A METHOD FOR THE SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURES IN SPANISH MARINE WATERS

In 2008, the European Community adopted the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, aiming to achieve or maintain good environmental status in the European marine environment by 2020, applying an ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities. Spatial information of the distribution of the human activities and their related pressures is essential to accomplish this task successfully. After compiling the available data from official sources, the spatial extent of the land-based and ocean-based human activities that could have an impact on the Spanish marine waters were estimated and mapped using GIS tools. In addition, a series of indexes were created in order to develop a cumulative analysis, taking into account the different relevance of pressures and that single pressures have different intensities. The identification of areas with an accumulation of pressures revealed that it is in coastal waters around big cities where the greater part of the pressures concentrates for each of the five Spanish marine districts. Human impacts emanating from the identified pressures could not be evaluated and this task is proposed to be accomplished in further projects. Nonetheless, the resulting information is considered very useful for managers and technical staff to support not only marine management but also other planning and decision making in Spain.

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Mapping Cumulative Impacts of Human Activities on Marine Ecosystems

10.31230/osf.io/6exng ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

SeaPlan

Keyword(s):

Human Activities ◽

Spatial Information ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

Management Plan ◽

Cumulative Impacts ◽

Potential Conflict ◽

Planning Decisions ◽

Ocean Management ◽

Survey Results

Given the diversity of human uses and natural resources that converge in coastal waters, the potential independent and cumulative impacts of those uses on marine ecosystems are important to consider during ocean planning. This study was designed to support the development and implementation of the 2009 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan. Its goal was to estimate and visualize the cumulative impacts of human activities on coastal and marine ecosystems in the state and federal waters off of Massachusetts.For this study, regional ecosystem experts were surveyed to gauge the relative vulnerability of marine ecosystems to current and emerging anthropogenic stressors. Survey results were then combined with spatial information on the distribution of marine ecosystems and human stressors to map cumulative impacts in Massachusetts waters.The study resulted in an ecosystem vulnerability matrix and human impacts maps, which together yield insights into which ecosystems and places are most vulnerable and which human uses, alone and in combination, are putting the most stress on marine ecosystems. These products can be used in a number of ways, including to help clarify ocean planning decisions, identify areas of potential conflict among ocean users and areas that may merit conservation, and assess ecological, economic and social values of particular places.

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The economic benefits of achieving Good Environmental Status in the Finnish marine waters of the Baltic Sea

Marine Policy ◽

10.1016/j.marpol.2018.10.014 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 ◽

pp. 181-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Emmi Nieminen ◽

Heini Ahtiainen ◽

Carl-Johan Lagerkvist ◽

Soile Oinonen

Keyword(s):

Baltic Sea ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Marine Waters ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status ◽

The Baltic

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Conflicts in the coastal zone: human impacts on commercially important fish species utilizing coastal habitat

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsx237 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 1203-1213 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Elliot J Brown ◽

Rita P Vasconcelos ◽

Håkan Wennhage ◽

Ulf Bergström ◽

Josianne G Støttrup ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Human Activities ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Coastal Development ◽

Life History Stage ◽

Coastal Habitat ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Coastal Habitats ◽

Commercially Important ◽

Fishing Impacts

Abstract Coastal ecosystems are ecologically, culturally, and economically important, and hence are under pressure from diverse human activities. We reviewed the literature for existing evidence of effects of human-induced habitat changes on exploited fish utilizing coastal habitats. We focused on fish species of the Northeast Atlantic for which fisheries advice is provided by International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and which utilize coastal habitats for at least one life-history stage (LHS). We found that 92% of these species are impacted by human activity in at least one LHS while utilizing coastal habitat and 38% in multiple stages. Anthropogenic pressures most commonly shown to impact these fish species were toxicants and pollutants (75% of species). Eutrophication and anoxia, invasive species, and physical coastal development affected about half of the species (58, 54, and 42% of species, respectively), while indirect fishing impacts affected a minority (17% of species). Moreover, 71% of the ICES advice species that utilize coastal habitats face impacts from more than one pressure, implying cumulative effects. Given that three-fourths of the commercial landings come from fish species utilizing coastal habitats, there is an obvious need for a better understanding of the impacts that human activities cause in these habitats for the development of ecosystem-based fisheries management.

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Changing the Base: Legal Implications of Scientific Criteria and Methodological Standards on what Constitutes Good Marine Environmental Status

Transnational Environmental Law ◽

10.1017/s2047102512000088 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 145-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Till Markus

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Framework ◽

Marine Waters ◽

Marine Strategy Framework Directive ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Legal Implications ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status ◽

Marine Environmental ◽

The Eu

AbstractThe Decision on Criteria and Methodological Standards on Good Environmental Status of Marine Waters provides the conceptual framework for the assessment and valuation of the marine waters of EU Member States. In particular, it provides concepts for defining what constitutes good marine environmental status – a status which Member States are obligated to achieve by the year 2020 under the 2008 Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This article aims to elucidate the epistemic and normative dimensions of scientific criteria and methodological standards, as well as their importance in the legal treatment of the marine environment of the EU. The article also assesses how and to what extent the transnational process leading up to the Decision was structured, surveying existing ideas and perspectives as to what exactly constitutes good environmental status, and examining whether the structure of the Decision ensures that those affected by it would want to accept it.

