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Abstract by the authors: Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most common types of plastic. Whilst an increasing share of post-consumer plastic waste from Europe is collected for recycling, 46% of separated PE waste is exported outside of the source country (including intra-EU trade). The fate of this exported European plastic is not well known. This study integrated data on PE waste flows in 2017 from UN Comtrade, an open repository providing detailed international trade data, with best available information on waste management in destination countries, to model the fate of PE exported for recycling from Europe (EU-28, Norway and Switzerland) into: recycled high-density PE (HDPE) and low-density PE (LDPE) resins, “landfill”, incineration and ocean debris. Data uncertainty was reflected in three scenarios representing high, low and average recovery efficiency factors in material recovery facilities and reprocessing facilities, and different ocean debris fate factors. The fates of exported PE were then linked back to the individual European countries of export. Our study estimated that 83,187 Mg (tonnes) (range: 32,115–180,558 Mg), or 3% (1–7%) of exported European PE in 2017 ended up in the ocean, indicating an important and hitherto undocumented pathway of plastic debris entering the oceans. The countries with the greatest percentage of exported PE ending up as recycled HDPE or LDPE were Luxembourg and Switzerland (90% recycled for all scenarios), whilst the country with the lowest share of exported PE being recycled was the United Kingdom (59–80%, average 69% recycled). The results showed strong, significant positive relationships between the percentage of PE exported out of Europe and the percentage of exports which potentially end up as ocean debris. Export countries may not be the ultimate countries of origin owing to complex intra-EU trade in PE waste. Although somewhat uncertain, these mass flows provide pertinent new evidence on the efficacy and risks of current plastic waste management practices pertinent to emerging regulations around trade in plastic waste, and to the development of a more circular economy.
Abstract by the authors: Despite its remoteness, marine plastic pollution is a significant environmental problem in the Arctic. In Svalbard, for example, plastics are found on the shorelines, in the water column, on the ocean floor and in the ice. Organisms have been observed to be entangled in nets and ingestion of plastics has been documented in a range of organisms. Notably almost all Arctic bird species have been found to have ingested plastic, with Northern fulmars being particularly affected, with 89 % of samples recorded as having ingested plastic. Identification and valuation of ecosystem services affected by marine plastic pollution can provide input for decision makers in evaluating and comparing management policies concerning this unique environment. This study employs the contingent valuation method (CVM) for eliciting the willingness to pay (WTP) of Norwegian households for reducing marine plastic pollution around the archipelago of Svalbard. An Integrated Choice and Latent Variable model (ICLV) is employed to explore attitudinal determinants of WTP. We find an average WTP for an initiative to reduce marine plastics of NOK 5,485 (USD 642) per household per year. The ICLV results reveal that people who are relatively more concerned about marine plastic pollution and who deem the proposed initiative effective are willing to pay more (up to 85 % and 50 %, respectively). The use of ICLV models in CVM and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Abstract by the authors: Despite an exponential increase in available data on marine plastic debris globally, information on levels and trends of plastic pollution and especially microplastics in the Arctic remains scarce. The few available peer-reviewed scientific works, however, point to a ubiquitous distribution of plastic particles in all environmental compartments, including sea ice. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the sources, distribution, transport pathways and fate of meso- and microplastics with a focus on the European Arctic and discuss observed and projected impacts on biota and ecosystems.
Abstract by the authors: Plastic litter is accumulating on pristine northern European beaches, including the European Arctic, and questions remain about the exact origins and sources. Here we investigate plausible fishery and consumer-related sources of beach littering, using a combination of information from expert stakeholder discussions, litter observations and a quantitative tool - a drift model - for forecasting and backtracking likely pathways of pollution. The numerical experiments were co-designed together with practice experts. The drift model itself was forced by operational ocean current, wave and weather forecasts. The model results were compared to a database of marine litter on beaches, collected every year according to the standardized monitoring program of the Oslo/Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR). By comparing the heterogeneous beach observations to the model simulations, we are able to highlight probable sources. Two types of plastic are considered in the simulations: floating plastic litter and submerged, buoyant microplastics. We find that the model simulations are plausible in terms of the potential sources and the observed plastic litter. Our analysis results in identifiable sources of plastic waste found on each beach, providing a basis for stakeholder actions.
Abstract by the authors: Neuston samples were collected with a Manta trawl in the rim of the Arctic Ocean, in the Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea at eleven coastal and open-sea locations. All samples contained plastics identified by FTIR microscopy. Altogether, 110 microplastics pieces were classified according to size, shape, and polymer type. The concentrations at the locations were generally low (x̅ = 0.06, SD ± 0.04 particles m−3) as compared to previous observations. The highest concentrations were found towards the Arctic Ocean, while those in the Baltic Sea were generally low. The most abundant polymer type was polyethylene. Detected particle types were mainly fragments. The number of films and fibers was very low. The mean particle size was 2.66 mm (SD ± 1.55 mm). Clustering analyses revealed that debris compositions in the sea regions had characteristic differences possibly reflecting the dependences between compositions, drifting distances, sinking rates, and local oceanographic conditions.
Abstract by the authors: Marine litter affects various habitats across the world. This review focuses on the Adriatic region, considering the presence of marine litter as well as microplastics (mPs) and macroplastics (MPs) in different environments (water, beach, seabed and biota). Data from 53 scientific papers were critically analysed, providing a snapshot of this type of contamination, and evidencing critical issues. The final part of the review provides considerations on spatial and temporal trends, comparing data with the available information provided by transport forecasting models. It emerges that the most investigated areas are those most subjected to the contribution of rivers, tourism or have the greatest relevance to nature conservation. Our analysis also reveals that, even though many international research projects have played a fundamental role in the creation of shared methods and protocols, currently available data are difficult to compare. Nevertheless, our results enhance knowledge of the state of the art in the research carried out so far, and on the situation regarding pollution due to the marine litter in the Adriatic Sea, as well as highlighting avenues for future investigation.
Abstract by the authors: This study reviews existing legal, institutional and policy tools and frameworks, relevant to the introduction and adoption of new marine litter clean-up technologies in two regional European seas, the Mediterranean and the Baltic. A combination of desk studies in six countries bordering the Baltic (Estonia, Germany, Sweden) and the Mediterranean (Greece, Italy, Tunisia), and interviews with experts and stakeholders, is used to identify key drivers and barriers to the adoption and diffusion of marine litter technologies. The main conclusion of the study is that the most influential pieces of legislation relevant to marine litter management are top-down EU policies, often forming the basis of regional and national plans. Moreover, the study finds that several drivers of marine litter technologies may at the same time be critical barriers. These factors include public awareness, consumer behaviour, enforcement of legislation, and the rise of SMEs engaged in recycling and eco-labelling of marine litter.
