The ESPON 2013 programme : the development of the islands – European islands and cohesion policy (EUROISLANDS)

The report was accepted by the ESPON Monitoring Committee as it demonstrates interesting outputs and observations on the situation and development of the European islands. The report raises awareness of the specificities and diversity of this specific type of territories and takes into consideration the current policy debate related to European Cohesion Policy. The revised version of the Final Report has been considered meeting the minimum demands in contractual terms. However, some case studies raised comments from individual stakeholders involved. Some improvements requested were not implemented to their entire satisfaction as part of the revision of the Final Report. It was felt that the case studies could have been better used and integrated in the analysis, making the report richer, more precise and evidence based, enhancing its narrative.peer-reviewe

Aliens in the Aegean – a sea under siege (ALAS)

ALAS aims to fill knowledge gaps on the impacts of marine alien species in the Aegean Sea, and support marine managers and policy makers in prioritizing mitigation actions. The project will focus on under-studied alien-native interactions, priority and vulnerable habitats (such as shallow forests of canopy algae and underwater caves), and apply a multitude of approaches. It will apply a standardized, quantitative method for mapping Cumulative IMpacts of invasive Alien species on marine ecosystems (CIMPAL), according to which cumulative impact scores are estimated on the basis of the distributions of invasive species and ecosystems, and both the reported magnitude of ecological impacts and the strength of such evidence. Towards that direction, ALAS will improve our knowledge base and compile the needed information to estimate CIMPAL by (1) conducting a series of field experiments and surveys to investigate the impacts of selected invasive alien species on marine habitats, (2) producing high-resolution habitat maps in the coastal zone, refining the results of previous research efforts through fieldwork, remote sensing and satellite imaging, (3) producing species distribution models for all invasive species, based on extensive underwater surveys for the collection of new data and integrating all existing information. ALAS will incorporate skills and analyses in novel ways and provide high-resolution results at a large scale; couple classic and novel tools and follow a trans-disciplinary approach, combining knowledge from the fields of invasion biology, conservation biology, biogeography, fisheries science, marine ecology, remote sensing, statistical modelling; conduct for the first time in the Aegean Sea a comprehensive, high-resolution analysis of cumulative impacts of invasive alien species; and report results in formats appropriate for decision-makers and society, thus transferring research-based knowledge to inform and influence policy decisions

Supporting insular research and development through the ‘Archipelago’ information system

Information systems play a crucial role in supporting decision-making for managing and administrating territories at different levels of authority. Unfortunately, most such information systems are not dedicated to or customized for the special needs imposed by islands. In this work we describe the design, implementation, and operation of the ‘Archipelago’ digital repository, an integrated information system for supporting island research and development. The main objectives of the system are the storage, documentation, and dissemination of any kind of data regarding islands, as well as the provision of cartographic facilities for searching, visualization, and comparison. The basic principle of the system is the ability to geographically designate any stored material. The system is compatible with the standards for digital information documentation and interoperability, and it is based on free and open-source software tools

Contribution of area-based fisheries management measures to fisheries sustainability and marine conservation: a global scoping review

25 pages, 12 figures, supplementary Information https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-023-09780-9.-- Data availability: All data produced by the current scoping review are available in the Supplementary Information of the articleArea-based fisheries management measures (ABFMs) are commonly related to the sustainable use of resources but are increasingly considered broader conservation measures. This Scoping Review (ScR) identified and mapped the evidence base regarding the contribution of ABFMs to fisheries sustainability and marine conservation. The ScR was conducted following the JBI methodology and the PRISMA statement. A total of 2,391 documents were identified, and following a two-stage screening process, 151 documents were eventually included in the ScR for full review and data extraction. Most of the documents were published during the last 12 years. Studies had a wide geographical distribution (mainly located in Europe and North America), were primarily conducted at the subnational level, concerned fishing restrictions of towed gears, and assessed ABFMs from a single stock’s perspective. ABFMs identified were of various types, and the use of terminology was not consistent in the literature. Multiple combinations of data collection (primarily experimental surveys/sampling and open data sources) and analysis methods (most commonly, fisheries and ecological analyses and modelling) were applied (often in combination), using a variety of different metrics. Various knowledge gaps emerged, mainly related to the study of ABFMs networks and the application of an interdisciplinary and ecosystem-based approach for assessing ABFMs. The social, economic, and environmental impact of ABFMs was positive in most cases (56%) and in less cases negative (22%) or mixed (14%). This ScR is a valuable source of information for the contribution of ABFMs to rebuilding marine ecosystems and attaining CBD conservation targets through the lens of the OECM conceptOpen access funding provided by HEAL-Link Greece. DP, MC and SKats were supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-12 under grant agreement No 101059407 “MarinePlan—Improved transdisciplinary science for effective ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning and conservation in European Seas”. MC acknowledges the Spanish government through the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S) and the Spanish National Project ProOceans (RETOS-PID2020-118097RB-I00)Peer reviewe

Assessment of island beach erosion due to sea level rise: The case of the Aegean Archipelago (Eastern Mediterranean)

The present contribution constitutes the first comprehensive attempt to (a) record the spatial characteristics of the beaches of the Aegean Archipelago (Greece), a critical resource for both the local and national economy; and (b) provide a rapid assessment of the impacts of the long- term and episodic sea level rise (SLR), under different scenarios. Spatial information and other attributes (e.g. presence of coastal protection works and backshore development) of the beaches of the 58 largest islands of the Archipelago were obtained on the basis of remote-sensed images available in the web. Ranges of SLR-induced beach retreats under different morphological, sedimentological and hydrodynamic forcing and SLR scenarios were estimated, using suitable ensembles of cross-shore (1-D) morphodynamic models. These ranges, combined with empirically-derived estimations of wave run up-induced flooding, were then compared with the recorded maximum beach widths, to provide ranges of retreat/erosion and flooding at the Archipelago scale. The spatial information shows that the Aegean beaches may be particularly vulnerable to mean (MSLR) and episodic SLRs due to: (i) their narrow widths (about 59 % of the beaches have maximum widths < 20 m); (ii) their limited terrestrial sediment supply; (iii) the substantial coastal development and (iv) limited existing coastal protection. Modeling results indeed project severe impacts under MSLR and storm surges, which by 2100 could be devastating. For example, under MSLR of 0.5 m (RCP4.5), a storm surge of 0.6 m is projected to result in complete erosion of between 31 and 88 % of all beaches (29 - 87 % of beaches currently fronting coastal infrastructure and assets), at least temporarily. It appears that, in addition to the significant effort and financial resources required to protect/maintain the critical economic resource of the Aegean Archipelago, appropriate coastal ‘set-back zone’ policies should also be adopted and implemented.JRC.E.1-Disaster Risk Managemen