Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6359059 | Marine Pollution Bulletin | 2013 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Oceanography
Authors
Angel Borja, Mike Elliott, Jesper H. Andersen, Ana C. Cardoso, Jacob Carstensen, João G. Ferreira, Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, João C. Marques, João M. Neto, Heliana Teixeira, Laura Uusitalo, MarÃa C. Uyarra, Nikolaos Zampoukas,