An integrated Pan-European perspective on coastal Lagoons management through a mosaic-DPSIR approach

© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 19400, doi:10.1038/srep19400.A decision support framework for the management of lagoon ecosystems was tested using four European Lagoons: Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), Mar Menor (Spain), Tyligulskyi Liman (Ukraine) and Vistula Lagoon (Poland/Russia). Our aim was to formulate integrated management recommendations for European lagoons. To achieve this we followed a DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State Change-Impacts-Responses) approach, with focus on integrating aspects of human wellbeing, welfare and ecosystem sustainability. The most important drivers in each lagoon were identified, based on information gathered from the lagoons’ stakeholders, complemented by scientific knowledge on each lagoon as seen from a land-sea perspective. The DPSIR cycles for each driver were combined into a mosaic-DPSIR conceptual model to examine the interdependency between the multiple and interacting uses of the lagoon. This framework emphasizes the common links, but also the specificities of responses to drivers and the ecosystem services provided. The information collected was used to formulate recommendations for the sustainable management of lagoons within a Pan-European context. Several common management recommendations were proposed, but specificities were also identified. The study synthesizes the present conditions for the management of lagoons, thus analysing and examining the activities that might be developed in different scenarios, scenarios which facilitate ecosystem protection without compromising future generations.This study was supported by the European Commission, under the 7th Framework Programme, through the collaborative research project LAGOONS (contract n° 283157); by European funds through COMPETE and by Portuguese funds through the national Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2013). The post-Doc grant SFRH/BPD/41117/2007 (M Dolbeth) and the PhD grant SFRH/BD/79170/2011 (LP Sousa) supported by FCT are also acknowledged

Statistical analysis of coastal morphological data sets over seasonal to decadal time scales

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Analysis and modeling of field data of coastal morphological evolution over yearly and decadal time scales. Part 1 Background and linear techniques

A number of statistical techniques to analyze and model coastal morphological evolution over yearly and decadal (i.e., long-term) time scales based on field data are presented. After a general introduction to long-term morphological modeling, mainly linear methods are discussed, whereas nonlinear methods are treated in a companion paper (SOUTHGATE et al., 2001). The theoretical background to the methods introduced is summarized and examples of field applications are given to illustrate each method. High-quality field data sets from different sites in the world, including Germany, The Netherlands, and United States, were employed in these examples. The analysis and modeling techniques used encompassed bulk statistics (mean, standard deviation, correlation etc), random sine functions, empirical orthogonal functions, canonical correlation analysis, and principal oscillation pattern analysis. Besides an evaluation of how suitable respective technique is for analyzing and modeling long-term morphological evolution, some general observations are presented regarding scales of morphological response as derived from the field applications. Data describing the evolution of both natural and anthropogenically affected coastal systems were studied. All methods investigated proved their usefulness for extracting characteristics of long-term morphological evolution, as well as for modeling this evolution, when applied under the right circumstances. However, more sophisticated techniques rely on more data in time and space, which is typically the limiting factor in the application of statistical methods as those presented here

Assessment of marine ecosystem services indicators: experiences and lessons learned from 14 european case studies

This article shares the experiences, observations, and discussions that occurred during the completing of an ecosystem services (ES) indicator framework to be used at European Union (EU) and Member States' level. The experience base was drawn from 3 European research projects and 14 associated case study sites that include 13 transitional-water bodies (specifically 8 coastal lagoons, 4 riverine estuaries, and 1 fjord) and 1 coastal-water ecosystem. The ES pertinent to each case study site were identified along with indicators of these ES and data sources that could be used for mapping. During the process, several questions and uncertainties arose, followed by discussion, leading to these main lessons learned: 1) ES identification: Some ES that do not seem important at the European scale emerge as relevant at regional or local scales; 2) ES indicators: When direct indicators are not available, proxies for indicators (indirect indicators) might be used, including combined data on monitoring requirements imposed by EU legislation and international agreements; 3) ES mapping: Boundaries and appropriate data spatial resolution must be established because ES can be mapped at different temporal and spatial scales. We also acknowledge that mapping and assessment of ES supports the dialogue between human well-being and ecological status. From an evidence-based marine planning-process point of view, mapping and assessment of marine ES are of paramount importance to sustainable use of marine natural capital and to halt the loss of marine biodiversity. (C) 2016 SETA