Combined effects of human pressures on Europe’s marine ecosystems

• DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01482-x
• Publication Date: 2021-01-28T12:12:56Z
• Authors: Samuli Korpinen; Leena Laamanen; Lena Bergström; Marco Nurmi; Jesper H. Andersen; Juuso Haapaniemi; E. Therese Harvey; Ciaran J. Murray; Monika Peterlin; Emilie Kallenbach; Katja Klančnik; Ulf Stein; Leonardo Tunesi; David Vaughan; Johnny Reker
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; climate changes; environmental effects; vaikutukset; coastal waters; meriensuojelu; 01 natural sciences; ekosysteemit; toiminta; merenkulkijat; Human Activities; marine management; meriekologia; Eurooppa; mariners; biodiversity; evaluation; development (active); kehittäminen; Europe; Europe's seas; cumulative effect assessments; ympäristövaikutukset; marine assessment; Perspective; ihminen; meret; Environmental Monitoring; Conservation of Natural Resources; conservation of the seas; Oceans and Seas; rannikkoalueet; seas; ranta-alueet; coastal areas; effects (results); rannikot; Humans; 14. Life underwater; Ecosystem; merialueet; sea areas; ilmastonmuutokset; 15. Life on land; ecosystems (ecology); biodiversiteetti; ekosysteemit (ekologia); human activities; merentutkimus; 13. Climate action; käsittely; coasts; anthropogenic pressures; rannikkovedet; arviointi

AbstractMarine ecosystems are under high demand for human use, giving concerns about how pressures from human activities may affect their structure, function, and status. In Europe, recent developments in mapping of marine habitats and human activities now enable a coherent spatial evaluation of potential combined effects of human activities. Results indicate that combined effects from multiple human pressures are spread to 96% of the European marine area, and more specifically that combined effects from physical disturbance are spread to 86% of the coastal area and 46% of the shelf area. We compare our approach with corresponding assessments at other spatial scales and validate our results with European-scale status assessments for coastal waters. Uncertainties and development points are identified. Still, the results suggest that Europe’s seas are widely disturbed, indicating potential discrepancy between ambitions for Blue Growth and the objective of achieving good environmental status within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.