Abstract by the authors: As plastic waste accumulates in the ocean at alarming rates, the need for efficient and sustainable remediation solutions is urgent. One solution is the development and mobilization of technologies that either 1) prevent plastics from entering waterways or 2) collect marine and riverine plastic pollution. To date, however, few reports have focused on these technologies, and information on various technological developments is scattered. This leaves policymakers, innovators, and researchers without a central, comprehensive, and reliable source of information on the status of available technology to target this global problem. The goal of this study was to address this gap by creating a comprehensive inventory of technologies currently used or in development to prevent the leakage of plastic pollution or collect existing plastic pollution. Our Plastic Pollution Prevention and Collection Technology Inventory (https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/plastics-technology-inventory) can be used as a roadmap for researchers and governments to 1) facilitate comparisons between the scope of solutions and the breadth and severity of the plastic pollution problem and 2) assist in identifying strengths and weaknesses of current technological approaches. We created this inventory from a systematic search and review of resources that identified technologies. Technologies were organized by the type of technology and target plastics (i.e., macroplastics, microplastic, or both). We identified 52 technologies that fall into the two categories of prevention or collection of plastic pollution. Of these, 59% focus specifically on collecting macroplastic waste already in waterways. While these efforts to collect plastic pollution are laudable, their current capacity and widespread implementation are limited in comparison to their potential and the vast extent of the plastic pollution problem. Similarly, few technologies attempt to prevent plastic pollution leakage, and those that do are limited in scope. A comprehensive approach is needed that combines technology, policymaking, and advocacy to prevent further plastic pollution and the subsequent damage to aquatic ecosystems and human health.
Abstract by the authors: Since the environmental pollution by microplastics is a relatively new area of research, the main problem is the lack of appropriate rules, regulations and parameters globally. Therefore, the sources of primary and secondary microplastics particles vary from source to source, and due to this the difference in the division of microplastic particles by size arises too. Moreover, various techniques and technologies are used when testing seawater and sediment as well. Ultimately, with different qualities of the obtained results, it leads to difficult and/or inadequate comparison. Furthermore, the research has been mainly conducted on smaller marine organisms, which needs to be extended to other larger organisms as well as to the human population to create a complete image of the negative effects of contamination of the marine food chain and the marine environment with microplastic particles in general.
Abstract by the authors: Die Verunreinigung von Salz‐ und Süßwassersystemen durch Kunststoffe und insbesondere Mikroplastik (MP) stellt ein weltweites ökologisches Problem dar. Zahlreiche Studien beschäftigten sich mit dem Vorkommen von MP, der Wechselwirkung mit Schadstoffen, der Aufnahme durch aquatische Organismen und den daraus resultierenden Wirkungen. Dieser Aufsatz behandelt die wichtigsten Fragen in Bezug auf MP in aquatischen Systemen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt hierbei auf: 1) der Beschreibung der analytischen Methoden zur Probenahme, Aufbereitung, Identifikation und Quantifizierung von MP sowie deren Anwendbarkeit, Zuverlässigkeit und den benötigten Verbesserungen; 2) einer Abschätzung des MP‐Vorkommens sowie möglicher Hindernisse bei der Vergleichbarkeit unterschiedlicher Studien; 3) einer Zusammenfassung der bekannten Literatur zur Aufnahme von MP durch Organismen. Anschließend werden vorhandene Wissenslücken aufgezeigt, mögliche Strategien zur Bewertung der Umweltgefährdung vorgeschlagen und Perspektiven zur Reduzierung von MP in aquatischen Ökosystemen diskutiert. Die Anreicherung von Mikroplastik (MP) in Gewässern wird zunehmend als Problem erkannt. Da MP nicht effektiv aus den aquatischen Ökosystemen entfernbar ist, müssen Risiken abgeschätzt und adäquate Strategien zur Vermeidung eines Umwelteintrags entwickelt werden. Dieser Aufsatz fasst den aktuellen Zustand der mit MP assoziierten Probleme zusammen, und es werden mögliche Strategien zur Bewertung der Umweltgefährdung sowie Perspektiven zur MP‐Reduzierung diskutiert.
Abstract by the authors: Mining is one of the most impacting human activities on both terrestrial and marine environments due to the processing of ores and consequent production of large amount of waste materials. This research considered a sediment core from the marine coastal zone of the former Sulcis-Iglesiente mining district (SW Sardinia, Italy) where changes of benthic foraminiferal assemblages were studied along the last 4500 years and assessed in relation with grain size and heavy metals by means of multivariate statistical techniques. While sediment texture did not record changes of the depositional environment, foraminiferal assemblages showed modification correlated with the increasing pollution load due to mining. Although two epifaunal grazing species, Rosalina bradyi and Asterigerinata mamilla, proved to be resilient to heavy metal contamination, a faunal change characterized the transition from ancient unpolluted sediments to younger polluted ones. It consisted in the increase of free grazing taxa at the expense of permanently attached suspension feeders, associated to a general decline of the absolute abundance. Then, absolute foraminiferal abundance was demonstrated to be reliable proxy for assessment of environmental status in heavy metal polluted environments. This research suggests the usefulness of creating a specific index based on absolute abundance for the application of benthic foraminifera in the environmental assessment of metal polluted marine areas.
Abstract by the authors: Ecological risk assessment for deep-sea mining is challenging, given the data-poor state of knowledge of deep-sea ecosystem structure, process, and vulnerability. Polling and a scale-intensity-consequence approach (SICA) were used in an expert elicitation survey to rank risk sources and perceived vulnerabilities of habitats associated with seabed nodule, sulfide, and crust mineral resources. Experts identified benthic habitats associated with seabed minerals as most vulnerable to habitat removal with a high degree of certainty. Resource-associated benthic and pelagic habitats were also perceived to be at risk from plumes generated during mining activities, although there was not always consensus regarding vulnerabilities to specific risk sources from different types of plumes. Even for risk sources where habitat vulnerability measures were low, high uncertainties suggest that these risks may not yet be dismissed. Survey outcomes also underscore the need for risk assessment to progress from expert opinion with low certainty to data-rich and ecosystem-relevant scientific research assessments to yield much higher certainty. This would allow for design and deployment of effective precautionary and mitigation efforts in advance of commercial exploitation, and adaptive management strategies would allow for regulatory and guideline modifications in response to new knowledge and greater certainty.
