Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GES4SEAS (Achieving Good Environmental Status for maintaining ecosystem SErvices, by ASsessing integrated impacts of cumulative pressures)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
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. 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), to assess human pressures, the status of seas and the ecosystem services delivered. This 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 ensure they achieve Good Environmental Status (Marine Strategy Framework Directive, MSFD), and support different policies at national, European and global levels (e.g. Birds and Habitats Directives, BHD, European Biodiversity Strategy 2030, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals -UN SDGs-). This will be achieved by integrating stakeholders and the key competent authorities in a Practitioner Advisory Board (PAB), in co-creating and validating the toolbox and the EBM approach. In this, we focus on real problem solving and following an iterative and incremental development approach. This will allow GES4SEAS to achieve Technological and Societal Readiness Levels 6, since our 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 (Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea), 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. This includes LSs to explore transboundary issues and a LS at pan-European scale, to explore comparability and harmonization across regional seas, and gain understanding on the functioning of transverse topics (e.g. invasive species, Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) and jellyfish blooms, and top predators). Finally, to internationalize outputs, we have included a LS in the French Polynesia, in relation to the SDGs framework and intense extreme events. Additional information can be consulted in www.ges4seas.eu
• In WP1, we have built a high-profile PAB, composed by national competent authorities from five Member States (Spain, Italy, Romania, Germany, Ireland), members from the four Regional Seas Conventions (i.e HELCOM, OSPAR, UNEP-MAP, Black Sea Commission), KCBD, EEA, JRC, DFO-Canada and EuroGOOS. They are participating actively in the co-creation of tools as well as in the different deliverables already released, guiding us in shaping the EBM and the toolbox needs.
• In WP2, we have revised the EBM approaches available (D2.1) we have developed new methods and the approaches to address HABs, jellyfish outbreaks, invasive species and decline of top predators (D2.2) and the guidelines for a practical EBM (D2.3). These have resulted in several tools and approaches which have been started to be tested in learning sites (WP5) throughout 2024.
• In WP3, we have decided on the methods and approaches for ecosystem services assessment, tipping points setting, scenarios modelling, and capacity building, collated in D3.1.
• In WP4, we build a proof of concept of the toolbox, which was discussed with the PAB and partners, and presented to the MSFD GES Working group in October 2023. After the comments and feedback received from the PAB and end-users, the partners have prepared a first version of the toolbox, which was released in January 2024, and is going to be tested and challenged by the LSs in WP5, during 2024. This will serve to build a second version more advanced, fitting with the needs of end-users.
• In WP5, we have assessed LSs interest as well as data and knowledge gaps using a standardized survey. Further, we have developed a data management plan (D5.1) and supported the LSs in preparing their datasets and start testing the toolbox and the remaining approaches developed within WP2-WP3 during 2024.
• In WP6 we have completed the DEC Plan (D6.1) building six key messages, co-created with the PAB and refined later, which are driving our communication, using successful infographics and animated videos, as well as a Rubik cube to transmit the ideas there. Also, we have organized already two summer schools, in collaboration with five sister projects and have published 34 papers. One X Massive Open Online Course was also implemented, and several meetings were organized with Ocean Teacher Global Academy (IOC-UN) to organize and prepare the educational materials. This WP is also supporting a self-organizing group of Early Career Researchers, which is open to other Horizon Europe projects.
• In WP2, we have revised the EBM approaches available (D2.1) we have developed new methods and the approaches to address HABs, jellyfish outbreaks, invasive species and decline of top predators (D2.2) and the guidelines for a practical EBM (D2.3). These have resulted in several tools and approaches which have been started to be tested in learning sites (WP5) throughout 2024.
• In WP3, we have decided on the methods and approaches for ecosystem services assessment, tipping points setting, scenarios modelling, and capacity building, collated in D3.1.
• In WP4, we build a proof of concept of the toolbox, which was discussed with the PAB and partners, and presented to the MSFD GES Working group in October 2023. After the comments and feedback received from the PAB and end-users, the partners have prepared a first version of the toolbox, which was released in January 2024, and is going to be tested and challenged by the LSs in WP5, during 2024. This will serve to build a second version more advanced, fitting with the needs of end-users.
