Split of Brest

The Rade of Brest is large a bay of 150 km ² located in the Finistere in France. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, named at this place the Mer of Iroise, by a 1,8 km broad passage which names the Goulet of Brest.

This very great water level is navigable all the year.

Strategic importance

Since many centuries, Brest is an important military port. Thus, the roads of Brest has many military installations, such as:

Roads of Brest east thus a very supervised military zone.

Islands inside the roads of Brest

  • Plougastel Daoulas
    • Round Island

  • Logonna Daoulas

    • Island of the Point of the Castle
    • Islands of Bindy

Rivers and rivers jettant itself in the roads of Brest

Environment

The roads formerly sheltered because of its configuration a great diversity of natural habitats, a biological productivity and a very high Biodiversité. It still includes/understands sites of European Community importance for the birds, several networks of habitats and underwater and littoral biological corridors important, which was very affected by the human activities for the north-western part, but which justified the classification of approximately half of the roads in zone Natura 2000.

Pollution

The ecological richness of the Roads is decreased by a strong last exploitation of certain resources, and by the presence of many Polluant S whose Heavy metals and Tributylétain (TBT), Biocide resulting from the Antifouling S. This product is prohibited today, but there remains very present in the Sédiment S and certain organizations. The products which replace it on the small boats, whose Diuron and Irgarol also pose problem, and were measured in considerable quantities in the roads by the Ifremer in 2003-2004.

The roads are also victim of the Séquelles of war and in particular of the after-effects of the waves of Pollution S which the roads knew at the time of the First World War or of the Second world war (1939-1945). Relictuelles pollution related to the immersed Munitions or not exploded can worsen with the first massive escapes, that the expert predict in the years 2000-2010.

Herbaria

The roads still shelter some small herbaria of Zostère (Atlantic equivalent of the posidonies of the Mediterranean). These underwater meadows are not very deep, of which one with Kernisi discovers even with low tide, which became exceptional in the Finistere. The anchors and their chains as well as the Buoy S and certain fishing tackles degrade these herbaria.

The zostères are at the same time shelter, zone of spawning ground and of nutrition, nourricery for many species, constituting an irreplaceable habitat for some and feeding the Laisse sea. They are in particular the exclusive habitat of the Hippocampe, which regresses at the same speed as the herbaria.

Maërl

The Maërl is a small encrusting calcareous alga of which the pink end is the only alive part. It was formerly collected like manure and amendment for the famous strawberries of Plougastel and Daoulas. These algae slowly manufacture reefs, thick several tens of meters, consisted of Carbonate of calcium, constituting a Puits of carbon since the secondary era.

Benches of maërl, as the herbaria of zostères are an irreplaceable habitat for many Invertébré marine S, Crustacé S and fish which find there also a food abundant. Playing a function comparable with the Reefs coral S of the hot seas, they shelter an exceptional biodiversity.

The maërl is alas threatened by the fast extension of an invasive species the Crépidule ( Crepidula fornicata ), gastropodous sailor involuntarily introduced by the Man in roads of Brest seems it primarily at the time of the American unloading. Dredging and the extraction affect the high part of the bench, richest. It is possible that since a hundred years approximately, these benches also contributed has to fix certain pollutants (lead in particular), significantly.

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