CONSTRUCTION AND REDEVELOPMENT ON AREAS RECLAIMED FROM THE SEA GREATER THAN 100 m²

The exhaustive inventory of all construction and redevelopment on land reclaimed from the sea along the French Mediterranean coasts concerns all reclamations of more than 100 m² built over the marine domain. It was drawn up on the basis of aerial photographs, maps, plans and direct observation along the coast.

Seven types of coastal development have been defined.

Port: construction consisting of an ensemble of seawalls and landfills used in various ways (car park , road, shops, boatyard, etc.). This ensemble delimits a contained body of water designed to offer shelter to boats of various sizes and functions (fishing, pleasure boating, business, etc.). This type of infrastructure is under the management of a harbour master’s office, and has a surface area generally greater than 1 ha.

Example of a harbour

Port of refuge: harbour without a harbour master with a surface area generally smaller less than 0.5 ha.

Example of a port of refuge

Landfill: reclamation from the sea of a terrestrial area for the construction of car parks, gardens, shopping areas, roads, etc.

Example of a landfill

Artificial beach (horseshoe shaped beach): development consisting of two rock sea walls curving towards each other and delimiting an area of land reclaimed from the sea and a sheltered body of water designed for bathing activities.

Example of an artificial beach

Groyne: construction consisting of a line of piled up blocks of rock designed to protect the coast against erosion (axis generally perpendicular tto the coast).

Examples of groynes

Pontoon: solid structure with vertical walls (in contrast to a rock groyne) to enable boats to moor.

Example of a pontoon

River mouth dykes: construction consisting of two rock seawalls on either side of the mouth of a river flowing into the sea.

Examples of river mouth dykes