Laurent Guérin1, Maider Plaza Morlote1, José Manuel González-Irusta2, Anna Justina Lizińska3
1Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), France - 2Instituto Español de Oceanografía (CNIEO-CSIC), Spain - 3University of Gdansk, Poland
The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to implement integrated ecosystem-based and risk-based approaches, to manage anthropogenic pressures on the marine environment within European Union waters. Through work developed within scientific projects and works within the North-East Atlantic Regional Seas Convention (OSPAR), several indicators were designed to assess marine biodiversity and integrate methods to combine them. Three current benthic habitat indicators have been adopted to contribute to the OSPAR 2023 Quality Status Report. The key messages from the indicator results and habitat status assessments have been summarised for each of the five OSPAR Regions, including a comprehensive evaluation of confidence. The availability of data and the limited access to high-resolution pressure data from anthropogenic activities present a key challenge to assessing benthic ecosystems. Currently, there are large areas with very limited or no monitoring data. Pressure-state-impact relationships, particularly about exposure levels and the recovery of some sensitive habitats, are not always well understood, thus affecting the levels of confidence. Integration methods provide perspectives towards a more efficient and complete assessment of benthic habitats, against various pressure types. These integration methods do not only integrate biodiversity-related indicators but also provide a mechanism to strengthen and improve confidence in indicator assessment, where prior information is missing or expert judgment is used. Its specific development under science-policy coordination enables the identification of specific knowledge gaps and progress to be made toward more efficient and applied guidance to ecosystem management.
Biography
Laurent Guérin is a marine ecology scientist notably involved in international work on benthic habitats and non-indigenous species. He and his teams have also been involved in and supporting the implementation of marine European directives, like the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for 17 years. Scientific and technical work is also done through the Regional Seas (OSPAR and UNEP-MAP) committees.