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Energy, Climate change, Environment

Assessing the impacts of trawling on seabed habitats

01 Jun 2019

Outcomes: Authors present a framework to assess the impacts of mobile fishing gear on the seabed and benthic ecosystems, the principles of which are applicable to all benthic habitats and trawl fisheries, and can be used across a wide range of spatial scales.

How EMODnet Seabed Habitats helped the user: EMODnet provided EUNIS Level 3 habitat maps across European waters.

Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen University and Research

When was it used: 2015

What product was used: EUSeaMap 2012

How was the product used: Seabed habitat maps provided a starting point for the impact assessment, combined with information on the physical impacts (e.g. penetration, collision, sediment mobilisation) of trawling on seabed habitats.  This was combined with trawling pressure and ecological impact indicators to assess the impact of trawling on sublittoral mud, sand and coarse sediment habitats and their associated benthos.

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