Context
In this framework of change, human activities at sea (e.g. fishing, shipping, extraction of materials, marine constructions, oil and gas exploration) and coastal areas (e.g. agriculture, industry, tourism, etc.) have expanded considerably, leading to an increased level of pressures and subsequent degradation of ocean health and, ultimately, affecting human health.
General objective
GES4SEAS will inform and guide marine governance in minimizing human pressures and their impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, while maintaining the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services.
Innovative Toolbox
This will be achieved through developing an innovative and flexible toolbox, tested, validated, demonstrated and upscaled, in the context of adaptive Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM).
The toolbox will allow competent authorities to assess and predict the effect of multiple stressors (including climate change) and pressures from human activities, at the national, sub-regional, regional and European level.
This will enable authorities to ensure Good Environmental Status (GES), and to support different policies at national, European and global level (e.g. BHD, Biodiversity Strategy, SDGs).
For this purpose stakeholders and the key competent authorities will be integrated in a Practitioner Advisory Board, in co-creating and validating the toolbox and the EBM approach.
Demostrations and testing
The solutions will be tested and demonstrated at 11 Learning Sites (LSs) covering important regions and environments. These LSs have been selected to explore geographical specificities, in the four regional seas, with regards to the impacts of cumulative pressures (including climate change) on the functioning of ecosystems, and their capacity for providing ecosystem services, to ensure better management.
Results
Tikta: Software integrating data management, spatial analysis and visualisation capabilities to assess risks associated with multiple pressures and evaluate the environmental status of marine ecosystems.
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SEAS4GES: Decision-support tool that helps users identify the most appropriate Ecosystem-Based Management approaches according to their management objectives, available data and level of expertise.
Access the tool | Factsheet
Pressure2Eco: Web-based application that explores relationships between human activities, the pressures they generate and ecosystem components, while helping to identify knowledge and data gaps.
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SCAIRM: Assessment framework that identifies major human-induced threats, analyses cumulative risks and compares alternative marine planning and management scenarios.
Tool and resources
GES4HABs: Decision tree designed to assess harmful algal blooms and support the selection of appropriate monitoring, management and mitigation responses.
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MAMBO: Matrix-based tool that helps determine the extent to which a harmful algal bloom can be managed through intervention or is primarily driven by natural conditions.
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CIMPAL family
A suite of tools that quantifies and spatially represents the cumulative impacts of invasive alien species, jellyfish outbreaks and harmful algal blooms on ecosystems and ecosystem services.
Publication | CIMPAL Calculator | MarIAS database | Tutorial
EasySat Indicators: Application that facilitates the calculation of marine environmental indicators from satellite data and enables results to be downloaded in formats compatible with mapping and analytical tools.
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Explore the complete GES4SEAS Toolbox
