Are the eastern and western basins of the English Channel two separate ecosystems?

► This paper presents an opinion of the English Channel (EC) subdivisions. ► The main natural features and principle human activities of both basins are shown. ► The EC shows many characteristics supporting its division in two main entities. ► The functional observations show that the EC correspond to two different ecosystems. ► The EC could be considered as two sub-regions in the implementation of the MSFD.