title: Assessment of marine ecosystem services indicators: Experiences and lessons learned from 14 European case studies.
abstract: This article shares the experiences, observations, and discussions that occurred during the completing of an ecosystem services (ES) indicator framework to be used at European Union (EU) and Member States' level. The experience base was drawn from 3 European research projects and 14 associated case study sites that include 13 transitional-water bodies (specifically 8 coastal lagoons, 4 riverine estuaries, and 1 fjord) and 1 coastal-water ecosystem. The ES pertinent to each case study site were identified along with indicators of these ES and data sources that could be used for mapping. During the process, several questions and uncertainties arose, followed by discussion, leading to these main lessons learned: 1) ES identification: Some ES that do not seem important at the European scale emerge as relevant at regional or local scales; 2) ES indicators: When direct indicators are not available, proxies for indicators (indirect indicators) might be used, including combined data on monitoring requirements imposed by EU legislation and international agreements; 3) ES mapping: Boundaries and appropriate data spatial resolution must be established because ES can be mapped at different temporal and spatial scales. We also acknowledge that mapping and assessment of ES supports the dialogue between human well-being and ecological status. From an evidence-based marine planning-process point of view, mapping and assessment of marine ES are of paramount importance to sustainable use of marine natural capital and to halt the loss of marine biodiversity. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:726-734. © 2016 SETAC.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal. lillebo@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lillebø
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Somma
authors.affiliation: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Kristineberg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norén
authors.affiliation: Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Planning & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: M Fátima
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Institute for Geosciences, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ballarini
authors.affiliation: Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bentes
authors.affiliation: Department of Coastal Engineering and Dynamics, Institute of Hydro-Engineering of Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bielecka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Coastal Systems Study, Atlantic Branch of PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kaliningrad, Russia.
authors.forename: Boris V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Chubarenko
authors.affiliation: Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heise
authors.affiliation: Department of Theoretical Meteorology and Weather Forecasts, Odessa State Environmental University, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Valeriy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khokhlov
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Agios Kosmas, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klaoudatos
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.|The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lloret
authors.affiliation: National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Margonski
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Atucha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.affiliation: Spatial Planning Unit, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matczak
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Amy Mp
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oen
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.affiliation: Project Management Centre, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Przedrzymirska
authors.affiliation: Department of Coastal Engineering and Dynamics, Institute of Hydro-Engineering of Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Różyński
authors.affiliation: Biology Department & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Planning & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lisa P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanology and Marine Nature Management, Odessa State Environmental University, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Yurii
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tuchkovenko
authors.affiliation: Spatial Planning Unit, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaucha
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D058735:Environmental Policy; D063366:Estuaries; D005062:European Union
keywords: Biodiversity strategy; Common International Classification for Ecosystem Services (CICES); Ecosystem-based management; Spatial planning; Transitional waters