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  2. Environment and habitat

Environment and habitat

Special protection area (SPA)

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens technique

Area recognized by the European Communities, by the directive of 25 April 1979, as useful for the protection of birds. This directive is replaced by the directive 2009/147/CE (more generally called "Birds" directive). Many special protection areas (SPAs) are encompassed in important bird areas (IBAs) and have the same boundaries as the old maritime hunting reserves. These areas are part of the Natura 2000 network.

Source
According to Ifremer

Ocean

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens technique
According to the hydrological meaning, a thin water layer that covers part of the Earth. In the geophysical sense, it means the areas where this water layer of several kilometres thick covers grounds where the crust is composed of basalt or related materials and not of continental materials (granites, etc). Therefore shelf seas or epicontinental seas are not part of the ocean in the geophysical sense.
Source
According to Ifremer

Ecological niche

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens technique
The space originally occupied by a species in a biotope and all relationships of all kinds it has with the components of this environment and its other inhabitants.
Source
According to Ifremer

Natura 2000

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens commun

A network of European outstanding environments which are proposed by each Member State of the European Union and which correspond to Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the European Directive of 21 May 1992 (known as "Flora Fauna Habitats" Directive) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the European Directive of 2 April 1979 (known as "Birds Directive"). These areas are identified in…

Source
According to Ifremer

Sea

Updated on 19/06/2018
Définition
Sens commun
All salt waters covering the submerged part of the Earth. Is opposite to earth. The enclosed inland bodies of water, even salted (Caspian Sea, Dead Sea, Aral Sea), despite their name, are not considered as belonging to the sea.
Source
According to the International Hydrographic Organization

Pond

Updated on 20/02/2019
Définition
Sens commun

Small and shallow, permanent or seasonal, surface water body. The small foreshore ponds shelter flora and fauna of a wide variety including juveniles of many fish species. Small area of permanent or temporary standing water, usually naturally formed.

Source
According to the International Hydrographic Organization

Salt marsh

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens commun
Coastal area used for producing sea salt by natural evaporation.
Source
According to the International Hydrographic Organization

Mangrove

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens commun
Amphibious wooded area mainly consisting of mangrove trees found in muddy sediments of tropical coastlines.
Source
According to the International Hydrographic Organization

Open sea

Updated on 13/07/2018
Définition
Sens commun
Part of the sea where there is no more land marker.
Source
According to Ifremer

Benthic

Updated on 04/07/2018
Définition
Sens commun
Adjective that describes the water-sediment interface (= water-lithosphere interface) of an aquatic ecosystem, regardless of its depth (the bottom of lakes or of rivers or of the sea). Also describes an organism living on the river bottom or sea bed (macroinvertebrates, for example).
Source
According to the Ministry of Ecology