Recopla : Inventaire de données de géosciences marines pour une cartographie moderne du plateau continental français

Knowledge of the French continental shelf is heterogeneous : the bathymetry of the french EEZ is well known for the deeper domain but insufficient to establish a reference state on the continental shelf. Recopla consists of a modern continental shelf mapping project in cooperation with the oceanographic and hydrographic service of the French Navy. It will contribute to increase the knowledge necessary to establish reference data for the French/European marine strategy. The first task of the Recopla project consisted of an inventory of the geophysical data and metadata available on the French continental shelf, and a classification of these data according the level of processing : raw, processed, interpreted, published. Combining this information with the data processed, interpreted and present as maps, it was possible to identify the achievements, but also to identify gaps and opportunities for advances in knowledge. The inventory also identified sectors with high growth potential as the Aquitaine shelf or the Gulf of Lions.