Assessing the impact degree and areal degradation extent of the benthic ecosystem caused by different human activities.

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26680v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Gert Van Hoey ◽

Annelies De Backer ◽

Kris Hostens

Keyword(s):

North Sea ◽

Human Activities ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Benthic Habitat ◽

Areal Extent ◽

Ongoing Debate ◽

Biodiversity Indicators ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu ◽

Belgian North Sea

How sustainable are human activities and at what pace do they impact the ecosystem? An ongoing debate urging for uniform assessments. The EU Nature Directives (Marine Strategy Framework, Habitat and Water Framework Directives) provide good bases for scientifically sound assessments. However, they all have different assessment criteria, hampering the objective comparison of the impact degree and the areal extent of degradation caused by human activities. In this study, we applied a harmonized and uniform set of biodiversity indicators, as defined for MSFD-Descriptor 1 with respect to the benthic ecosystem in the Belgian North Sea. We assessed the impact of dredge disposal and aggregate extraction, two activities only allowed in dedicated zones, and compared this to the impact of the more widespread fishery activity. At certain pressure thresholds (e.g. volume disposed, volume and frequency of extraction, number of trawls), all activities caused a decrease in benthic habitat quality. However, for each activity the thresholds and the areal extent of degradation were quite different dependent on the benthic habitat type in which the activity took place. Such detailed insights on pressure footprints are necessary, to allow for an integrated evaluation of the biodiversity status across multiple activities within different marine regions.

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Assessing cumulative human activities, pressures, and impacts on North Sea benthic habitats using a biological traits approach

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsx205 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 1080-1092 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Andrew J Kenny ◽

Chris Jenkins ◽

Daniel Wood ◽

Stefan G Bolam ◽

Peter Mitchell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North Sea ◽

Human Activities ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Benthic Habitat ◽

Biological Traits ◽

Energy Devices ◽

The North ◽

Hard Structures

Abstract The application of a biological traits analysis, in the present study, has allowed benthic habitat sensitivities and their risk of impact to be mapped at a spatial scale appropriate for the assessment of the North Sea ecoregion. This study considered habitat impacts associated with five important marine sectors; bottom fishing, marine aggregate dredging, sediment disposal, renewable energy devices (tidal, waves, and wind) and the oil and gas sectors, both individually and cumulatively. The significance of the “actual” footprint of impact arising from these human activities and their associated pressures (sediment abrasion, sediment removal, smothering, and placement of hard structures) is presented and discussed. Notable differences in sensitivity to activities are seen depending on habitat type. Some of the more substantial changes in benthic habitat function evaluated are potentially associated with the placement of hard structures in shallow mobile sedimentary habitats, which result in a shift in habitat dominated by small, short-living infaunal species, to a habitat dominated by larger, longer-lived, sessile epibenthic suspension feeders. In contrast, the impacts of bottom fishing, dredging and disposal activities are all assessed to be most severe when executed in deep, sedimentary habitats. Such assessments are important in supporting policies (e.g. spatial planning) directed towards ensuring sustainable “blue-growth,” through a better understanding of the potential ecological impacts associated with human activities operating across different habitat types. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the spatial extent of selected human activities and their impacts on seabed habitats using a biological trait-based sensitivity analysis.

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Russia - European Union: The continuation ofthe sanctions standoff

Voprosy Ekonomiki ◽

10.32609/0042-8736-2017-6-114-127 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 114-127

Author(s):

M. Klinova ◽

E. Sidorova

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Economic Recession ◽

Economic Sanctions ◽

Current Data ◽

The State ◽

The European Union ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu ◽

Year 2013

The article deals with economic sanctions and their impact on the state and prospects of the neighboring partner economies - the European Union (EU) and Russia. It provides comparisons of current data with that of the year 2013 (before sanctions) to demonstrate the impact of sanctions on both sides. Despite the fact that Russia remains the EU’s key partner, it came out of the first three partners of the EU. The current economic recession is caused by different reasons, not only by sanctions. Both the EU and Russia have internal problems, which the sanctions confrontation only exacerbates. The article emphasizes the need for a speedy restoration of cooperation.

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A Historiography of the Impact of North Sea Oil on Northern Scotland

Northern Scotland ◽

10.3366/nor.2007.0007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 27 (First Serie (1) ◽

pp. 81-97

Author(s):

David Newlands ◽

Alexandra Brehme

Keyword(s):

North Sea ◽

The Impact

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Modernisation of Higher Education – Willful Action or Wishful Thinking? The Case of Bulgaria

Педагогически форум ◽

10.15547/pf.2020.018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 3-17

Author(s):

Elena Blagoeva

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Economic Crisis ◽

Negative Impact ◽

National Level ◽

Sustainable Growth ◽

Research Approach ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.

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Thematic Priorities For Sustainable Development of Ukraine-Romania Cross-Border Cooperation (The Case Study of Chernivtsi Region)

Історико-політичні проблеми сучасного світу ◽

10.31861/mhpi2020.41.205-219 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 205-219

Author(s):

Valentyna Bohatyrets ◽

Liubov Melnychuk ◽

Yaroslav Zoriy

Keyword(s):

Foreign Policy ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Cultural Development ◽

Cross Border ◽

Strategic Orientations ◽

The Impact ◽

Further Development ◽

Cross Border Cooperation ◽

The Eu

This paper seeks to investigate sustainable cross-border cooperation (CBC) as a distinctive model of interstate collaboration, embedded in the neighboring borderland regions of two or more countries. The focus of the research revolves around the establishment and further development of geostrategic, economic, cultural and scientific capacity of the Ukrainian-Romanian partnership as a fundamental construct in ensuring and strengthening the stability, security and cooperation in Europe. This research highlights Ukraine’s aspirations to establish, develop and diversify bilateral good-neighborly relations with Romania both regionally and internationally. The main objective is to elucidate Ukraine-Romania cross-border cooperation initiatives, inasmuch Ukraine-Romania CBC has been stirring up considerable interest in terms of its inexhaustible historical, cultural and spiritual ties. Furthermore, the similarity of the neighboring states’ strategic orientations grounds the basis for development and enhancement of Ukraine-Romania cooperation. The authors used desk research and quantitative research to conclude that Ukraine-Romania CBC has the impact not only on the EU and on Ukraine multi-vector foreign policy, but it also has the longer-term global consequences. In the light of the current reality, the idea of introducing and reinforcing the importance of Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) sounds quite topical and relevant. This research considers a number of explanations for Ukraine-Romania Cross-Border Cooperation as a key element of the EU policy towards its neighbors. Besides, the subject of the research is considered from different perspectives in order to show the diversity and complexity of the Ukraine-Romania relations in view of the fact that sharing common borders we are presumed to find common solutions. As the research has demonstrated, the Ukraine-Romania cross border cooperation is a pivotal factor of boosting geostrategic, economic, political and cultural development for each participant country, largely depending on the neighboring countries’ cohesion and convergence. Significantly, there is an even stronger emphasis on the fact that while sharing the same borders, the countries share common interests and aspirations for economic thriving, cultural exchange, diplomatic ties and security, guaranteed by a legal framework. The findings of this study have a number of important implications for further development and enhancement of Ukraine-Romania cooperation. Accordingly, the research shows how imperative are the benefits of Romania as a strategic partner for outlining top priorities of Ukraine’s foreign policy.

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