Cumulative effects assessment: proof of concept marine mammals

This development of the framework and approach for a Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) is based on a literature review. The literature identified some key challenges that need to be addressed for CEA to evolve into a consistent, appropriate tool to assist decision-making. These challenges included • A clear distinction of the receptor-led CEA from the dominating stressor-led Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approaches and • Enabling CEA to provide ecosystem-relevant information at an appropriate regional scale. Therefore this CEA is explicitly developed to be a receptor-led and fully integrated framework, i.e. involving multiple occurrences of multiple pressures (from single and/or different sources) on multiple receptors, as opposed to other existing approaches dealing with only a subset of those pressures or receptors, hence our use of the phrase iCEA for integrated CEA. As a proof of concept for this iCEA we selected one receptor, the ecosystem component marine mammals. The main conclusions of this exercise (see Chapter 6) are that the iCEA framework and approach presented in this study appear suitable to fulfil its main purpose and ultimately inform the policy process as described in the conception phase. However it should be acknowledged this is only the very first step in a process where through many iterations new information can be introduced and assessed (relative to existing information) based on the criteria provided resulting in an improved iCEA with increasing confidence levels. As more information becomes available the relative importance of impact chains and its corresponding information modules may change giving direction to new areas for research. For further development of this iCEA towards its intended applications we can distinguish between the first purpose, i.e. identification of the main impact chains contributing to the risk that a specific ecosystem component is impacted, which can be achieved with the approach presented here focussing on one specific ecosystem component and the second purpose, i.e. an evaluation of the performance of possible management strategies, which would require all ecosystem components to be included as would be required for ecosystem-based management. Thus to further the development and application of this iCEA towards its (two) purpose(s) the recommendation is to: • Include the available information presented in this report into the iCEA and develop the Bayesian Belief Network such that it can process this information and its associated confidence into an assessment that identifies the main impact chains for the marine mammals. • Extend the framework and approach to (all) the other ecosystem components so that a truly integrated CEA is possible. Note that this is likely to affect the identification of what should be considered the main pressures to guide management. • Improve the information modules that emerged from the evaluation as the most promising to increase the confidence in the outcome of the iCEA. Note that the previous two steps may result in a different prioritisation of the information modules as the importance of pressures and hence impact chains changes

Biogene riffen in de Noordzee : actuele en potentiële verspreiding van rifvormende schelpdieren en wormen

Vanuit het beleid is er behoefte aan ruimtelijke informatie over actuele en potentiële voorkomens van een aantal rifbouwende soorten in de Nederlandse Noordzee in verband met bescherming (Kaderrichtlijn Mariene Strategie, Natura 2000, OSPAR) en de geplande uitrol van windenergie op zee en integraal Noordzeebeleid (Strategische Agenda Noordzee 2030). De huidige en toekomstige windparken bieden mogelijk kansen voor herstel van biogene riffen, indien er geen bodemberoerende visserij plaatsvindt. In dit rapport wordt door middel van kaarten en een tabel de (potentiële) verspreiding van een aantal rifbouwende soorten in de Nederlandse Noordzee inzichtelijk gemaakt. Per kaart is een korte toelichting opgenomen. De kaarten en toelichting per kaart zullen ook digitaal beschikbaar worden gesteld in het Informatiehuis Marien (www.informatiehuismarien.nl/open-data). De gebruikte gegevens zijn afkomstig uit vissurveys en schelpdiersurveys uitgevoerd door Wageningen Marine Research, en uit verschillende andere inventarisaties. Verder is er een aantal voorspellende kaarten gemaakt van het voorkomen van rifbouwende soorten in de Noordzee, op basis van modellering met omgevingsvariabelen. Gegevens worden gepresenteerd voor platte oester (Ostrea edulis), mossel (Mytilus edulis), paardenmossel (Modiolus modiolus), zandkokerwormen (Sabellaria sp.), gestekelde zandkokerworm (Sabellaria spinulosa) en schelpkokerworm (Lanice conchilega)

WindSpeed Decision Support System (DSS), a planning instrument to reduce conflicts between offshore wind parks and environmental concerns

Abstract Offshore wind power has the potential to fulfill a large share of Europe's future electricity needs. However, offshore wind farms can have both negative and positive ecological effects on the marine environment. Unless adequately and timely addressed, environmental concerns and other uses of the sea could hamper a large scale development of offshore wind energy. A GIS-based Decision Support System developed within the EU-project WindSpeed can help to define a realistic potential for offshore wind energy by taking into account environmental concerns as well as other relevant sea use functions, and their interactions. Based on the application of a DSS tool, options to reduce the conflict between offshore wind deployment and environmental aspects are addressed. Introduction Offshore wind power has the potential to fulfill a large share of Europe's future electricity needs. However, offshore wind farms can have both negative and positive ecological effects on the marine environment. If these effects are not adequately and timely addressed, environmental concerns as well as other uses of the sea could hamper a large scale development of offshore wind energy. A GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) developed within the EU-funded project WindSpeed can help to define a realistic potential for offshore wind energy taking into account ecological issues and other relevant sea use functions, and their interactions