Abstract by the authors: Deep seabed mining is a major new intersection of human enterprise and deep-ocean ecosystems. This paper reviews the concept and process for a holistic approach to planning environmental management in the deep sea based on Strategic Environmental Goals and Objectives. Strategic planning around the environment can establish a vision for the future condition of the ocean floor for which the International Seabed Authority (ISA) can draw on a wealth of precedents and experience. By engaging stakeholders and applying current knowledge of deep ecosystems, the ISA can build meaningful strategic environmental goals and objectives that give guidance to its own operation and those of its contractors. This framework builds understanding of the organization’s aspirations at global, regional and contractor levels. Herein, some examples are suggested, but we focus on the process. To operationalize these goals and objectives, progress must be measurable; thus, targets are set, reports are assessed, and appropriate responses are awarded. Many management tools and actions are applicable for achieving environmental goals. To date, the ISA has considered marine spatial planning largely around the current exploration contract blocks. Other elements of environmental management, including the requirements for baseline studies, impact assessment, post-impact monitoring and the treatment of harmful effects and serious harm need to be implemented to support well-defined environmental goals and objectives. We suggest that this planning be executed for scales larger than individual blocks, through a Strategic Environmental Management Plan, to ensure sustainable use of ocean resources across the Area.
Abstract by the authors: Global warming is one of the most significant issues of today. Carbon dioxide is the primary contributor to climate change, and is mainly formed by the energy sector; thus, it is imperative to expand the total decarbonisation of this industry. Another global concern is the high demand and low supply of critical metals due to the constant growth of technological advances. These elements are essential for the manufacturing of advanced technology, green technology, and emerging industries. Currently, there is global tension and unrest over how the critical metals market is developing, with one example regarding China, which has an apparent monopoly on the mining, refining, and technical expertise associated with rare earth elements. China currently provides approximately 90% of the production of rare earth elements, causing conflicts with the European Union, the USA, and Japan due to their dependence on these raw materials. Another controversial case is the production of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which dominates in the global production (60% of the world’s production of Co). Despite this, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world. The constant depletion of high-grade minerals from the Earth's surface forces the search for new alternative sources of the critical metals. The abundance of minerals within the sea is of relevance, with large deposits of marine nodules, ferromanganese crusts, and massive polymetallic sulphides. These are of great interest to the mining industry, as it is estimated that the largest reserves of various critical metals are found on the seabed, in addition to the largest reserves of cobalt, nickel, and manganese, and a considerable amount of rare earth elements. The exploitation of mineral resources from the seabed by the company Deep Sea Mining Finance Limited (DSMF) is currently being developed, which might promote the expansion of this market throughout the world. The wealth of minerals in the seabed may be a solution to the shortage of critical metals in the market, may decrease political tensions between countries worldwide, and may promote the large-scale deployment of renewable energy.
Abstract by the authors: Scientific misconceptions are likely leading to miscalculations of the environmental impacts of deep-seabed mining. These result from underestimating mining footprints relative to habitats targeted and poor understanding of the sensitivity, biodiversity, and dynamics of deep-sea ecosystems. Addressing these misconceptions and knowledge gaps is needed for effective management of deep-seabed mining.
Abstract by the authors: Deep-sea mining (DSM) may become a significant stressor on the marine environment. The DSM industry should demonstrate transparently its commitment to preventing serious harm to the environment by complying with legal requirements, using environmental good practice, and minimizing environmental impacts. Here existing environmental management approaches relevant to DSM that can be used to improve performance are identified and detailed. DSM is still predominantly in the planning stage and will face some unique challenges but there is considerable environmental management experience in existing related industries. International good practice has been suggested for DSM by bodies such as the Pacific Community and the International Marine Minerals Society. The inherent uncertainty in DSM presents challenges, but it can be addressed by collection of environmental information, area-based/spatial management, the precautionary approach and adaptive management. Tools exist for regional and strategic management, which have already begun to be introduced by the International Seabed Authority, for example in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Project specific environmental management, through environmental impact assessment, baseline assessment, monitoring, mitigation and environmental management planning, will be critical to identify and reduce potential impacts. In addition, extractive companies’ internal management may be optimised to improve performance by emphasising sustainability at a high level in the company, improving transparency and reporting and introducing environmental management systems. The DSM industry and its regulators have the potential to select and optimize recognised and documented effective practices and adapt them, greatly improving the environmental performance of this new industry.
Abstract by the author: An essential feature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ('UNCLOS') is the designation of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction ('the Area') as the 'common heritage of mankind', with the creation of the International Seabed Authority ('ISA') to allocate mining rights therein. The only private persons that may conclude a contract with the ISA and conduct extractive activities in the Area are those which are sponsored by their state of nationality or control. Currently, among those contractors, there are various corporations owned by nationals from states other than their sponsor. UNCLOS and its related instruments impose certain direct obligations on sponsoring states, including a duty of due diligence to ensure that deep-sea miners respect their own obligations owed to the ISA. This may require the frequent adaptation of national legislation to attain, for example, higher levels of environmental protection. This article suggests that international investment law is relevant to the relation between the contractor and its sponsoring state. Arguably the contractors' foreign shareholders are investors protected by international investment law, and deep-sea mining activities may constitute, in certain circumstances, an investment in the territory of the sponsoring state. In fact, investment tribunals have flexibly interpreted the investment treaty requirement of territoriality, upholding their jurisdiction over investments that are inclusive of transactions located beyond host state borders. However, it is unclear how international norms protecting investments might be interpreted and applied in the peculiar context provided by the common heritage of mankind.
Abstract by the authors: The article discusses about the underwater mining programs and mineral resources under the deepest ocean bed. Topics includes many of the mineral corporations like De Beers Group and Nautilus Minerals have launched underwater mining programs. United Nations has given the task of regulations for ocean mining to International Seabed Authority. Scientists divide the ocean into five layers of depth like "sunlight zone", "twilight zone", "midnight zone", "the abyss" and "hadal zone".
