Presentation of the site by the scientific editors

This web site presents the results of the research projects carried out by the IRD and its partners on the French Polynesian atoll lagoons (ATOLL, CYEL, PGRN1 et 2, TYPATOLL).

This site was designed with a broad range of net users in mind, from interested web surfers (with a secondary school background, for example) to specialised research scientists. It can therefore be approached at various levels. It is easy to consult, as each page begins with a paragraph which can be readily understood by all who read it. Those who require more detailed information can consult the glossary, the graphs, other pages and other sites. At the most highly specialised level, there are tables of data, bibliographical references and short abstracts of scientific publications (in PDF).

The plan of the site can be obtained from the Welcome page by clicking on "Plan of the site". The top of the plan gives the  six main chapter headings, and the respective sub-headings are listed below. It is possible to open any page of interest by clicking on the appropriate heading or sub-heading.

The pages on this site can be quoted in scientific articles, as is now being done in some international journals.

Loïc Charpy et Philippe Dufour