Marais Breton, Baie de Bourgneuf, Ile de Noirmoutier et Forêt de Monts

plage et estran du site Ramsar
marais salant La barre de Monts
estran du site Ramsar
Etier du Dain et marais

Marais Breton, Baie de Bourgneuf, Ile de Noirmoutier et Forêt de Monts

  • Country: 
    France
  • Site number: 
    2283
  • Area: 
    55,826 ha
  • Designation date: 
    02-02-2017
  • Coordinates: 
    46°54'N 02°02'W
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Site covers one of the main areas of coastal marshes and tidal bays on the French Atlantic coast. Behind the muddy, sandy or rocky foreshore lie extensive salt meadows, brackish flooded grasslands, dune wetlands and ponds. The area is part of a chain of coastal wetlands that are essential for the conservation of halophytic (salt-tolerant ) habitats and species and include 19 habitats of community interest listed in Annex I of the European Union Habitats Directive. The duration of flooding and the degree of salinity play major roles in the composition of the different plant communities. The Site is a biodiversity hotspot, as it supports over 60,000 waterbirds and is an important nesting site for several bird species. Some of the most notable are the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) and black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). It supports critical stages in the life cycle of several fish species, including the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla Anguilla). The Site is essential for the livelihoods of the local fishermen and salt producers. It is also a popular tourist destination and has appropriate regulations to limit their environmental impact. The area also provides important freshwater resources and plays a major role in flood control and mitigation, coastal stabilization and water purification.

Administrative region: 
Pays de la Loire

  • National legal designation: 
    • Réserve Naturelle Nationale - Marais de Müllembourg
    • Réserve Naturelle Régionale - Polder de Sébastopol
    • site classé - Bois de la Chaize
    • site classé - Corniche de Sion
    • site classé - passage du Gois
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • EU Natura 2000
  • Last publication date: 
    13-07-2023

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents