Scientific Research in the Marine Belt of the National Park of Port Cros Island : Results and Prospects.

This paper sums up the results so far concerning the scientific research carried out in the marine belt of the National Park of Port Cros Island, since its creation. The island which ideally presents a number of conditions necessary for founding a National Park and a wide oceanographic monography, is a perfect site where different methods of protecting nature, conservation and management can be carried out. An inventory of the rich, natural resources (sites, species and biocenosis) has been completed by a biocenosis cartography. The help of the National Park's personnel and supervision has made it possible to carry out successful, original experiments (in situ), and biological and ecological studies which would have been difficult to realize elsewhere. Various investigatory methods have been perfected for supervising the evolution of ecological conditions and studying dynamics of biocenosis.