Abstract by the authors: Ocean acidification (OA) is a global problem with profoundly negative environmental, social and economic consequences. From a governance perspective, there is a need to ensure a coordinated effort to directly address it. This study reviews 90 legislative documents from 17 countries from the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK that primarily border the sea. The primary finding from this study is that the European national policies and legislation addressing OA is at best uncoordinated. Although OA is acknowledged at the higher levels of governance, its status as an environmental challenge is greatly diluted at the European Union Member State level. As a notable exception within the EEA, Norway seems to have a proactive approach towards legislative frameworks and research aimed towards further understanding OA. On the other hand, there was a complete lack of, or inadequate reporting in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive by the majority of the EU Member States, with the exception of Italy and the Netherlands. We argue that the problems associated with OA and the solutions needed to address it are unique and cannot be bundled together with traditional climate change responses and measures. Therefore, European OA-related policy and legislation must reflect this and tailor their actions to mitigate OA to safeguard marine ecosystems and societies. A stronger and more coordinated approach is needed to build environmental, economic and social resilience of the observed and anticipated changes to the coastal marine systems.
Abstract by the authors: Human-induced climate change such as ocean warming and acidification, threatens marine ecosystems and associated fisheries. In the Western Baltic cod stock socio-ecological links are particularly important, with many relying on cod for their livelihoods. A series of recent experiments revealed that cod populations are negatively affected by climate change, but an ecological-economic assessment of the combined effects, and advice on optimal adaptive management are still missing. For Western Baltic cod, the increase in larval mortality due to ocean acidification has experimentally been quantified. Time-series analysis allows calculating the temperature effect on recruitment. Here, we include both processes in a stock-recruitment relationship, which is part of an ecological-economic optimization model. The goal was to quantify the effects of climate change on the triple bottom line (ecological, economic, social) of the Western Baltic cod fishery. Ocean warming has an overall negative effect on cod recruitment in the Baltic. Optimal management would react by lowering fishing mortality with increasing temperature, to create a buffer against climate change impacts. The negative effects cannot be fully compensated, but even at 3 °C warming above the 2014 level, a reduced but viable fishery would be possible. However, when accounting for combined effects of ocean warming and acidification, even optimal fisheries management cannot adapt to changes beyond a warming of +1.5° above the current level. Our results highlight the need for multi-factorial climate change research, in order to provide the best available, most realistic, and precautionary advice for conservation of exploited species as well as their connected socio-economic systems.
Abstract by the authors: The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has attracted scientific inquiry for centuries due to its singular biological traits. Within the European Union, glass eel fisheries have declined sharply since 1980, from up to 2000 t (t) to 62.2 t in 2018, placing wild populations under higher risk of extinction. Among the major causes of glass eels collapse, climate change has become a growing worldwide issue, specifically ocean warming and acidification, but, to our knowledge, data on physiological and biochemical responses of glass eels to these stressors is limited. Within this context, we selected some representative biomarkers [e.g. glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), heat shock proteins (HSP70), ubiquitin (Ub) and DNA damage] to study physiological responses of the European glass eel under distinct laboratory-climate change scenarios, such as increased water temperature (+ 4 °C) and pH reduction (− 0.4 units), for 12 weeks. Overall, the antioxidant enzymatic machinery was impaired, both in the muscle and viscera, manifested by significant changes in CAT, GPx and TAC. Heat shock response varied differently between tissues, increasing with temperature in the muscle, but not in the viscera, and decreasing in both tissues under acidification. The inability of HSP to maintain functional protein conformation was responsible for boosting the production of Ub, particularly under warming and acidification, as sole stressors. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), either elicited by warming - due to increased metabolic demand - or acidification - through H+ interaction with O2−, generating H2O2 - overwhelmed defense mechanisms, causing oxidative stress and consequently leading to protein and DNA damage. Our results emphasize the vulnerability of eels' early life stages to climate change, with potential cascading consequences to adult stocks.
Abstract by the authors: Ocean acidification has the potential to negatively affect marine ecosystems by influencing the development and metabolism of key members of food webs. The garfish, Belone belone, is an ecologically important predator in European regional seas and it remains unknown how this species will be impacted by projected changes in climate. We artificially fertilized and reared garfish embryos until hatch at present (400 μatm) and future (1300 μatm) pCO2 levels within three temperature treatments, i.e. two daily warming regimes and one constant high temperature (17 °C). For the two warming treatments, embryos were fertilized at 13 °C and experienced 0.1 or 0.3 °C/day warming. The 0.1 °C/day treatment served as control: 13 °C was the in situ temperature of parental fish in the Southwest Baltic Sea and 0.1 °C/day is the average warming rate experienced by embryos of this population in nature. Survival was drastically reduced at both future pCO2 and at the constant high temperature while the highest survival in any treatment was observed at 0.3 °C/day warming. The proportion of embryos with morphological deformities increased with elevated pCO2 but not temperature. Hatch characteristics and physiological measures such as heart rate and critical thermal ranges, however, were not affected by pCO2 but were influenced by temperature. Our results suggest that garfish in the Baltic Sea will benefit from projected increased rates of spring warming but not the concomitant increase in pCO2. Previous studies on the impacts of ocean acidification on resident fishes in the Baltic Sea indicate that this piscivorous fish is at higher risk compared to its prey which may have broader implications for the future trophodynamic structure and function of the coastal food web.
Abstract by the authors: Understanding and forecasting future consequences of climate change in mussel aquaculture industry require the assessment of changes in physical parameters which may affect mussel growth. The FLOW module of Delft3D model forced with climatic data was validated and calibrated for the Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula), one of the areas with the highest mussel production in the world. This model was used to perform historical (1999–2018) and future (2080–2099) projections. Temperature and stratification water conditions were compared in order to determine at what extent climate change can affect mussel production. Thermal stress will increase in a non-homogeneous throughout the water column and the comfort level of mussels will be reduced by more than 60% in the upper layers and more than 30% in deep layers in most of the mussel raft polygons. Water column stratification will increase ~ 5–10 cycles h−1 in most of the polygons reducing the vertical exchange of nutrients and oxygen. Hereby changes in water temperature and stratification at the end of the century will not be favorable for mussel growth.
