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OSPAR intermediate assessments: evaluation the ecological status of the marine environment in the NE atlantic

19 Sep 2020

Users identified the main areas where disturbance from bottom-contact fishing was predicted to cause the most significant impact to benthic marine habitats. This work fed directly into the OSPAR Intermediate Assessment (2017) with future implications towards the Marine Strategy Framework Directive assessments.

How EMODnet Seabed Habitats helped

As well as saving time and resources on data collection, the supply of confidence maps enabled users to provide more detailed and transparent predictions to their deliverables. 

Spatial distribution of aggregated disturbance from bottom-contact fishing using the 2010–2015 data series across OSPAR sub-regions (from OSPAR Assessment portal)

What product was used: Habitat maps from survey in the North East Atlantic, EMODnet broad-scale habitat maps (EUSeaMap 2016) and EUSeMap 2016 confidence map

How was the product used: EMODnet Seabed Habitatmaps were used in conjunction with the user’s data on fishing pressures and habitat sensitivity to produce an overall disturbance map of the North East Atlantic.

Related links

OSPAR – Oslo/Paris Convention (for the protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic)