AMP Toolbox

Scientific data and knowledge (from ecological and socioeconomic perspectives) are necessary to deliver advice on a variety of issues with the overall aim of sustainable management of the Mediterranean and Black Sea ecosystems and the services they provide. Nevertheless, decision makers in these regions are faced with considerable knowledge gaps.

The objective of the “Regional Assessments” is to make the region-specific knowledge created within PERSEUS project available for potential policy-makers. The assessments include:

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 6.1

• Title
Presentation of Stakeholder Platforms

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Relevant to all steps
Key Activity-Involve experts and stakeholders

• Purpose
To present the “strategic framework” (i.e. context, content, purpose, preparation and functions) developed to build the stakeholder platforms within the PERSEUS project.

• Overview
To assist (support) decision- and policy-makers in facilitating and preparing the future implementation of adaptive policies and management schemes, the AMP Toolbox has been created. The toolbox will be developed and tested within Stakeholder Platforms (SHPs) at two levels: (i) in the four PERSEUS Pilot Cases (West Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean, East Mediterranean, and Western Black Sea); and, (ii) at Southern European Seas basin level (Mediterranean and Black Sea basins). The members of Stakeholder Platforms provide their point of view about the toolbox in terms of (1) general opinion, (2) needs and expectations, (3) advices, feedbacks and constructive comments.



• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 6.3

• Title
Preliminary report on expectations and needs of the end users of the AMP Toolbox at sub-basin Pilot Cases and Southern European Seas levels

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Relevant to all steps
Key Activity-Involve experts and stakeholders

• Purpose
To present the methodology used for and analyze the results of the first stakeholder consultation aimed at collecting insights regarding their needs and expectations from the AMP Toolbox.

• Overview
This deliverable aims at presenting, analysing, and synthesizing the stakeholders’ needs and expectations regarding the PERSEUS Adaptive Marine Policy (AMP) Toolbox. It presents the methodology used for and analyses the results of the first stakeholder consultation aimed at collecting insights regarding their needs and expectations from the APF.

Therefore deliverable D6.3 addresses the methodological approach and the collaborative process (Section 1), as well as the synthesis of the preliminary results of the first stakeholder consultation (Section 2).

Section 1 focuses on the collaborative framework and on the launching of the stakeholder platforms (SHPs), both at the Southern European Seas (SES) level and in the pilot cases. This section addresses the setting and follow-up of the SHPs (stakeholder database), the purpose and methodology of stakeholder mapping, the stakeholder consultation by online questionnaire and face-to-face interviews, and the stakeholder meetings with the members of the Advisory Board (AB) which gathers ‘SES stakeholders’. Section 2 focuses on preliminary results of the first stakeholder consultations.

Finally, the first stakeholder consultations and the participatory meetings allowed the stakeholders to get to know each other better and to sharing their respective needs and expectations. It allowed for the examination of local governance of maritime affairs and the existing schemes of coastal management, at the pilot case scales and in each country, in terms of organisation, which was a prerequisite to go further into depth regarding the policy-oriented aspects of the project.


• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s milestone 17

• Title
Identification of the socio-economic issues to be treated within PERSEUS

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To update and prioritize the main environmental risks within the Mediterranean and Black Seas in relation to each of the 11 GES descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

• Overview
Through a methodological process of gap and impact analyses, PERSEUS has updated and prioritized the main environmental risks in relation to each of the 11 GES descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The main environmental risks of not achieving GES in the Mediterranean and Black Seas both in environmental and socio-economic terms were determined. Furthermore, a risk‐analyses on each risk was conducted in the four sub-regions: Western-, Central-, Eastern‐Mediterranean and Black Sea; as well as in case studies selected to test the Adaptive Marine Policy Toolbox.

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 2.1

• Title
Identification of pressures and their impacts on coastal ecosystems and gap analysis

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To provide the key findings on the relationships between human activities/pressures and the environment/changes in the state of the environment/impacts on the ecosystem in selected coastal areas as well as to identify the main gaps (both in data and in knowledge)

• Overview
This deliverable provides the key findings on the relationships between human activities/pressures and the environment/changes in the state of the environment/impacts on the ecosystem in selected coastal areas as well as identifies the main gaps (both in data and in knowledge). In order to facilitate the integration of the collected data, the deliverable has been structured over four main regions/subregions. The deliverable also presents a synthetic section as a preliminary attempt to distil what from the collected information is really relevant and should be used for the design of future actions. To this end, the GES descriptors and associated criteria and indicators indicated in the MSFD have been utilized.

