The D6 aims to ensure that the pressures generated by anthropogenic activities on the seabed do not negatively affect the components of the marine ecosystem, in particular on the benthic communities. The Italian definition of GES for D6 is: "There is no significant pressure due to: a) physical disturbances caused by human activities that actively operate on the seabed and b) physical loss on biogenic substrates connected to human activities." This GES is intended to be achieved at the marine subregional scale. The Italian marine waters are divided in three marine subregions: Adriatic Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea and Ionian Sea. The pressures "physical disturbance" is intended mainly due by trawling fishing activities. The biogenic substrates potentially subject to significant pressure (from physical disruption and/or physical loss) are mainly the Maerl habitats and the Posidonia oceanica meadows. The pressures physical disturbance and physical loss on other types of biogenic substrates, such as the biocenosis of the Coralligenous and deep Corals, the Tegnue, are generally rather occasional. The data available from the Italian Monitoring Program (2015-2016), did not allow to establish a threshold beyond which a significant impact is found. In particular, data on the extension of biogenic substrates (Maerl habitat) are still yet not available at marine subregion scale; therefore it is not possible to establish whether the benthic substrates are subjected to a pressure that generates physical perturbation/physical loss, nor is it possible to establish a significant pressure threshold. The Italian National Monitoring Program planned for 2019-2020 aims at achieving data and information to fill the gaps identified on biogenic substrates and to develop operational environmental assessment tools. About the impact of fishing activities on benthic bottom communities there is the need to obtain comparable information on the state of conservation of ecosystems on a wide geographical scale and thus carry forward ecosystem-based management strategies of the territory and its resources. To define the significant pressure on soft bottom communities due to trawling activities the next activities aim to define a list of epimegabenthic species closely related to trawling assign to each taxon a sensitivity index that reflects its vulnerability to the impact of the fishing gear. In Parallel geophysical surveys will be carried out to define a specific pressure index. The aim is to outline a series of ecological indicators capable of describing the vulnerability at multiple levels (single species, groups of species with significant ecological characteristics or communities) and which can potentially provide information both independently and within a multiparametric composite environmental status index that could be validated against a specific pressure index.
Description of the logical framework for the definition of ecological indicators for the D6 GES assessment for Italian MSFD subregions
Magni P
2020
Abstract
The D6 aims to ensure that the pressures generated by anthropogenic activities on the seabed do not negatively affect the components of the marine ecosystem, in particular on the benthic communities. The Italian definition of GES for D6 is: "There is no significant pressure due to: a) physical disturbances caused by human activities that actively operate on the seabed and b) physical loss on biogenic substrates connected to human activities." This GES is intended to be achieved at the marine subregional scale. The Italian marine waters are divided in three marine subregions: Adriatic Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea and Ionian Sea. The pressures "physical disturbance" is intended mainly due by trawling fishing activities. The biogenic substrates potentially subject to significant pressure (from physical disruption and/or physical loss) are mainly the Maerl habitats and the Posidonia oceanica meadows. The pressures physical disturbance and physical loss on other types of biogenic substrates, such as the biocenosis of the Coralligenous and deep Corals, the Tegnue, are generally rather occasional. The data available from the Italian Monitoring Program (2015-2016), did not allow to establish a threshold beyond which a significant impact is found. In particular, data on the extension of biogenic substrates (Maerl habitat) are still yet not available at marine subregion scale; therefore it is not possible to establish whether the benthic substrates are subjected to a pressure that generates physical perturbation/physical loss, nor is it possible to establish a significant pressure threshold. The Italian National Monitoring Program planned for 2019-2020 aims at achieving data and information to fill the gaps identified on biogenic substrates and to develop operational environmental assessment tools. About the impact of fishing activities on benthic bottom communities there is the need to obtain comparable information on the state of conservation of ecosystems on a wide geographical scale and thus carry forward ecosystem-based management strategies of the territory and its resources. To define the significant pressure on soft bottom communities due to trawling activities the next activities aim to define a list of epimegabenthic species closely related to trawling assign to each taxon a sensitivity index that reflects its vulnerability to the impact of the fishing gear. In Parallel geophysical surveys will be carried out to define a specific pressure index. The aim is to outline a series of ecological indicators capable of describing the vulnerability at multiple levels (single species, groups of species with significant ecological characteristics or communities) and which can potentially provide information both independently and within a multiparametric composite environmental status index that could be validated against a specific pressure index.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