Abstract by the authors: Ocean acidification (OA) is one of the largest emerging and significant environmental threats for the aquaculture industry, jeopardizing its role as an alternative for supporting food security. Moreover, market conditions, characterized by price volatility and low value-added products, could exacerbate the industry's vulnerability to OA. We use a literature review on the biological consequences of OA over marine commercial species attributes to inform the empirical assessment of consumers' preferences for those attributes affected by OA, and consumers' responses to a set of market adaptation strategies suggested by the industry. We found that OA will have a negative impact on consumers' welfare due to the effects on commercial attributes of mussels aquaculture products. However, the main concerns for the industry are the market conditions. Thus, the industry's current adaptation strategies are focused on increasing their market share by offering new product assortments (with more value-added), regardless of the effect of OA on consumers' welfare. Despite this fact, the industry's strategies could eventually contribute to cope with OA since some specific segments of the market are willing to pay for new product assortments. This new market composition highlights the role of public institutions' reputation in issues related to food safety.
Abstract by the author: Ocean acidification is a major emergent threat to the ocean, its wildlife and the goods and services they provide. While the international community has committed to 'minimize and address' ocean acidification as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, it is unclear how this is to be fulfilled, especially as there are no international agreements explicitly designed to tackle this issue. Ocean acidification is of relevance to the work of several global agreements and makes achieving their goals more difficult. Being largely sectoral, these agreements are restricted in their ability to address ocean acidification holistically, often unable to both minimize and address the issue. This has resulted in a very limited response to ocean acidification that is fragmented across a number of regimes. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been identified as an agreement that could be used to regulate carbon dioxide emissions and thus mitigate ocean acidification. However, this article argues that a far more pivotal role can be played by UNCLOS, through its creation of a governing framework for ocean acidification. UNCLOS is the one Convention with a mandate broad enough to address ocean acidification in a direct, holistic manner. UNCLOS places a duty on States to both minimize and address ocean acidification through its various provisions that pertain to the protection and preservation of the marine environment and the conservation of marine living resources. The Convention establishes the framework through which ocean governance is to be implemented, which should be understood as extending to ocean acidification. Thus, UNCLOS is uniquely placed to guide a coherent international response.
Abstract by the authors: Sea level rise (SLR) is projected to have severe consequences for people and assets in European coastal areas. Planning for SLR is a critical step to ensure timely and adequate responses. Despite our rapidly increasing understanding of SLR impacts and the need to adapt, few studies have looked at how countries are planning for SLR. We surveyed experts from the 32 European countries with a coastline about how their country is planning for SLR. Our online survey focused on four areas: (1) whether SLR planning exists and at what level of government; (2) which climate information and scenarios are used in planning; (3) what planning horizons and corresponding levels of SLR are used; and (4) how uncertainty in handled and whether high-end sea level rise is being considered in planning. Additionally, we asked experts to assess the status of sea level rise planning in their country. Our results indicate that most coastal countries in Europe are planning for SLR, but 25% still do not. We find that the planning horizon 2100 is most common and many countries are considering around 1m (adjusted for local conditions) of SLR at that point in time. However, there are significant differences between countries, which may lead to unequal impacts, over time. We also find that RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are the most widely used climate change scenarios, suggesting that countries are considering high-end climate change in planning, although this does not mean they consider high amounts of SLR. Important questions remain about how planning is realized into levels of protection or preparedness and whether the amounts of SLR and planning horizons currently in use will lead countries to act in time.
Abstract by the authors: Sea-level rise (SLR) confronts coastal societies and stakeholders with increasing hazards and coastal risks with large uncertainties associated to these changes. Adaptation to SLR requires societal and policy decision-making to consider these changing risks, which are in turn defined by socio-economic development objectives and the local societal context. Here, we review some of the key challenges facing governments, stakeholders and scientists in adapting to SLR, and key aspects of successful adaptation, by exploring different approaches to SLR and coastal adaptation planning in three western European countries, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. Several common challenges of SLR adaptation emerge across the different settings, including the inherent uncertainty regarding future conditions, the significant social and socio-economic consequences, the consideration and distribution of (residual) risk over communities, and the long legacy of present-day decisions that affect future risk and management options supporting future generations. These challenges are addressed differently in the three countries, e.g. in the governance level at which adaptation is initiated, although common elements also emerge. One common emerging element is adaptive pathways planning, which entails dynamic decision-making that breaks uncertain decisions into manageable elements or steps over time, while keeping options for the future. Another common element is the development of effective local science-policy interfaces, as engagement of local decision-makers and citizens is essential to manage conflicting interests. Lastly, we find that social and communication sciences have great potential to support effective science-policy interfaces, e.g. though identifying societal tipping points. Yet, in decisions on SLR adaptation, insights from these fields are rarely used to date. We conclude that supporting science-policy interactions for adaptation decision-making at relevant (inter)national to local scales through tailored multi-disciplinary scientific assessments is an important way forward for SLR adaptation in Europe.
Abstract by the authors: Changes in ocean properties and circulation lead to a spatially non-uniform pattern of ocean dynamic sea-level change (DSLC). The projections of ocean dynamic sea level presented in the IPCC AR5 were constructed with global climate models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5). Since CMIP5 GCMs have a relatively coarse resolution and exclude tides and surges it is unclear whether they are suitable for providing DSLC projections in shallow coastal regions such as the Northwestern European Shelf (NWES). One approach to addressing these shortcomings is dynamical downscaling – i.e. using a high-resolution regional model forced with output from GCMs. Here we use the regional shelf seas model AMM7 to show that, depending on the driving CMIP5 GCM, dynamical downscaling can have a large impact on DSLC simulations in the NWES region. For a business-as-usual greenhouse gas concentration scenario, we find that downscaled simulations of twenty-first century DSLC can be up to 15.5 cm smaller than DSLC in the GCM simulations along the North Sea coastline owing to unresolved processes in the GCM. Furthermore, dynamical downscaling affects the simulated time of emergence of sea-level change (SLC) above sea-level variability, and can result in differences in the projected change of the amplitude of the seasonal cycle of sea level of over 0.3 mm/yr. We find that the difference between GCM and downscaled results is of similar magnitude to the uncertainty of CMIP5 ensembles used for previous DSLC projections. Our results support a role for dynamical downscaling in future regional sea-level projections to aid coastal decision makers.
