278
S. Gobert et al.
18.1 Introduction
By definition, a landscape is the arrangement of features, characteristics, and forms of
a limited space, it is a portion of territory with a marked identity, modeled by natural
abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. The ecology of the landscape studies the
spatial and temporal variations, the communications, barriers and fragmentation
of zones. Developed more than a century ago in the terrestrial environment, the
ecology of landscapes makes it possible to contemplate the effect of planning and
its consequences for pre-existing ecosystems.
In the marine environment, the coastal area has an ecological and economic importance which has been amply demonstrated (e.g. Costanza et al. 1997; Hughes et al.
2009), but it is subjected to important modifications due to human pressure (coastal
development, urbanization, provision of excess nutrients, release of pollutants. . . )
(Boudouresque 2004; Boudouresque et al. 2009).
Aware of this environmental pollution, the European Community is advocating
sustainable exploitation of living resources and protection of biodiversity (www.
agriculture.gov.lb/bio_div/tablebio.html, www1.environnement.gouv.fr/article;
Aronson et al. 2002). Up to a certain threshold, biodiversity is in correlation with
the richness of the environment (Gibson 1994): if this richness diminishes, mainly
due to homogenization of the territory, scientists observe an erosion of the specific
richness. It is therefore possible to link the environmental quality of an environment
with its biological quality.
Corsica, with more than 1,000 km of coastline and a relatively moderate anthropization is a very favorable terrain for the implementation and creation of a
reference tool whose aim is to assess the environmental richness and heritage species
of the seabed.
The Lima is a regional program that was launched in 2000 by the Office of the
Environment in Corsica, devoted to gaining knowledge of the nature and quality of
the coastal areas of Corsica at depths of between 0–100 m (Guennoc et al. 2002).
This is the context of the present study which was initiated by the agency Eau Rh ˆ
one
Méditerranée Corse, the objective of which is the design of a simple rapid and easily
reproducible methodology for the assessment of the attraction and rich heritage
species of the Mediterranean benthos in the bathymetric zone from 0–40 m (Chery
et al. 2006a, b)
18.2 Material and Methods
18.2.1 Definition of the Sector to be Prospected
Whether in the context of coastal management or the definition of the quality or
temporal evolution of a site for scientific reasons, as soon as the sectors to be described
have been determined, the bathymetry and sedimentology must be identified. This
S. Gobert et al.
18.1 Introduction
By definition, a landscape is the arrangement of features, characteristics, and forms of
a limited space, it is a portion of territory with a marked identity, modeled by natural
abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. The ecology of the landscape studies the
spatial and temporal variations, the communications, barriers and fragmentation
of zones. Developed more than a century ago in the terrestrial environment, the
ecology of landscapes makes it possible to contemplate the effect of planning and
its consequences for pre-existing ecosystems.
In the marine environment, the coastal area has an ecological and economic importance which has been amply demonstrated (e.g. Costanza et al. 1997; Hughes et al.
2009), but it is subjected to important modifications due to human pressure (coastal
development, urbanization, provision of excess nutrients, release of pollutants. . . )
(Boudouresque 2004; Boudouresque et al. 2009).
Aware of this environmental pollution, the European Community is advocating
sustainable exploitation of living resources and protection of biodiversity (www.
agriculture.gov.lb/bio_div/tablebio.html, www1.environnement.gouv.fr/article;
Aronson et al. 2002). Up to a certain threshold, biodiversity is in correlation with
the richness of the environment (Gibson 1994): if this richness diminishes, mainly
due to homogenization of the territory, scientists observe an erosion of the specific
richness. It is therefore possible to link the environmental quality of an environment
with its biological quality.
Corsica, with more than 1,000 km of coastline and a relatively moderate anthropization is a very favorable terrain for the implementation and creation of a
reference tool whose aim is to assess the environmental richness and heritage species
of the seabed.
The Lima is a regional program that was launched in 2000 by the Office of the
Environment in Corsica, devoted to gaining knowledge of the nature and quality of
the coastal areas of Corsica at depths of between 0–100 m (Guennoc et al. 2002).
This is the context of the present study which was initiated by the agency Eau Rh ˆ
one
Méditerranée Corse, the objective of which is the design of a simple rapid and easily
reproducible methodology for the assessment of the attraction and rich heritage
species of the Mediterranean benthos in the bathymetric zone from 0–40 m (Chery
et al. 2006a, b)
18.2 Material and Methods
18.2.1 Definition of the Sector to be Prospected
Whether in the context of coastal management or the definition of the quality or
temporal evolution of a site for scientific reasons, as soon as the sectors to be described
have been determined, the bathymetry and sedimentology must be identified. This