x
Preface
areas call for a pluridimensional approach wherein every element must be appropriately protected and managed. Landscaping and territorialisation can undoubtedly
contribute to the obligation to protect biodiversity and ecosystems, and will furnish
a vital corpus for the development of collective empathy for the sea and the seabed.
In France, the Agence des aires marines protégées (Marine Protected Areas
Agency) is a public undertaking established by law in 2007, placed under the governance of the French Ministry of Ecology. Its main role involves supporting public
policy for marine protected area establishment and management. As such, we felt
impelled to address this topic and explore its many conceptual, legal and technical
facets, in the light of the protection, management, knowledge and mediation issues
surrounding coastal and marine areas. To do so, the Agency established a steering
committee which greatly insisted on the need to develop and drive a cross-cutting
approach. During this seminar held in Brest (29–31 March 2011), thanks to multidisciplinary expertise and through extensive debate, we identified various leads to
support and structure the emergence of the underwater landscape. The following
pages aim to reflect the full wealth of the discussions held.
Lastly, we must add that the seminar initially took place in French only, since
French research into the topic of landscapes boasts an abundance of literature. It
has been marked by intensive periods of debate, punctuated with sacralisation and
dismissal: this is such a specific subject in the history of science and ideas that an
independent analysis, disconnected from foreign currents of thought, is possible.
Organising reflection on underwater seascapes exclusively in the French language
was in line with that tradition. When Springer suggested publishing the proceedings
in English, the question of the title obviously arose. While the term “paysage”
used in French is polysemous and devoted to interdisciplinary reflection, in English,
application of the word “landscape” to the marine and submarine world gives rise to
an array of possible terms which do not necessarily cover the same object: possible
variations include seascape, marine landscape, underwater landscape, submarine
landscape, and submarine scenery. Although Underwater Seascape was selected,
several authors of chapters have nonetheless preferred to use Underwater Landscape.
The matter was in fact never completely settled, but the seminar left no doubt that this
work should pave the way to broader reflection at European and international levels,
or provide guidance for more specific topics of research. These proceedings therefore
also seek to initiate future cross-disciplinary debate on an essentially polysemous
subject.
We would once again like to extend our warm thanks to all the contributors, to
Editions Springer, and particularly to Maguelonne Dejeant-Pons, Executive Secretary of the European Landscape Convention-Council of Europe, for accepting the
role of Grand Témoin (key observer) and for allowing us to share in her expertise on
European Landscape Convention implementation.
Olivier Musard
Olivier Laroussinie, Director of the Agence
des aires marines protégées
Preface
areas call for a pluridimensional approach wherein every element must be appropriately protected and managed. Landscaping and territorialisation can undoubtedly
contribute to the obligation to protect biodiversity and ecosystems, and will furnish
a vital corpus for the development of collective empathy for the sea and the seabed.
In France, the Agence des aires marines protégées (Marine Protected Areas
Agency) is a public undertaking established by law in 2007, placed under the governance of the French Ministry of Ecology. Its main role involves supporting public
policy for marine protected area establishment and management. As such, we felt
impelled to address this topic and explore its many conceptual, legal and technical
facets, in the light of the protection, management, knowledge and mediation issues
surrounding coastal and marine areas. To do so, the Agency established a steering
committee which greatly insisted on the need to develop and drive a cross-cutting
approach. During this seminar held in Brest (29–31 March 2011), thanks to multidisciplinary expertise and through extensive debate, we identified various leads to
support and structure the emergence of the underwater landscape. The following
pages aim to reflect the full wealth of the discussions held.
Lastly, we must add that the seminar initially took place in French only, since
French research into the topic of landscapes boasts an abundance of literature. It
has been marked by intensive periods of debate, punctuated with sacralisation and
dismissal: this is such a specific subject in the history of science and ideas that an
independent analysis, disconnected from foreign currents of thought, is possible.
Organising reflection on underwater seascapes exclusively in the French language
was in line with that tradition. When Springer suggested publishing the proceedings
in English, the question of the title obviously arose. While the term “paysage”
used in French is polysemous and devoted to interdisciplinary reflection, in English,
application of the word “landscape” to the marine and submarine world gives rise to
an array of possible terms which do not necessarily cover the same object: possible
variations include seascape, marine landscape, underwater landscape, submarine
landscape, and submarine scenery. Although Underwater Seascape was selected,
several authors of chapters have nonetheless preferred to use Underwater Landscape.
The matter was in fact never completely settled, but the seminar left no doubt that this
work should pave the way to broader reflection at European and international levels,
or provide guidance for more specific topics of research. These proceedings therefore
also seek to initiate future cross-disciplinary debate on an essentially polysemous
subject.
We would once again like to extend our warm thanks to all the contributors, to
Editions Springer, and particularly to Maguelonne Dejeant-Pons, Executive Secretary of the European Landscape Convention-Council of Europe, for accepting the
role of Grand Témoin (key observer) and for allowing us to share in her expertise on
European Landscape Convention implementation.
Olivier Musard
Olivier Laroussinie, Director of the Agence
des aires marines protégées