Abstract by the authors: This work analyses the monthly spatial distribution of extreme sea levels in the Baltic Sea as well as the relationship of these levels with the NAO and AO indicators. The research was based on hourly sea level data from the 45 tide gauge stations gathered in the years 1960 to 2020. The analysis shows that the duration of extreme sea levels tends to increase moving from along the line joining the open sea and the gulf end. This is associated with the narrowing of the gulf and the geomorphological and bathymetric configuration of the coastal zone. The duration of high and low sea levels in the Baltic Sea decreases from a maximum in January to a minimum in the months of May to August, then it increases again until the end of the year. This cycle corresponds well to the annual occurrence of storm surges, which are affected by the annual changes in atmospheric circulation. The impact of the variations of the circulation on extreme sea levels was confirmed by examining the relation between maximum, minimum and mean levels of the Baltic waters and the zone circulation indices NAO and AO for each month of the year and the seasons in the multiyear period 1960-2020. The results indicate that the strongest correlations exist between sea levels and NAO/AO in the winter months. There is a spatial differentiation of the correlation and its increase from the southwest to the northeast in Baltic Sea.
Abstract by the authors: Sea-level rise (SLR)-induced erosion will contribute significantly to the reduction of the surface of beaches worldwide. In the absence of adaptation measures, this implies a decrease in the recreational carrying capacity provided by beaches, which in turn could significantly affect the economies of the areas associated with the “sun-and-beach” tourism model. Here, we propose a methodology to assess the demand-side economic impact by applying an input/output analysis, assuming that the beach carrying capacity is linked to the potential tourism demand, and consequently, to tourism consumption and output. Moreover, to properly evaluate the spatial variations in the impact throughout the territory, the effects are downscaled to the county level using a set of location coefficients. The model is applied to Catalonia, one of the most visited coastal regions in the Mediterranean. Here tourism contributes approximately 11% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and most visitors are related to coastal tourism. Although SLR affects the entire region with relatively small spatial variations in the induced shoreline retreat, its impact on the beach carrying capacity per county and the number of potential users exhibits a large spatial variability. Considering the RCP8.5 scenario as a reference, Catalonia's key coastal tourism brands, Costa Brava and Costa Daurada, will be the most affected economically, with an expected GDP loss of approximately 2200 million € and 1820 million € (at 2019 values), respectively. Finally, these local estimations were used to identify where the greatest benefits/returns would be derived from implementing adaptation measures to the SLR. This analysis was done by normalising the GDP losses that could be avoided in each county, with the length of beaches needed to provide recreation services to sustain the tourism economy.
Abstract by the author: This article covers the causes and effects of global sea level rise on islands and atolls. Causes encompass a combination of thermal expansion and ice melt, which increase erosion and inundation of coastal and island systems. Adding to this, climate change has resulted in more intensive storm events and associated storm surge, further increasing the rate of sea level rise impacts of erosion and inundation. These impacts have been greatest seen in certain regions of the world, such as the South Pacific where coral islands and atolls are particularly vulnerable to erosion. The loss of island and atolls has resulted in an imminent loss of island cultures and the ecosystems and species. Mitigation on the effects of sea level rise are discussed, both from the global and local perspective.
Abstract by the authors: Coastal zones and many small islands are highly susceptible to sea-level rise (SLR). Coastal zones have a large exposed population and integrated high-value assets, and islands provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of people worldwide. The coastal zones and small islands affected by SLR are likely to suffer from submergence, flooding and erosion in the future. However, very few studies have addressed the heterogeneity in SLR changes and the potential risk to coastal zones and small islands. Here we used the mean sea level (MSL) derived from satellite altimetry data to analyse the trends and accelerations of SLRs along global coastal zones and small islands. We found that except for the Antarctic coastal zone, the annual MSL within 50 km of the coasts presented an increasing trend of 3.09 ± 0.13 mm a−1 but a decreasing acceleration of −0.02 ± 0.02 mm a−2 from 1993 to 2017. The highest coastal MSL trend of 3.85 ± 0.60 mm a−1 appeared in Oceania, and the lowest trend of 2.32 ± 0.37 mm a−1 occured in North America. Africa, North America and South America showed acceleration trends, and Eurasia, Australia and Oceania had deceleration trends. Further, MSLs around global small islands reflected an increasing trend with a rate of 3.01 ± 0.16 mm a−1 but a negative acceleration of −0.02 ± 0.02 mm a−2. Regional heterogeneity in the trends and accelerations of MSLs along the coasts and small islands suggests that stakeholders should take discriminating precautions to cope with future disadvantageous impacts of the SLR.
Abstract by the authors: This article sets out to explore the extent to which the climate change will affect the distribution of maritime zones. Delimitation clauses in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and marine geomorphology are closely related and as a result the legal character of certain submarine features will have to be re-identified along with sea level change. Meanwhile, the outer limits of maritime zones of coastal States with narrow/wide continental margins will be ambulatory as well. Two case studies—the Bays of Alaska and Bengal—are considered to focus more narrowly on the potential evolution of distribution issues. Finally, suggestions are put forward for the international organizations on how to address different types of submissions and cases as well as for coastal States to undertake discreet negotiations of conditional boundary-delimitations with neighboring States in certain geographic contexts.
Abstract by the authors: Current climate change discourses have expressed fear that many coastal communities would be forced to relocate in the face of rising water levels. However, despite the frequency and intensity with which such messages are being broadcasted throughout the world's media, there is little actual evidence of any relocation actually taking place, even though there are a number of past examples of relative sea level rise due to earthquake induced subsidence or groundwater extraction. Thus, in order to better understand the consequences of future sea level rise the authors analysed four instances of land subsidence that have taken place in the 20th and early 21st centuries (namely, adaptation strategies around Tokyo and Jakarta, and the experience of islands on the Danajon bank in the Philippines, and Kepulauan Seribu close to Jakarta). In all cases the inhabitants of densely populated coastal areas remain in place, despite the challenge of living with higher water levels. Adaptation was done through a five-phase process, starting with the construction of rather weak seawalls, which is then followed by the placement of pumps to drain water. Eventually, as the economic and technical capacities of coastal settlements improved, better seawalls were built, which then led to the reclamation of new areas, the elevation of entire districts or the construction of super levees. Thus, while it is clear that sea level rise will pose an additional financial strain on urbanised coastal areas, the authors found no evidence that any major coastal settlements will surrender a significant portion of its land area to the sea, given the range of adaptation options available. Rather, the opposite is true, and evidence indicates that new lines of defence will be built further into the water, effectively meaning that humans will encroach on the sea.
