Theme Session P
How to hit an uncertain, moving target: achieving Good Environmental Status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Conveners: Graham Pierce (UK), Mark Tasker (UK), Antonina dos Santos (Portugal)
24 September 10:00 – 12:00, Nørrebros Rundel, DGI Byen
Theme session P will feature papers and topics related to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the implementation of which has become an increasingly important driver of marine science across Europe, with marine ecosystem status assessed, good environmental status defined, status indicators developed, and monitoring programmes designed. Future challenges include developing the management tools to guide the bringing in of measures and to monitor their success.
While several stages of MSFD implementation are complete in principle, many issues still need to be resolved, and many scientific questions have arisen. Key topics to be addressed during this session include definitions of good environmental status (given that pristine conditions have not existed in living memory), the choice of indicators for the likes of non-indigenous species, coping with uncertainty, accounting for climate change effects, and managing measures to mitigate human activity impact.
The session has a wide-ranging scope, with many ICES science and advice working groups, strategic initiatives, and steering groups connected to its contents.
Links to steering groups
Links to strategic initiatives
ACOM/SCICOM Strategic Initiative on Biodiversity Science and Advice (SIBAS)
Links to expert groups
Additionally, all integrated assessment groups relevant to EU waters (such as the Baltic Sea and North Sea).
Links within the ASC
SCICOM Open Session: Marine ecosystem baselines as the basis for reference points
Theme Session N - Seafloor habitat mapping: from observation to management