L’inventaire ZNIEF-Mer dans les DOM

Developing strategies and national programmes aimed at managing and developing those areas placed under France’s scientific supervision, presupposes one has obtained a comprehensive knowledge of their representative wildlife. The Inventory programme for Natural Areas of Ecological and Wildlife Interest (ZNIEFF for Zones naturelles d’Intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique) to marine habitats, initiated by the French Ministry of the Environment, certainly meets this need, but it first concerned Metropolitan France only. It became necessary to extend the programme to overseas territories (DOMs for départements d’outre Mer) for their extremely rich wildlife. Thus, the Ministry of the Environment asked the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle to organise a technical seminar between the 19^th and the 22^th of november 1997 in Guadeloupe. This book includes the main lectures and summarises the work done during the meeting.