The French word 'coralligène' refers to all the plants and wildlife attached to the underwater rocks.
This living community is extraordinarily complex and takes different forms depending on the depth, lighting conditions, sedimentation and other factors.
These organic concretions grow at a very slow pace and are invaluable for the landscape with their brightly coloured iconic species such as red coral, varieties of sea fans, sea sponges and more.
The coralligène bottoms along the Côte Bleue contain a wide variety of micro-habitats which attract a diversity of wildlife. Over 600 invertebrates and forty or so fish species have been recorded in the Coralligène within the western bounds of the Côte Bleue Natura 2000 site and in the Fos Gulf.
The formations are extremely important for maintaining the marine environment's rich biodiversity.