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 2.2

• Title
Preliminary identification of pressures of the coastal seas in socio-economic terms Gap Analysis on data and knowledge

• Relevant Step and Key Activity Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present the results of the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine coastal ecosystems of the Mediterranean- and the Black Sea.

• Overview
This deliverable presents the results of the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine coastal ecosystems of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The analysis was based on the main marine sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture, maritime transport and ports, recreational activities and coastal tourism, submarine cable and pipeline operations and marine hydrocarbon (oil and gas) extraction as well as on the main land-based activities impacting the coastal- and marine environment.

This work synthesizes the identification of human pressures with their impact on coastal ecosystems, both forming a preliminary step to the design of a programme of measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES). Methods have been adapted from guidance issued for the MSFD implementation. The work presents the first economic and social analysis of this kind carried out at regional and sub-regional levels. It also attempted to assess the cost of degradation due to differences between the present environmental status and the GES to be achieved. Another innovative feature is that human activities impacting coastal waters were distinguished as far as possible from those impacting open waters, which start at a depth beyond 200m. This approach is in coherence with the distinctive characteristics of these two categories of ecosystems but raises difficulties due to lack of data and its limited relevance when designing programmes of measures, which are rather framed by the jurisdictional responsibilities. The gap analysis showed that parts of the required data to perform these assessments are missing, or not publicly available, especially those needed to assess value added and employment wages.,

Pressures in socio-economic terms on Coastal areas in pilot cases 

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 2.3

• Title
Assessment of pressures impacting the environment of the WP6 Pilot cases in socio-economic terms

• Relevant Step and Key Activity Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems of four pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Northern Adriatic, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea.

• Overview
This report presents the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems of four pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Northern Adriatic, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea. The analysis has been conducted on the main marine sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture, maritime transport and ports, recreational activities and coastal tourism, submarine cable and pipeline operations and marine hydrocarbon (oil and gas) extraction as well as on the main land-based activities impacting the coastal- and marine environment.

This work synthesizes the identification of human pressures with their impact on coastal ecosystems, both forming a preliminary step to the design of a programme of measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES). Methods for the socioeconomic assessment have been adapted from guidance issued for the MSFD implementation. The work presents the first economic and social analysis of this kind carried out at regional and sub-regional levels. Also, an attempt was made to assess the cost of degradation due to differences between the present environmental status and the GES to be achieved. Another innovative feature is that human activities impacting coastal waters were distinguished as far as possible from those impacting open waters, which start at a depth beyond 200m. This approach is in coherence with the distinctive characteristics of these two categories of ecosystems but raises difficulties due to lack of data and its limited relevance when designing programmes of measures, which are rather framed by the jurisdictional responsibilities. The gap analysis showed that parts of the required data to perform these assessments are missing, or not publicly available, especially those needed to assess value added and employment wages, even though the initial assessments performed by Member States for the MSFD implementation have provided a lot of new data.


More information 

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 1.2

• Title
Pressures in the SES open waters in socio-economic terms Gap Analysis on data and knowledge

• Relevant Step and Key Activity Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present the results of the economic and social analysis of the human activities which are exerting pressures on open waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

• Overview
This deliverable presents the results of the economic and social analysis of the human activities which are exerting pressures on open waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The analysis was done using existing available data on main marine activities occurring in open waters such as fisheries, maritime transport, submarine cable and pipeline operations and marine hydrocarbon extraction.

This work compiles the identification of human pressures and their impacts on open waters carried out in parallel, both being important preparatory steps to the design of programmes of measures to achieve or maintain a good environmental status (GES). Methods have been adapted from guidance issued for the MSFD implementation. The work presents the first economic and social analysis of this kind carried out at regional and sub-regional levels. It also attempts to assess the cost of degradation due to differences between the present environmental status and the GES to be achieved. Another innovative feature is that human activities impacting coastal waters were distinguished as far as possible from those impacting open waters, starting beyond 200m depth. This approach is in coherence with the distinctive characteristics of these two categories of ecosystems but raises difficulties due to a lack of data and its limited relevance when designing programmes of measures, which are rather framed by the jurisdictional responsibilities. The gap analysis has shown that parts of the required data to perform these assessments are missing or not publicly available, especially those needed to assess value added and employment wages as well as the cost of degradation.

