Chapter 6 - The English Channel: La Manche

Abstract

The English Channel (EC), called ‘La Manche’ in French, is a sea shared between the United Kingdom and France. It is largely open in its western boundary to Atlantic influence and is connected with the North Sea by the Dover Strait (30km wide) and extends for about 750km along its WSW–ENE axis giving an overall area of 77,000km2. It is a shallow epicontinental sea with a maximum depth of 174m, characterized by strong currents, presence of important gyres especially around the Channel Islands and near the capes, and a large intertidal zone which is easily accessible for professional and touristic activities. The EC is often considered as a part of the ‘Greater North Sea’ subregion. However, it is characterized by hydrologic, oceanographic, and biogeographic features that support its separation. It may be divided into two main parts: the western basin of the English Channel (WBEC) and the eastern basin of the English Channel (EBEC). The Channel’s main natural features and principal human activities are described: it is a sea which has long been impacted by mankind, with numerous historic cumulative impacts added to which are new activities such as offshore wind farms and marine turbines. The challenges are planning between human activities and the preservation of natural heritage habitats in a context of climatic change, and to maintain ancient and new activities in a unique ecosystem-based management on the scale of the English Channel.