Surge in questions relating to biodiversity

In the field of biodiversity, an issue which raises scientific questions and comprises major societal challenges, different elements can be studied: habitats, populations, species. New, powerful research tools are available thanks to the progress made in molecular biology. This results in a very wide variety of data, whose harmonisation and management are a challenge.

Changes in uses and marine spatial planning

The development of renewable marine energies and the expansion of marine protected areas have led to:

• the need for references and expertise in the affected areas,
• the definition of monitoring programmes to assess the impact of the pressure exerted on the environment and the effect of environmental management measures.