Geschiktheid zeewindparken voor maricultuur en passieve visserij : een kwantitatieve beoordeling van de kansrijkheid van de gebieden voor de potentiële productiviteit van een selectie aan commercieel interessante soorten

In de Nederlandse Exclusieve Economische Zone (EEZ) zijn windparken gepland op diverse locaties. Door de windparken ontstaan nieuwe kansen voor multifunctioneel gebruik zoals maricultuur en niet-bodemberoerende visserij met passieve vistuigen. Deze studie brengt de potentiële - kwantitatieve - productiviteit van het kweken of vissen (passief vistuig) binnen bestaande, geplande en mogelijke toekomstige windparklocaties op de Noordzee in kaart voor een aantal vormen van medegebruik; kweek van bepaalde soorten zeewier en schelpdieren en de niet-bodemberoerende vangst van bepaalde soorten vissen, schaaldieren en inktvissen. Dit project is een vervolg op een voorgaand project waarbij een kwalitatieve beoordeling gegeven is van de kansrijkheid van de gebieden. In de huidige studie is voor een selectie van kansrijke soorten een berekening voor oogst of productie uitgevoerd. Daarnaast is dit rapport bedoeld om op basis van de huidige stand van kennis een inschatting te geven van de orde van grootte van het ruimtebeslag van zeewierproductie binnen toekomstige windparken. Met een aantal berekeningen wordt inzicht gegeven in de orde van grootte van opbrengsten, beschikbare/benodigde oppervlakten en benodigde nutriënten in de Noordzee. Op basis van deze analyse lijkt een areaal van enkele honderden km2 zeewierproductie realistisch, hierbij is uitgegaan van een grove indicatieve berekening, met diverse aannames. Op basis van de beschikbare voedingsstoffen voor mosselen zou tussen ca. 50 en 100 ton drooggewicht mosselen per km2 per jaar kunnen worden geproduceerd, waarbij de bronnen van onzekerheid in acht genomen dienen te worden. Om een indruk te krijgen van het (relatieve) voorkomen van vissen, weekdieren en schaaldieren is gebruik gemaakt van VMS- en logboekgegevens samen met gegevens van twee jaarlijkse surveys (BTS en IBTS). Het is echter niet mogelijk gebleken om voor alle geselecteerde soorten een kwantitatieve inschatting te maken, aangezien er nog weinig bekend is over ruimtelijke verdeling van deze soorten. Daarom is voor deze soorten een overzicht gegeven van wat er in de literatuur over bekend is

Geschiktheid zeewindparken voor maricultuur en passieve visserij : Een kwalitatieve beoordeling van geschiktheid van windparklocaties voor voedselproductie

In de Nederlandse Exclusieve Economische Zone (EEZ) zijn windparken gepland op diverse locaties. Door de windparken ontstaan nieuwe kansen voor multifunctioneel gebruik zoals maricultuur en nietbodemberoerende visserij met passieve vistuigen. Deze studie heeft de relatieve geschiktheid van bestaande, geplande en mogelijke toekomstige windparklocaties op de Noordzee in beeld gebracht voor een aantal vormen van medegebruik met betrekking tot een kweek van een aantal soorten schelpdieren en zeewier en niet-bodemberoerende vangst van een aantal soorten vissen, schaaldieren en weekdieren. Om de relatieve geschiktheid te beoordelen is eerst inzicht nodig waar de verschillende soorten voorkomen en welke condities voor een optimale leefsituatie zorgen. Dit leidt tot een kwalitatieve beoordeling van geschiktheid van (potentiële) windparklocaties voor voedselproductie (i.e. kweek of vangst van de betreffende soorten). De resultaten zijn weergegeven in kaarten per soort waardoor een inschatting gemaakt is van de geschiktheid van de verschillende locaties

(Dis) integrated valuation - Assessing the information gaps in ecosystem service appraisals for governance support