 

More information

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 1.3

• Title
Baseline analysis of pressures, processes and impacts on Mediterranean and Black Sea ecosystems

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present, distinctly, the main natural and anthropogenic pressures possibly impacting ecosystems in open sea (>200m).

• Overview
This report addresses the description of Southern European Seas’ (SES) ecosystem state in respect to natural and human pressures. The main risks identified in the basins of Southern European Seas are depicted on a sub-basin level. They cover most of the descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). For each of them, the most relevant natural processes, the main anthropogenic pressures, and the impacts (and potential interactions) on open-sea ecosystems are outlined, and their relevance for each sub-basin is presented based on existing knowledge and expert judgment. The growing evidence of multiple pressures acting on open-sea and deep-sea habitats, together with the scarce availability of data on impacts, call for urgent studies dedicated to assessing their effect on ecosystems.


• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 1.4

• Title
Assessment of pressures impacting the open sea environment of the WP6 Pilot cases in socio-economic terms

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine ecosystems of three of the pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea

• Overview
This report presents the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine ecosystems in three of the PERSEUS pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea. The analysis was based on the main marine sectors such as fisheries and maritime transport and ports, submarine cable and pipeline operations and marine hydrocarbon (oil and gas) extraction.

This work compiles an identification of human pressures with an assessment of their impact on marine ecosystems, both being part of a preliminary step to the design of programme of measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES). This is done in the background of the experimental implementation of an innovative Adaptive Policy Framework in these pilot cases areas. Methods for socioeconomic assessment have been adapted from guidance issued for the MSFD implementation. An attempt was also made to estimate the cost of degradation due to differences between the present environmental status and the GES to be achieved. Another innovative feature is that human activities impacting open waters, defined as those beyond 200m depth, were distinguished from those impacting coastal waters. This approach is in coherence with the distinctive characteristics of these two categories of ecosystems but raises difficulties due to a lack of data and its limited relevance when designing programmes of measures, which are rather framed by the jurisdictional responsibilities. The gap analysis has shown that parts of the required data to perform these assessments are missing or not publicly available, especially those needed to assess value added and employment wages as well as the cost of degradation, even if the initial assessments performed by Member states for the MSFD have provided a lot of new data.

• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 1.4

• Title
Assessment of pressures impacting the open sea environment of the WP6 Pilot cases in socio-economic terms

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To present the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine ecosystems of three of the pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea

• Overview
This report presents the economic and social analysis of the human activities which exert pressures on marine ecosystems in three of the PERSEUS pilot cases areas: Balearic Sea and Gulf of Lyon, Aegean Sea/Saronikos Gulf in the Mediterranean and Western Black Sea. The analysis was based on the main marine sectors such as fisheries and maritime transport and ports, submarine cable and pipeline operations and marine hydrocarbon (oil and gas) extraction.

This work compiles an identification of human pressures with an assessment of their impact on marine ecosystems, both being part of a preliminary step to the design of programme of measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES). This is done in the background of the experimental implementation of an innovative Adaptive Policy Framework in these pilot cases areas. Methods for socioeconomic assessment have been adapted from guidance issued for the MSFD implementation. An attempt was also made to estimate the cost of degradation due to differences between the present environmental status and the GES to be achieved. Another innovative feature is that human activities impacting open waters, defined as those beyond 200m depth, were distinguished from those impacting coastal waters. This approach is in coherence with the distinctive characteristics of these two categories of ecosystems but raises difficulties due to a lack of data and its limited relevance when designing programmes of measures, which are rather framed by the jurisdictional responsibilities. The gap analysis has shown that parts of the required data to perform these assessments are missing or not publicly available, especially those needed to assess value added and employment wages as well as the cost of degradation, even if the initial assessments performed by Member states for the MSFD have provided a lot of new data.

Environmental Status Assessment - Compilation of environmental status assessments 

Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 5.1

• Title
Compilation of reviewed EU marine environmental status assessments

• Relevant Step and Key Activity Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To review and compile existing information from marine environmental assessments (i.e. their set-up and organization) in order to identify the assessment elements or approaches used for the assessment of the different MSFD descriptors.

