Several mapping techniques (aerial photography and acoustics) were combined to produce bathymetric and marine benthic habitats maps of Martinique (FWI).

The eastern Atlantic coast is characterised by an outer spur and groove reef and inner lagoon system. The Caribbean coast shows steep slopes with sporadic fringing reefs, except on the south where a well-developed and continuous reef structure exists.

The final maps show important differences in the distribution of habitats and communities between the Caribbean and the Atlantic sides. It appears algal dominated communities have replaced most of the historic coral communities of the Atlantic double bank barrier reef. Portions of fringing reefs still remain along the barrier and protect wide areas of seagrass beds and numerous bays and inlets. The largest reef structure is located along the Southern Caribbean coast, and is an active and productive ecosystem. The North Caribbean coast is characterised by non-framebuilding reefs and limited seagrass beds which are restricted due to a steeply sloping seabed.

Maps obtained give an overview of the Martinique coastal benthic habitats and their distribution with an overall accuracy of 95.45% for physical substrata and 96.67% for biological communities. In addition to their use in ecological studies, these data provide valuable tools for management and sustainable exploitation of marine resources.