The operational challenges of integrated ecosystem service (ES) appraisals are determined by study purpose, system complexity and uncertainty, decision-makers' requirements for reliability and accuracy of methods, and approaches to stakeholder-science interaction in different decision contexts. To explore these factors we defined an information gap hypothesis, based on a theory of cumulative uncertainty in ES appraisals. When decision context requirements for accuracy and reliability increase, and the expected uncertainty of the ES appraisal methods also increases, the likelihood of methods being used is expected to drop, creating a potential information gap in governance. In order to test this information gap hypothesis, we evaluate 26 case studies and 80 ecosystem services appraisals in a large integrated EU research project. We find some support for a decreasing likelihood of ES appraisal methods coinciding with increasing accuracy and reliability requirements of the decision-support context, and with increasing uncertainty. We do not find that information costs are the explanation for this information gap, but rather that the research project interacted mostly with stakeholders outside the most decision-relevant contexts. The paper discusses how alternative definitions of integrated valuation can lead to different interpretations of decision-support information, and different governance approaches to dealing with uncertainty. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Integrating methods for ecosystem service assessment: Experiences from real world situations

The Ecosystem Services (ES) concept highlights the varied contributions the environment provides to humans and there are a wide range of methods/tools available to assess ES. However, in real-world decision contexts a single tool is rarely sufficient and methods must be combined to meet practitioner needs. Here, results from the OpenNESS project are presented to illustrate the methods selected to meet the needs of 24 real-world case studies and better understand why and how methods are combined to meet practical needs. Results showed that within the cases methods were combined to: i) address a range of ES; ii) assess both supply and demand of ES; iii) assess a range of value types; iv) reach different stake-holder groups v) cover weaknesses in other methods used and vi) to meet specific decision context needs. Methods were linked in a variety of ways: i) as input-output chains of methods; ii) through learning; iii) through method development and iv) through comparison/triangulation of results. The paper synthesises these case study-based experiences to provide insight to others working in practical contexts as to where, and in what contexts, different methods can be combined and how this can add value to case study analyses. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Deliverable 3.6 zoning plan of case studies : evaluation of spatial management options for the case studies

Within MESMA, nine case studies (CS) represent discrete marine European spatial entities, at different spatial scales, where a spatial marine management framework is in place, under development or considered. These CS (described in more details below) are chosen in such a way (MESMA D. 3.1 ) that they encompass the complexity of accommodating the various user functions of the marine landscape in various regions of the European marine waters. While human activities at sea are competing for space, there is also growing awareness of the possible negative effects of these human activities on the marine ecosystem. As such, system specific management options are required, satisfying current and future sectoral needs, while safeguarding the marine ecosystem from further detoriation. This integrated management approach is embedded in the concept of ecosystem based management (EBM). The goal of marine EBM is to maintain marine ecosystems in a healthy, productive and resilient condition, making it possible that they sustain human use and provide the goods and services required by society (McLeod et al. 2005). Therefore EBM is an environmental mangagement approach that recognises the interactions within a marine ecosystem, including humans. Hence, EBM does not consider single issues, species or ecosystems good and services in isolation. Operationalisation of EBM can be done through place-based or spatial management approaches (Lackey 1998), such as marine spatial planning (MSP). MSP is a public process of analysing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities aiming at achieving ecological, economic and social objectives. These objectives are usually formulated through political processes (Douvere et al. 2007, Douvere 2008). Within MESMA, a spatially managed area (SMA) is then defined as “a geographical area within which marine spatial planning initiatives exist in the real world”. Marine spatial planning initiatives refer to existing management measures actually in place within a defined area, or in any stage of a process of putting management in place, e.g. plans or recommendations for a particular area. Management can include management for marine protection (e.g. in MPAs), or management for sectoral objectives (e.g. building a wind farm to meet renewable energy objectives). Within MESMA, SMAs can have different spatial scales. A SMA can be a small, specific area that is managed/planned to be managed for one specific purpose, but it can also be a larger area within which lots of plans or ‘usage zones’ exist. This definition is different from the definition mentioned in the DoW (page 60). The original definition was adapted during a CS leader workshop (2-4 May 2012 in Gent, Belgium) and formally accepted by the MESMA ExB during the ExB meeting in Cork (29-30 May 2012). MSP should result in a marine spatial management plan that will produce the desired future trough explicit decisions about the location and timing of human activities. Ehler & Douvere (2009) consider this spatial management as a beginning toward the the implementation of desired goals and objectives. They describe the spatial management plan as a comprehensive, strategic document that provides the framework and direction for marine spatial management decisions. The plan should identify when, where and how goals and objectives will be met. Zoning (the development of zoning plans) is often an important management measure to implement spatial management plans. The purpose of a zoning plan (Ehler & Douvere 2009) is: To provide protection for biologically and ecologically important habitats, ecosystems, and ecological processes. To seperate conflicting human activities, or to combine compatible activities. To protect the natural values of the marine management area (in MESMA terminology: the SMA) while allowing reasonable human uses of the area. To allocate areas for reasonable human uses while minimising the effects of these human uses on each other, and nature. To preserve some areas of the SMA in their natural state undisturbed by humans except for scientific and educational purposes.peer-reviewe