• Overview
This compilation includes a qualitative database with information on three different levels:
1. Coverage of Descriptors
2. Strategic approach per Descriptors,
3. Assessment Strategy at criteria and indicator level.
The compilation table is provided within this deliverable in an embedded Excel file to facilitate its use by other partners in further steps, not only within PERSEUS, but also by those outside PERSEUS potentially interested in these findings. Emerging issues based on outcomes of the analysis are highlighted.



• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 5.2

• Title
Identified gaps on MSFD assessment elements

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 1-Set the scene
Key Activity- Gather information and determine existing conditions

• Purpose
To identify main methodological approaches and eventual gaps in data availability and knowledge for the assessment of each descriptor.

• Overview
The research undertaken aims at the identification of methodological approaches used for marine assessments under the MSFD implementation. After identification these approaches will be compared with the approaches employed in the respective strategies of the Regional Sea Conventions for the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This will allow the identification of needs for harmonization and foster a close collaboration between these three environmental framework strategies. Therefore, the present report aims to identify the main methodological, data and knowledge gaps, as brought forward by the review conducted in deliverable 5.1 (i.e. Compilation of reviewed EU marine environmental status assessments).

List of issues at risk of non-achievement of Good Environmental Status (GES) and scenarios to be modelled 

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Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 6.2

• Title
Preliminary list of issues at risk of non-achievement of the GES and scenarios to be modelled

• Relevant Step and Key Activity Step 1-Set the scene, Activity- Develop Scenarios and perform Risk analysis
Step 3-Make the policy robust, Activity- Develop Scenarios and perform Risk analysis

• Purpose
To identify and describe present environmental issues and potential future ones that could affect the policies, in order to make them more robust.

• Overview
The setting of the scene looks into two directions: it aims at screening potential environmental issues at stake at present when starting the process of definiing management policies for the achievement of the Good Environmental Status (GES) in marine waters, and second, it considers potential future developments for the years 2020-2030.

Environmental issues are screened with respect to the descriptors used by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for the Definition of GES.

The results of this preliminary screening reveal specific issues in some marine areas with regards to eutrophication, overfishing, biodiversity loss, and, in some areas, invasive species and marine litters. Chemical pollution appears problematic at some points along the southern coast of the Mediterranean, whereas a check of the remaining criteria yielded less worrying situations, albeit in some cases still problematic. Noise is an emerging physical disturbance of particular concern in the Southern European Seas.

The exploration of possible future developments of the area of the SESs was based on the analysis of existing scenarios and formulated outlines for future scenarios following two main dimensions of potential changes: i) political and economic convergence across the basin and ii) policy reactivity in environmental management. The result consists, apart from a baseline (BAU) scenario, of four scenarios depicting images of an either unified or heterogeneous political and economic area around the two basins and describes consequences of connected economic and environmental policies for different economic sectors relevant for the use of marine ecosystem services.

Recommendations for European long-term strategy on sustained observations in Southern European Seas 


• Type of document
PERSEUS project´s deliverable 3.11

• Title
Recommendation for European long-term strategy on sustained observations in Southern European Seas

• Relevant Step and Key Activity
Step 3 (Make the policy robust) and 4 (Implement the policy)
Key Activity- Design and implement a monitoring plan

• Purpose
To integrate existing long-term observation strategies in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, with international strategies for other seas and oceans.

• Overview
An essential element of the PERSEUS strategy is the integration of existing and new data sets, using the structures already available through other initiatives (SeaDataNet, GMES, national systems) and applying a truly open data access policy that will remove barriers and ease access to the whole scientific and operational community. The goal is to maximise the exploitation and impact of data for both generation of new knowledge and sustained operations and downstream services.

The work will analyse the strategies of: a) GOOS implementation in the Southern European Seas based on the work of MedGOOS, MOON and Black Sea GOOS; b) other European regional seas (Baltic, North Sea, Atlantic), taking into account the work or relevant networks and agencies such as the regional networks of EuroGOOS (NOOS, BOOS), and the regional conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM) as well as other relevant bodies such as BONUS; c) main European initiatives such as EMODNET and the GMES in situ component; d) international global coordination programs and in particular with GOOS, GCOS, GEOSS etc.); and, e) large national programs such IMOS of Australia and IOOS of US. The goal is to develop a strategy for the Southern European Seas aligned and coordinated with all relevant initiatives in order to avoid duplication of efforts and simultaneously maximise efficiency and impact.