• In WP5, we have assessed LSs interest as well as data and knowledge gaps using a standardized survey. Further, we have developed a data management plan (D5.1) and supported the LSs in preparing their datasets and start testing the toolbox and the remaining approaches developed within WP2-WP3 during 2024.
• In WP6 we have completed the DEC Plan (D6.1) building six key messages, co-created with the PAB and refined later, which are driving our communication, using successful infographics and animated videos, as well as a Rubik cube to transmit the ideas there. Also, we have organized already two summer schools, in collaboration with five sister projects and have published 34 papers. One X Massive Open Online Course was also implemented, and several meetings were organized with Ocean Teacher Global Academy (IOC-UN) to organize and prepare the educational materials. This WP is also supporting a self-organizing group of Early Career Researchers, which is open to other Horizon Europe projects.
• GES4HABS and MAMBO (Environmental matrix for the management of Blooms): These are two novel tools (a decision tree and a decision support matrix), streamlining HABs reporting for managers and scientists, helping them to prioritize results allocation and management interventions. They are intended to be used in the MSFD, especially regarding D5 (eutrophication).
• SEAS4GES is a decision-support tool based on a scoring system designed by experts for selecting the most suitable tool for helping managers in taking decisions that should contribute to the ecosystem-based management. It is intended to be used by managers in selecting the best options when looking for tools to decide on the status of the sea.
• SCAIRM is a spatial explicit cumulative impact assessment method, specifically developed for application to guide ecosystem-based management. It is intended to guide managers and scientists in evaluating the cumulative effects of human activities and pressures.
• CIMPAL (Cumulative impacts of invasive alien species, IAS), is an additive model based on IAS and habitat distributions, which reported magnitude of cumulative impacts and the strength of evidence. Based on a previous existing method, a software has been developed that should facilitate its use, especially within the MSFD, D2 (non-indigenous species).
• ECOfast is the result of a collaboration between GES4SEAS and MIS projects and is an integrative ecological evaluation index for an ecosystem-based assessment of shallow reefs communities. It is intended to be used in MSFD, D6 (sea-floor integrity).
• GES4SEAS toolbox is a software to assess cumulative pressure effects, the environmental status of the sea, and the supply of ecosystem services, in a single tool. Until now, we have developed a prototype and now we have the first version of the final toolbox. It is intended to be used by scientists and managers in assessing the status under the MSFD (all descriptors), but also in other legislation, such as the Water Framework Directive or the Habitats Directive.
• SEAS4GES is a decision-support tool based on a scoring system designed by experts for selecting the most suitable tool for helping managers in taking decisions that should contribute to the ecosystem-based management. It is intended to be used by managers in selecting the best options when looking for tools to decide on the status of the sea.
• SCAIRM is a spatial explicit cumulative impact assessment method, specifically developed for application to guide ecosystem-based management. It is intended to guide managers and scientists in evaluating the cumulative effects of human activities and pressures.
• CIMPAL (Cumulative impacts of invasive alien species, IAS), is an additive model based on IAS and habitat distributions, which reported magnitude of cumulative impacts and the strength of evidence. Based on a previous existing method, a software has been developed that should facilitate its use, especially within the MSFD, D2 (non-indigenous species).
• ECOfast is the result of a collaboration between GES4SEAS and MIS projects and is an integrative ecological evaluation index for an ecosystem-based assessment of shallow reefs communities. It is intended to be used in MSFD, D6 (sea-floor integrity).
• GES4SEAS toolbox is a software to assess cumulative pressure effects, the environmental status of the sea, and the supply of ecosystem services, in a single tool. Until now, we have developed a prototype and now we have the first version of the final toolbox. It is intended to be used by scientists and managers in assessing the status under the MSFD (all descriptors), but also in other legislation, such as the Water Framework Directive or the Habitats Directive.