Abstract by the authors: Marine protected areas (MPAs) represent the main tool for halting the loss of marine biodiversity. However, there is increasing evidence concerning their limited capacity to reduce or eliminate some threats even within their own boundaries. Here, we analysed a Europe-wide dataset comprising 31,579 threats recorded in 1692 sites of the European Union's Natura 2000 conservation network. Focusing specifically on threats related to marine species and habitats, we found that fishing and outdoor activities were the most widespread threats reported within MPA boundaries, although some spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of threats was apparent. Our results clearly demonstrate the need to reconsider current management plans, standardise monitoring approaches and reporting, refine present threat assessments and improve knowledge of their spatial patterns within and outside MPAs in order to improve conservation capacity and outcomes.
Abstract by the authors: Evaluating environmental policies creates opportunities for harmonising and refining their implementation using a heuristic approach, and considering the knowledge gaps in understanding the complex environmental processes. The European Union’s (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is an ambitious legislation that brings together state, pressure, and impact Descriptors of the marine environment, and is built on an ecosystem-based approach to management. Ultimately, the Directive aims to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) and sustainable use of marine resources. The EU Member States’ (MS) reporting obligations for biodiversity monitoring were evaluated, to produce the first EU-wide overview of how monitoring programmes across EU waters are organised. Marine biodiversity monitoring is essential for the management of anthropogenic activities that affect the state of marine ecosystems, to support the understanding of complex marine systems, to determine GES, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the established measures. The EU MS put great effort into adapting their established biodiversity monitoring activities for the existing policy requirements, and to plan new monitoring programmes from the emerging needs of this ambitious policy. The monitoring reports provide a unique source of information, and this evaluation could lead to improve MS’ reporting, and harmonise implementation of the policy. Moreover, the evaluation provides a basis for sharing good practices, innovative monitoring standards, and developing joint monitoring programmes that could greatly facilitate the establishment of cost-efficient and accurate monitoring. As such, the recommendations from this policy evaluation could be relevant to any environmental management framework worldwide.
Abstract by the authors: The Marine Strategy Framework Directive is undergoing its second implementation cycle while work is ongoing to promote further harmonization, especially regarding the European Commission standards on datasets, metrics, and thresholds. Even though spatial scales for Biodiversity descriptor criteria concerning fish are set by the Directive at subdivision of region, subregion or region level (depending on the fish species group), the scales of the assessment have never been confirmed across the multiple metrics, taxons and regions. In this work, Descriptor 1 – Biodiversity and Criterion 2 – Population abundance of the species (D1C2) was evaluated and compared for six non-commercial fish species, at five geographical scales in the Portuguese Continental waters, to understand if scales used in the assessment affect species group status and hinder the establishment of adequate monitoring or management measures. For comparability purposes, the methods used were identical to the MSFD; a Breakpoint analysis combined with a Trend analysis of the last five years. Results showed that assessments at Portuguese continental Economic Exclusive Zone level mask local population patterns that were visible when smaller size scales were used, and that each species had different scale requirements. Argentyna sphyraena had low biomass index in the northern region of Aveiro, and species analysed in the Algarve region presented distinct patterns. Downsizing scales revealed that Microchirus variegatus was not in good status – i.e., below threshold - in the southern coastal area, requiring further attention to understand how pressures are impacting populations locally. Although the overall status of the species was maintained, when species assessment was integrated, smaller sized assessment scales are required to understand how populations respond to pressures locally and therefore how monitoring and management of status and pressures should be implemented. Results highlight the need to consider species biology, ecology and population dynamics to define precise scales of assessment and to identify areas of risk at locally relevant scales.
Abstract by the authors: Marine zooplankton are central components of holistic ecosystem assessments due to their intermediary role in the food chain, linking the base of the food chain with higher trophic levels. As a result, these organisms incorporate the inherent properties and changes occurring atall levels of the marine ecosystem, temporally integrating signatures of physical and chemical conditions. For this reason, zooplankton-based biometrics are widely accepted as useful tools for assessing and monitoring the ecological health and integrity of aquatic systems. The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU-MSFD) requires the use of different types of bio-monitors, including zooplankton, to monitor progress towards achieving specific environmental and water quality targets in EU. However, there is currently no comprehensive synthesis of zooplankton indices development, use, and associated challenges. We addressed this issue with a two-step approach. First, we formulated the indicator-metrics-indices cycle (IMIC) to redefine the closely related but often ambiguously utilized terms - indicator, metric and index, highlighting the convergence between them and the iterative nature of their interaction. Secondly, we formulated frameworks for synthesizing, presenting and systematically applying zooplankton indices based on the IMIC framework. The main benefits of the IMIC are twofold: 1). to disambiguate the key elements: indicators, metrics, and indices, revealing their links to an operational ecological indicator system, and 2) to serve as an organizing tool for the coherent classification of indices according to the MSFD descriptors. Using the IMIC framework, we identified and described two broad categories of indices namely the core biodiversity indices already in use in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic regions, including the ‘Zooplankton Mean Size and Total Stock (zooplankton MSTS)’ and 'Plankton Lifeforms index (PLI)', and stressor-response indices retrieved from the existing literature, elucidating their applicability to different MSFD descriptors. Finally, major challenges of developing new indices and applying existing ones in the context of the MSFD were critically addressed and some solutions were proposed.
Abstract by the authors: In this paper a novel methodology to assess the risk of marine litter (ML) pollution in the Mediterranean Sea is implemented. In this approach, the hazard component is estimated using a state-of-the-art 3D modeling system, which allows the simulation of floating and sinking ML particles; the exposure component is defined from biodiversity estimates; and the vulnerability is related to ML ingestion rates of each species. The results show that the hot-spots for the ML risk concentrate in the coastal regions, and are mainly conditioned by the biodiversity in the region. A dedicated analysis on the marine protected areas shows that the risk therein is controlled by the proximity to ML sources and that their present-day protection levels are not effective in the case of ML pollution. Only a reduction of ML at the sources could reduce the impact of ML pollution in protected areas.
