The Arcachon Bay is a typical semi-sheltered lagoon located on the Atlantic coast of France, facing the wave-dominated shelf of the Bay of Biscay. Its long-term evolution was controlled by the development of the Cap Ferret barrier spit and the establishment of a tide ebb-dominant barrier system leading to a spatial split of the bay in two parts: (a) the inner lagoon mostly composed of tidal flats and (b) the outer lagoon with higher hydrological capacities where a large-scale tidal inlet is bordered by the largest coastal dune in Europe. The identification of major interactive sedimentary environments with reference to their representative and complementary characteristics leads to a deductive selection of five landforms supporting oyster cultivation and various recreational (sportfishing, sailing, ecotourism) activities of both economic and landscape value.