Threatened habitat types in Finland 2018: the Baltic Sea. Red List of habitats. Part 2: Descriptions of habitat types

This report is a partial translation of the final report in Finnish on threatened habitat types (Threatened habitat types in Finland 2018, Part II: Descriptions of habitat types, The Finnish Environment 5/2018) that presents a total of 420 habitat types. This report includes all the evaluated habitat types of the Baltic Sea, as well as six new marine habitat types, which were described but not yet evaluated (NE). Also included are habitat types regarded as of least concern (LC) and those with deficient data (DD). For each habitat type a description, distribution map, photo, and the reasoning behind the assessment result are presented. The descriptions of the habitat types include their characteristics, geographical variation, connectivity to other habitat types, occurrence in Finland, reasons for being threatened and future threats, trend in the state of the habitat type, correspondence of the habitats type with habitat types covered by statutory protection, and whether the habitat type is one for which Finland has an international responsibility. Part I of the final report (in Finnish Suomen luontotyyppien uhanalaisuus 2018, SY 5/2018 and in English Threatened Habitat Types in Finland 2018, FE 2/2019) presents the assessment method for threatened habitat types, results and reasoning of the assessment, and proposals for measures prepared by the experts groups. In the whole country 186 habitats types were assessed as threatened (48% of the number of habitats types). The share of threatened habitat types is much larger in southern Finland (59%) than in northern Finland (32%). The assessment was conducted by broadly-based expert groups in 2016–2018. This was the second assessment of threatened habitat types in Finland. This assessment was conducted using the international IUCN Red List of Ecosystems method. Because of the new assessment method, the results of the first and second assessment of threatened habitat types are not directly comparable with each other. The conclusion that can be made, however, is that the decline and degradation of habitats has not diminished

Seurantakäsikirja Suomen merenhoitosuunnitelman seurantaohjelmaan vuosille 2020–2026

Tämä merenhoidon seurantakäsikirja käsittää merenhoitosuunnitelman seurantaohjelman kuvauksen kokonaisuudessaan. Se päivittää vuoden 2014–2020 seurantaohjelman ja sitä sovelletaan vuoden 2020 heinäkuusta vuoden 2026 heinäkuuhun. Seurantaohjelma on osa merenhoidon suunnittelua, jota tehdään vesienhoidon ja merenhoidon järjestämisestä annetun lain (272/2011) ja merenhoidon järjestämisestä annetun valtioneuvoston asetuksen (980/2011) toteuttamiseksi. Tämä laki ja asetus on annettu meristrategiadirektiivin (Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston direktiivi 2008/56/EY yhteisön meriympäristöpolitiikan puitteista) kansallista toimeenpanoa varten. Suomessa meristrategiadirektiivin mukaista meristrategiaa kutsutaan merenhoitosuunnitelmaksi. Suomen seurantaohjelma koostuu 13:sta ohjelmasta, joiden alla on yhteensä 44 alaohjelmaa. Tähän päivitettyyn seurantaohjelmaan lisättiin kuusi uutta alaohjelmaa ja useita alaohjelmia muokattiin joko muuttuneiden vaatimusten, kehittyneempien menetelmien tai muuttuneen toimintaympäristön takia. Merenhoidon uusia vaatimuksia ovat meristrategiadirektiivin liitteen 3 päivitys (EU/2017/845), Euroopan komission päätös EU/2017/848 merivesien hyvän ekologisen tilan vertailuperusteista ja menetelmästandardeista sekä seurantaa ja arviointia varten tarkoitetut täsmennykset standardoiduista menetelmistä. Seurantakäsikirja koostuu kolmesta osasta: seurantaohjelman tausta, varsinainen seurantaohjelma, ja kolmas osa, joka käsittelee seurannan kehitystarpeita, kustannuksia ja riittävyyttä. Seurantaohjelma kattaa ekosysteemilähestymistavan mukaisesti erilaisia muuttujia, jotka kuvaavat toisaalta veden ominaisuuksia ja laatua ja toisaalta ekosysteemin osia ja niiden tilaa sekä niihin kohdistuvia ihmisestä johtuvia paineita. Seurannan alaohjelmissa on kuvattu mitattavat meriympäristön ominaisuudet tai paineet, niiden seurantatiheys, indikaattorit, joihin seurantatietoa käytetään, seurannalla kootun tiedon hallinta ja yhteydet meristrategiadirektiivin hyvän tilan laadullisiin kuvaajiin ja kriteereihin

Vaihtoehtoiset tulevaisuudet

201

Identifying ecologically valuable marine areas to support conservation and spatial planning at scales relevant for decision making