Abstract by the authors: The Mediterranean Sea is a large marine ecosystem with high heterogeneity in both environmental and ecological characteristics. It presents clear gradients from north to south and west to east. It is also an important area in terms of biodiversity and conservation of vulnerable species, and it suffers from several cumulative human impacts, such as fishing and climate change. Previous studies have characterized spatial and temporal patterns of species distributions and biodiversity indicators. However, a comprehensive analysis combining a wide representation of biodiversity indicators is still missing. In this study, we examined spatial and temporal changes of marine communities along a latitudinal gradient over the continental shelf ecosystems (25–500 m depth) of the Western Mediterranean Sea, from the Gulf of Lion in the north to the Gibraltar Strait in the south. We used information from the MEDITS trawl scientific surveys from 1994 to 2018, and we calculated relevant indicators to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in the region. We selected several indicators measuring alpha (species richness, Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index) and beta (decomposing both turnover and nestedness) diversity, as well as previously studied indicators identified to be sensitive to fishing and climate change impacts (biomass-based and trophic-level based metrics). We assessed differences in these indicators for the surveyed community as a whole and for fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, separately, over five regions. Our results show clear latitudinal gradients in some indicators: we observe a reversed pattern between richness (decreasing from south to north) and biomass trends (increasing from south to north) for the demersal community. We also found a generalized increase in β-diversity in most regions with time, and a decline in the trophic level of the surveyed community. In addition, we identify a remarkable increase in several indicators when only considering the cephalopods group, and a general low environmental status for the North Catalan Sea. We discuss our results considering the differences between regions and taxa related to the fishing activity and environmental dynamics that can act at different scales. This in-depth analysis illustrates how to use a selection of indicators that combine the capacity to detect ecological changes from regional to sub-regional scales.
Abstract by the authors: Measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have indefinitely postponed in-person formal international negotiations for a new legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). As a result, online initiatives have emerged to keep informal dialogue ongoing among both state and nonstate actors. To continue our research on the BBNJ process, we adapted our methodology and conducted a survey in May 2020 exploring the impact of COVID-19 on respondents’ BBNJ-related work and communication. This research note identifies online initiatives and communication channels set up to maintain negotiation momentum and examines the challenges and opportunities of digital diplomacy for multilateral environmental agreement making, as well as the study thereof. We discuss future avenues for global environmental politics research and conclude that digital ethnographies provide an entry point to study some of these dynamics but need to be adapted to the study of negotiation settings and the specific context of multilateral environmental diplomacy.
Abstract by the authors: To conserve marine biodiversity, we must first understand the spatial distribution and status of at‐risk biodiversity. We combined range maps and conservation status for 5,291 marine species to map the global distribution of extinction risk of marine biodiversity. We find that for 83% of the ocean, >25% of assessed species are considered threatened, and 15% of the ocean shows >50% of assessed species threatened when weighting for range‐limited species. By comparing mean extinction risk of marine biodiversity to no‐take marine reserve placement, we identify regions where reserves preferentially afford proactive protection (i.e., preserving low‐risk areas) or reactive protection (i.e., mitigating high‐risk areas), indicating opportunities and needs for effective future protection at national and regional scales. In addition, elevated risk to high seas biodiversity highlights the need for credible protection and minimization of threatening activities in international waters.
Abstract by the author: Worldwide, the restoration of anthropogenically degraded ecosystems has become a challenge for human society. Practical ecosystem restoration, as well as restoration ecology as the related science, has gathered comprehensive experience in restoring ecosystem services during recent decades, in particular on terrestrial sites including lakes, rivers with their floodplains, as well as on wetlands. In contrast, there are considerable conceptional knowledge gaps with regard to marine ecosystems, although the environmental damage to marine ecosystems has reached a tremendous degree. Whereas some basic concepts and objectives as well as restoration measures can be transferred from terrestrial and limnic to marine ecosystems, there is also a need for specific approaches for the restoration of marine systems; these take their huge vertical and horizontal dimension into account and address the ecological knowledge gaps with regard to these marine ecosystems and their organisms. With a focus on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, three spatially differentiated areas of operational activity for ecosystem restoration are identified. Environmental policy at the national as well as the international level provides a framework for ecosystem restoration action in Europe
Abstract by the authors: Seafood is an essential source of protein globally. As its demand continues to rise, balancing food security and the health of marine ecosystems has become a pressing challenge. Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has been adopted by the European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to meet this challenge by accounting for the multiple interacting natural and socio-economic drivers. The CFP includes both the implementation of regulatory measures to EU stocks and the establishment of bilateral fisheries agreements with neighbouring countries, known as sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs). While the effects of fisheries management regulations are well acknowledged, the consequences of the SFPAs on EU ecosystems have been commonly overlooked. Here we investigate the development of the Gulf of Cadiz marine ecosystem over the last two decades and found evidence of the impact of both policy interventions. Our findings reveal the effectiveness of regulatory measures in reverting a progressively degrading ecosystem, characterised by high fishing pressure and dominance of opportunistic species, to a more stable configuration, characterised by higher biomass of small pelagics and top predators after 2005. Knock-on effects of the EU-Morocco SFPA and climate effects were detected before 2005, resulting in increased purse seine fishing effort, lower biomass of pelagic species and warmer temperatures. This southern EU marine ecosystem has been one of the latest to introduce regulations and is very exposed to fishery agreements with neighbouring Morocco. Our study highlights the importance of taking into consideration, not only the effects of in situ fisheries regulations but also the indirect implications of political agreements in the framework of EBFM.
Abstract by the authors: There are evidences of how climate change is affecting seaweeds distribution and the ecosystems services they provide. Therefore, it is necessary to consider these impacts when managing marine areas. One of the most applied tools in recent years to deal with this are species distribution models, however there are still some challenges to solve, such as the inclusion of hydrodynamic predictors and the application of effective, transferable and user-oriented methodologies.
Abstract by the authors: Unregulated fishing on the high seas -- understood as fishing activities by vessels flagged to a nonmember state in an area regulated by a regional fisheries management organisation -- are a significant threat to the sustainability of high seas fishery resources. The European Union (EU) and the United States -- two major market destinations for fishery products -- have shown a strong determination to treat unregulated fishing as illegal fishing. They have applied or threatened to apply trade restrictions to states that have no treaty obligations to refrain from fishing on the high seas. These actions are conspicuous because the practical effect of these unilateral measures entails a challenge to the fundamental pacta tertiis rule. This article suggests that the application of unilateral trade-related measures by the EU and the United States against non-member states represents relevant state practice for the formation of a prohibition against unregulated fishing in customary international law.
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