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Project SOCO-DRONE: Sustaining the Good Environmental Status in Portuguese Marine Waters

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/conf.fmars.2016.04.00015 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Jorge Da Silva António ◽

Simões Nuno ◽

Silva Pedro

Keyword(s):

Marine Waters ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status

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An overall indicator for the good environmental status of marine waters based on commercially exploited species

Marine Policy ◽

10.1016/j.marpol.2014.07.012 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 230-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Rainer Froese ◽

Nazli Demirel ◽

Arlene Sampang

Keyword(s):

Marine Waters ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status

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First days at sea: depicting migration patterns of juvenile seabirds in highly impacted seascapes

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11054

Author(s):

Maite Louzao ◽

Karine Delord ◽

David García ◽

Isabel Afán ◽

José Manuel Arcos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Human Activities ◽

Spatial Ecology ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

Fishing Effort ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Two Phase ◽

Migratory Patterns

Increasing human activities have detrimental consequences on marine ecosystems and their impact can have cumulative effects. Within marine ecosystems, seabirds respond to ecosystem variability and face multiple human pressures, especially threatened species. In long-lived species, juveniles and immatures could represent up to 50% of the total population, but their migratory movements remain largely unknown. Here, we depict the migratory patterns of juvenile Balearic shearwaters Puffinus mauretanicus, the most threatened European seabird, using miniaturised satellite transmitters. At the end of the 2012 breeding season, five tagged juveniles left the breeding colonies of Eivissa Island (western Mediterranean) the first week of July. They moved westwards to reach the Atlantic Ocean between 3 and 13 days afterwards. Juveniles showed a two-phase migratory pattern: they first travelled slower close to the breeding colonies, and then moved towards their wintering areas in the Atlantic Ocean by rapid directional movements. Environmental cues (e.g.,marine productivity, water mass distribution, frontal systems) might have a prominent role in driving the migratory patterns of juvenile Balearic shearwaters, moving from warm and poor marine areas in the Mediterranean Sea to cooler and rich non-breeding grounds in the Atlantic Ocean. Based on observational findings, we observed certain spatial overlap of juvenile Balearic shearwaters with areas of high human impact, but the relationship between flying travel speed and both fishing effort and cumulative human impacts were not statistically significant. These results suggest that more research is needed to assess whether the movement patterns of migrating juveniles are affected by human activities. Therefore, understanding the at-sea spatial ecology of juveniles should be a priority for research and conservation due to the importance of this population component in long-lived species, as well as assessing their vulnerability to multiple anthropogenic pressures.

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INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MARINE STRATEGY FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE: SYSTEM, DYNAMICS AND MEASURES

Economic innovations ◽

10.31520/ei.2018.20.3(68).185-196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (3(68)) ◽

pp. 185-196

Author(s):

O. RUBEL ◽

A.A. ZHIKHAREVA ◽

N. REZNICHENKO

Keyword(s):

Black Sea ◽

Marine Environment ◽

Community Action ◽

The Black Sea ◽

Marine Waters ◽

Marine Strategy Framework Directive ◽

Commercial Fish ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status ◽

Fish And Shellfish

Topicality. Over the past decade, there have been signs of improvement of the Black Sea. However, its unique water areas and coastline are still under serious threat. The Black Sea is unprotected from significant anthropogenic pressures, and has a low adaptive potential. If as the region's economy grows, these pressures will intensify, the problem will become more serious.The implementation of the Directive 2008/56/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of environmental policy on the marine environment (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) are important for Ukraine. The use of the marine environment, taking into account the ecosystem approach and the principle of integrated management improves the environment, biodiversity, development of industries marine complex, especially commercial fish and shellfish, recreation and tourism.Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to discuss the challenge to institutional development for funding of implementation of EC Marine strategy framework directive.Research results. Directive 2008/56/EC aims to achieve good environmental status of marine waters and to protect the marine resources that affect the economic and social activities. The main stages of the implementation of Directive 2008/56/EC include: 1) adoption of national legislation and designation the authority or authorities competent for the implementation of this Directive; 2) initial assessment of the current environmental status of marine waters; determine good environmental status for marine waters and establishment environmental targets and associated indicators; establishment of monitoring program for the development of ongoing assessment and regular updating purposes; 3) development programme of measures to achieve good environmental status.Focus is on methodological questions related to a common understanding of the technical and scientific implications of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. In particular, one of the objectives of the strategy is the development of non-legally binding and practical documents, such as co-financing of MSFD measures.Conclusions. The cooperation towards the setting up of the Common Maritime Agenda is a bottom-up process between the participating countries, with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders. Participation in the activities which will be undertaken under this cooperation remains voluntary, depending on the needs to be addressed and as appropriate.

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