true

ISRA FACTSHEETS

EUROPEAN ATLANTIC

ISRA FACTSHEETS

EUROPEAN ATLANTIC

Sillon de Talbert ISRA

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Sillon de Talbert ISRA

Sillon de Talbert

Summary

Sillon de Talbert is located in northern Brittany of France. This coastal area is characterised by rocky and sandy substrates with kelp forests, seagrass, and red algae habitats. It is influenced by two opposing tidal currents and by northwesterly swells. Within this area there are: undefined aggregations (Starry Smoothhound Mustelus asterias).

Sillon de Talbert

Sillon de Talbert

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT

Sillon de Talbert is located in northern Brittany of France. This coastal area centres around a long, thin tongue of sand, pebbles, and shingles that extends into the English Channel (Chanson 2006). Parts of this tongue are usually dry even at high tide. The surrounding shallow waters are characterised by rock, biogenic reef, sand, and coarse sediment substrates, with kelp forests (Laminaria spp.) and Common Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the infralittoral, and red algae in the circalittoral (A Ory pers. obs. 2025). The area is influenced by two converging tidal currents and northwesterly swells (Chanson 2006).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthic and pelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 35 m based on the bathymetry of the area.

CRITERION C

SUB-CRITERION C5 – UNDEFINED AGGREGATIONS

Sillon de Talbert is an important area for undefined aggregations of one shark species.

Large aggregations of Starry Smoothhounds have been recorded in this area (A Ory pers. obs. 2025). In 2018, a 600 m long gillnet deployed in this area captured 438 individuals, as was revealed when the net was exposed during low tide (France 3 Bretagne 2018). The net had been cut, suggesting that it was abandoned on retrieval due to the overwhelming number of sharks captured. All individuals were females, ranging in size from 80–120 cm total length (TL). The size-at-maturity for females is 83–96 cm TL (Ebert et al. 2021), indicating that most were mature. In 2022 and 2023, similar aggregations were recorded on three occasions by divers, with dozens of sharks sighted each time (A Ory pers. obs. 2025). All aggregations were recorded in August during the boreal summer. Diver observations suggested that most individuals were adults, based on visual size estimates, and that most were females (A Ory pers. obs. 2025). Few observations are recorded as there is limited diving in the area due to the strong and converging tidal currents and swells. Further information is needed to understand the nature and function of these aggregations.

Sillon de Talbert

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