co-funded
by the French National Research Agency , aims
at improving our knowledge on the relationship
between king scallop and its ecosystem, in an
integrated fashion, and over the whole English
Channel. The characteristics and the structure of
the exploited populations of king scallop have
been investigated, with the objective of determining the position of this species within the
English Channel ecosystem and of quantifying
the impacts associated to its exploitation. These
objectives are being pursued through a multidisciplinary approach, involving physicists, biologists and economists, but also regional
stakeholders (e.g. fi sheries regional committees). More details on the COMANCHE project
may be found on http://wwz.ifremer.fr/defi manche/Projets/En-cours/COMANCHE .
The Channel Programme: A Large-Scale Integrated Approach