Document type
Journal articles
Document subtype
Full paper
Title
Assessment level and time scales of biodiversity indicators in the scope of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive – A case study for the NE Atlantic
Participants in the publication
Inês Machado (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
José Lino Costa (Author)
Dep. Biologia Animal
MARE
Miguel Costa Leal (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Dep. Biologia Animal
MARE
Stéphanie Pasquaud (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Henrique Cabral (Author)
MARE
Summary
European Union Member States have made an unprecedent effort to implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). However, the coherent assessment of Europe’s marine waters and Good Environmental Status by 2020 has not yet been achieved. This work analysed the implementation level and time scales used to report biodiversity criteria in the 1st MSFD cycle for two Biogeographic Regions: the Celtic Seas and the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Platform. Results were compared across Biogeographic Regions, Marine Sub-units, Criteria, and Biological Groups to assess congruency and integration possibilities. Reporting level was significantly different among Marine Sub-units within the same Biogeographic Region and country. France and Spain showed the highest implementation level and focused on criteria included in Biodiversity (1) and Food-Webs (4) Descriptors, while Ireland mostly reported Commercial Fish and Shellfish (3). Fish, Rocky and Biogenic Reefs and Sedimentary Habitat were the most reported Groups. Heterogeneous data was recorded for temporal scales used to report Groups and Criteria among Marine Sub-units within the same region, showing that each MS is working individually. Average temporal range used for reporting was wider in French Bay of Biscay, particularly for Marine turtles’ Group, Food-web Criteria (Descriptor 4), and Ecosystem structure criteria (1.7). Ireland presented consistently shorter temporal data sets focusing on Commercial Fish and Shellfish descriptor (3) and Fish Group. To enable the direct comparisons and integration of MSFD results, the use of historical and opportunistic data should be discouraged, the reporting timeframe of existing monitoring datasets (beginning/end) should be synchronized at regional level, and targeted habitats/species should be decided and prioritized regionally. This work pinpoints MSFD gaps and provides inputs for an improved 2nd implementation cycle, particularly in what concerns temporal scales used for reporting.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n
Editor(s)
J.C. Marques
Date of Submisson/Request
2018-11-02
Date of Acceptance
2019-05-24
Date of Publication
2019-06-15
Institution
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Where published
Ecological Indicators
Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 1470-160X
Address
RADARWEG 29, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, 1043 NX
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Number of pages
11
Starting page
242
Last page
253
Document Identifiers
DOI -
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.05.067
URL -
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.05.067
Rankings
CITESCORE Q1 (2018) - 97 - Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
SCIMAGO Q1 (2018) - 1.352 - Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Decision Sciences: Decision Sciences (miscellaneous); Environmental Science, Ecology
Web Of Science Q1 (2018) - 4.490 - Environmental Sciences | Biodiversity Conservation | Environment/Ecology
SCIMAGO Q1 (2019) - 1.331 - Ecology
Keywords
MSFD
Reporting Level
Temporal scale
Biogeographic Region
Monitoring
cooperation
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