In 2008, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity introduced the scientific-technical concept of describing Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). These areas are defined as locations with exceptional ecological or biological characteristics. While EBSAs have been identified across the world´s oceans, they mainly have not been designated at scales relevant for conservation or area-based planning, where decisions are implemented. Here, we describe how the EBSA concept can be applied locally to identify “national EBSAs”. We present the process and criteria that were used in Finland to delineate 87 Ecologically Significant Underwater Marine Areas (EMMAs). This was accomplished by participatory approaches, expert knowledge, and spatial prioritization, based on a spatially explicit dataset on marine species and habitats from 160,000 sites, together with environmental drivers and anthropogenic pressures. The spatial scale of EMMAs was tailored to fit national and local decision-making, contributing to maritime spatial planning, environmental permitting, and the development of marine protected area network. We describe the Finnish EMMA process, highlight critical phases of the work using practical examples and discuss the importance of scales in assessing ecologically and biologically significant areas in different types of marine environments.Peer reviewe

The Finnish inventory programme for underwater environment (VELMU) produces data for knowledge-based maritime spatial planning

201

Basin-scale distribution of harbour porpoises in the Baltic Sea provides basis for effective conservation actions

Knowledge on spatial and seasonal distribution of species is crucial when designing protected areas and implementing management actions. The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population is critically endangered, and its distribution is virtually unknown. Here, we used passive acoustic monitoring and species distribution models to describe the spatial and seasonal distribution of harbour porpoises in the Baltic Proper. Porpoise click detectors were deployed over a systematic grid of 297 stations in eight countries from April 2011 through July 2013. Generalized additive models were used to describe the monthly probability of detecting porpoise clicks as a function of spatially-referenced covariates and time. During the reproductive season, two main areas of high probability of porpoise detection were identified. One of those areas, situated on and around the offshore banks in the Baltic Proper, is clearly separated from the known distribution range of the Belt Sea population during breeding season, suggesting this is an important breeding ground for the Baltic Proper population. We commend the designation of this area as a marine protected area and recommend Baltic Sea countries to also protect areas in the southern Baltic Sea and the Hanö Bight where additional important harbour porpoise habitats were identified. Further conservation measures should be carried out based on analyses of overlap between harbour porpoise distribution and potentially harmful anthropogenic activities. Our study shows that large-scale systematic monitoring using novel techniques can give important insights on the distribution of low-density populations, and that international cooperation is pivotal when studying transnationally migratory species

Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring

Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservation status and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundance estimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when the population is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the number of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) has collapsed since the mid-20th century and the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and HELCOM; however, its abundance remains unknown. Here, one of the largest ever passive acoustic monitoring studies was carried out by eight Baltic Sea nations to estimate the abundance of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise for the first time. By logging porpoise echolocation signals at 298 stations during May 2011-April 2013, calibrating the loggers’ spatial detection performance at sea, and measuring the click rate of tagged individuals, we estimated an abundance of 71-1,105 individuals (95% CI, point estimate 491) during May-October within the population’s proposed management border. The small abundance estimate strongly supports that the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is facing an extremely high risk of extinction, and highlights the need for immediate and efficient conservation actions through international cooperation. It also provides a starting point in monitoring the trend of the population abundance to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures and determine its interactions with the larger neighbouring Belt Sea population. Further, we offer evidence that design-based passive acoustic monitoring can generate reliable estimates of the abundance of rare and cryptic animal populations across large spatial scales.,Four main datasets are provided, together with meta-data and processing code files. 1. SAMBAH main survey: passive acoustic monitoring data collected by CPOD click loggers in the Baltic Sea May 2011-April 2013. 2. Great Belt tracking experiment: detection/nondetection of acoustically tracked harbour porpoises May-June 2013 in Great Belt, Denmark. 3. Playback experiment: detection/nondetection of artificial clicks produced to estimate click detectability during the SAMBAH main survey and Great Belt tracking experiment. 4. Tagging study: click production and depth data from 6 tagged porpoises in Danish waters between May 2010 and April 2011.,See readme.txt file.

Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring (sotware)

Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservation status and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundance estimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when the population is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the number of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) has collapsed since the mid-20th century and the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and HELCOM; however, its abundance remains unknown. Here, one of the largest ever passive acoustic monitoring studies was carried out by eight Baltic Sea nations to estimate the abundance of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise for the first time. By logging porpoise echolocation signals at 298 stations during May 2011-April 2013, calibrating the loggers' spatial detection performance at sea, and measuring the click rate of tagged individuals, we estimated an abundance of 71-1,105 individuals (95% CI, point estimate 491) during May-October within the population's proposed management border. The small abundance estimate strongly supports that the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is facing an extremely high risk of extinction, and highlights the need for immediate and efficient conservation actions through international cooperation. It also provides a starting point in monitoring the trend of the population abundance to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures and determine its interactions with the larger neighbouring Belt Sea population. Further, we offer evidence that design-based passive acoustic monitoring can generate reliable estimates of the abundance of rare and cryptic animal populations across large spatial scales