Medam is a database of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) monitoring program for the Mediterranean Sea, "Benthic Habitats and Seabed Integrity" component.
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The Medam website has been integrated into the European Sea Atlas of the European Commission.
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The Medam website has been updated significantly in 2016 and 2017.
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MEDAM is the sister website of MEDAMP, the observatory of the protection of biodiversity : www.medamp.org
Any quotation or use of elements of this data management system should be mentioned as "MEDAM Université Côte d'Azur CNRS ECOSEAS"

COASTLINE ARTIFICIALISED BY RECLAMATIONS FROM THE SEA

Le cumul du linéaire du trait de côte sous forme d’amoncellement de blocs rocheux, de tétrapodes en beton ou de murs en béton ( km pour l’ensemble des côtes françaises de la Méditerranée, hors Monaco et Berre) est très inégal selon les régions.

En effet, ce linéaire naturel (initial) artificialisé s’élève, pour toutes les côtes continentales françaises de la Méditerranée (hors Monaco et Berre), à  km (= PACA sans Berre + Languedoc Roussillon), dont :

 -  km pour les côtes de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (sans Monaco et sans Berre),

 -  km pour les côtes du Languedoc Roussillon.

Il est de  km pour les côtes de la Corse.

Pour Monaco nous avons distingué  km de littoral artificialisé par des aménagements gagnés sur la mer et pour Berre  km.

Le linéaire artificialisé par les aménagements gagnés sur la mer par département, par commune ou par masse d’eau DCE est disponible dans les « données chiffrées ».

Le linéaire artificialisé par chaque aménagement est donné dans « aménagements ».

 

The accumulated length of coastline taking the form of piles of rock blocks, concrete tetrapods of concrete sea walls ( km for the whole of the French Mediterranean coast, not including Monaco and Berre) is very unequal from region to region.
The natural (original) coastline that has been artificialised amounts for the whole of the continental French Mediterranean coast (not including Monaco and Berre), to  km (= PACA without Berre + Languedoc Roussillon), including :
 -  km for the coast of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (not including Monaco and Berre),
 -  km for the coast of Languedoc Roussillon.
The figure is  km for the coast of Corsica.

For Monaco, we have estimated  km of coastline artificialised by reclamations from the sea and for Berre  km.
The coastline artificialised by reclamations by county (département), by urban or rural district (commune) or by ECD water mass is available in the « numerical data ».
The coastline artificialised by each reclamation is given under the heading « reclamations ».

 
 
 
 
 
 

PHOTOS

An image data base has been developed in order to present visually the changes in the coastline at the sites of reclamation redevelopment schemes.

 

1628 photographs are available at this site, with ongoing updating of the image bank. The photographs may be recent or more historical (views of the coast prior to reclamation have been sought). Some are photographs taken from the air others at ground level (sea or land).

 

The images made available are of low resolution. The photographers are cited and may in some cases be contacted by e-mail (list of photographers). Any new photos or similar documents are welcome: contact us to upload them ! (aims, procedure, conditions)

 

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CARTOGRAPHY

Access the cartographical data base to view the contour lines of all the reclamations and the contours of all the bathymetric and administrative limits.

RECLAMATION SCHEMES

Access data on the characteristics, description, year of redevelopment, illustrations and localisation of each reclamation > 100 m².

HISTORICAL RECORD AND PATTERNS OF PROGRESSION

Access the historical record data base: the construction of each structure or part of a structure has been dated. This data provides the basis for showing on bar charts the progression over time of reclamations and their impact on the basis of administrative units (country, region, county ( département), municipal and rural district (commune) or ECD water mass).

THE RECORD

For all French Mediterranean coasts (excluding Monaco and the Etang de Berre) (see ‘details’ for noteworthy regional or more local particularities).


MEDAM Inventory :

Original coastline : 2 062 km (> see details)

Surface area of shallow water bottoms prior to any reclamation (> see details) :

Between 0 and -10 m : 80 723 ha soit 807 km²

Between -10 m and -20 m : 88 046 ha soit 880 km²

Between 0 and -20 m : 168 769 ha soit 1 688 km²
Between -20 and -50 m : 330 030 ha soit 3 300 km²

 

Number of reclamations (>100 m²) : 1 050 (> see details)

 

Coastline ‘artificialised’ by reclamation : 223.02 km (> see details)

Surface areas reclaimed by these redevelopments (> see details) :

Between 0 et -10 m : 4 226.13 ha

Between -10 m et -20 m : 903.70 ha

Between 0 et -20 m : 5 129.83 ha

 

MEDAM Impacts :

Rate of ‘artificialisation’ of coastline (linear) : 12.27 % (> see details)

Rate of irreversible destruction of shallow water bottoms by reclamation (> see details) :

Between 0 et -10 m : 5.24 % 

Between -10 m et -20 m : 1.03 % 

Between 0 et -20 m : 3.04 %

 

Progression :
A step in the right direction: a clear slowing down of reclamation from 1985  (> see details).

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