Good Environmental Status of marine ecosystems: what is it and how do we know when we have attained it?
The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires EU Member States (MS) to achieve Good Environmental Status (GEnS) of their seas by 2020. We address the question of what GEnS entails especially with regard to the level at which targets are set (descriptors, criteria, indicators), to scales for assessments (regional, sub-divisions, site-specific), and to difficulties in putting into practice the GEnS concept. We propose a refined and operational definition of GEnS, indicating the data and information needed to all parts of that definition. We indicate the options for determining when GEnS has been met, acknowledge the data and information needs for each option, and recommend a combination of existing quantitative targets and expert judgement. We think that the MSFD implementation needs to be less complex than shown for other similar directives, can be based largely on existing data and can be centred on the activities of the Regional Seas Conventions.
AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain. Electronic address: aborja@azti.es.
Angel
A
Borja
Mike
M
Elliott
Jesper H
JH
Andersen
Ana C
AC
Cardoso
Jacob
J
Carstensen
João G
JG
Ferreira
Anna-Stiina
AS
Heiskanen
João C
JC
Marques
João M
JM
Neto
Heliana
H
Teixeira
Laura
L
Uusitalo
María C
MC
Uyarra
Nikolaos
N
Zampoukas
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058735:Environmental Policy; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Assessment; Descriptors; Good Environmental Status; Indicators; Integration; Marine Strategy Framework Directive