Description of the new species (Annelida, Pilargidae), with an analysis of the distribution patterns of polychaetes associated with artificially hydrocarbon-enriched bottoms.

The monitoring of the N'Kossa offshore oil and gas fields in the Republic of Congo allowed us to assess the ecological traits of two polychaete species belonging to (Annelida, Pilargidae). occur in very low densities in all bottoms, except the most impacted, where it is totally absent; it is an undescribed species that reached >4,000 ind/m in hydrocarbon-enriched sediments. Their distribution patterns are compared with those of other polychaetes, showing a range of affinities for hydrocarbon-enriched sediments in the N'Kossa region.

Long-distance influence of the Rhône River plume on the marine benthic ecosystem: Integrating descriptive ecology and predictive modelling.

The Gulf of Lions (GoL) is among the most productive areas of the Mediterranean Sea, with the Rhône River contributing with as much as 90% of the liquid and solid materials (including anthropogenic chemicals) reaching the area. In this paper, we assessed whether classical descriptive ecology and MaxEnt predictive species distribution modelling were able to provide complementary information when analysing the long-distance influence of the river discharges on the GoL benthic ecosystem. Samples were collected in August 2014 from 12 stations covering the sedimentary plain of the deep submarine delta, from the Gulf of Fos to Gruissan.

Improving marine biodiversity offsetting: A proposed methodology for better assessing losses and gains.

Although the limitations of implementing the mitigation hierarchy have been widely discussed in scientific literature, these studies have drawn mainly on feedback concerning terrestrial ecosystems. In the case of development projects in marine and coastal environments, certain issues must be tackled to improve existing practice. This article focuses on the methodologies used to assess both the ecological losses resulting from a development project and the ecological gains generated by an offset measure.

Characterization of the ecological quality of the coastal Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean). A comparative approach based on three biotic indices.

The ecological quality of the Gulf of Lions coast was assessed using three biotic indices (H', AMBI and BQI). The three indices correlated positively. The positive correlation between AMBI and BQI was surprising and was mostly due to the fact that the dominant species Ditrupa arietina featured a low ES50(0.