Compact mud facies with Isidella elongata is a relevant habitat for red shrimps (Aristeus antennatus and Aristaeomorpha foliacea). These habitats are potentially vulnerable as they are targeted by fisheries.These VME fauna seem to have been swept away by repeated trawling. Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME) in the deep Mediterranean Sea have been identified by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean as consisting of communities of Scleractinia (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata), Pennatulacea (Funiculina quadrangularis) and Alcyonacea (Isidella elongata). This dataset concerns video data recorded in the heads of French Mediterranean canyons. Quantitative observations were extracted from 101 video films recorded during the MEDSEACAN cruise in 2009 (Aamp/Comex), in addition to 12 Ifremer dives. Species recognized in the video films were recorded from 180 to 700 m depth, and were mapped using GIS. Isidella elongata was abundant in three canyons of the Gulf of Lion (Bourcart, Marti, Petit-Rhône). This dataset is linked to the pulication Fabri et al, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.06.016