Regional Sea Conventions indicators and data flows for eutrophication TG DATA workshop on Eutrophication (D5) and Hazardous substance (D8) indicators and data flows, April 2014, Copenhagen Commission EU support contract: Development of shared EU-RSC data and information system

Context Need for integration and streamlining of marine reporting data across EU policies and Regional Sea Conventions (RSCs) in order to support policy implementation EU relevant RSCs: the OSPAR Convention (OSPAR) the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM) the Barcelona Convention, implemented by UNEP/MAP the Bucharest Convention, implemented by the Black Sea Commission (BSC) EEA together with the Eionet, manages and updates the WISE-SoE data flows

EU support contract main objectives 1.Review data & info flows from MSs to RSCs relevant to MSFD (what) 2.Review processes & methods at RSCs (how) 3.(Further) Develop a “data and information stream schema” for a shared marine information system [ WISE-MARINE] 4.Prepare a feasibility study of a shared information system 5.Describe an EU WISE-RSC data and information portal 6.Implement first elements of the system for OSPAR & HELCOM Project time line – appr. 1 year

Objectives of the current work Review of the data and information holdings within each of the four RSCs and EEA, as well as the respective flow processes and management systems for the topics of the MSFD With the aim of characterising the present information flow processes in place across Europe, in the light of their ability to support the MSFD and WFD objectives Provide input for a graph database model “data and information flow schema” for a shared marine information system

Methods (1) Collection of information Meetings with RSCs Deltares and AZTI met with OSPAR on Feb 5-6 SYKE and Deltares met with HELCOM on March 4 HCMR held brief meetings with UNEP/MAP and BSC on January 28 followed by communications ICES data center MED POL database IRIS SES project Web sites of the RSCs Inventory on data flows, data products, indicators, assessments etc

Methods (2) Overview of the indicators established or proposed by each RSC relevance to MSFD and EEA indicators methodologies and data they are based on Overview and analysis of data flows that can produce MSFD and RSCs indicators Data reported to the RSCs in 2012 by the CPs that are EU MS used in the analysis RSCs data flows assessed in comparison to parameters reported by the MS under articles 8, 9 and 10 of the MSFD

Results (1) – Eutrophication indicators ΜSFDOSPARHELCOMUNEP/MAPBSCEEA Indicators Common indicators Core indicators Proposed common indicators Indicators in Diagnostic Report, 2010 Indicators Waterborne nutrient inputs Core indicators of nutrient inputs under development Inputs of nutrients from direct (point) sources Atmospheric nutrient inputs Nutrients concentration in the water column Winter nutrient concentrations Concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen Concentration of key nutrients in the water column NO 3 +NO 2 CSI021-Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters Concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphorus PO Nutrient ratios (silica, nitrogen and phosphorus), where appropriate Chlorophyll concentration in the water column Chlorophyll concentrations Concentration of chlorophyll a Chlorophyll-a concentration in the water column Chlorophyll-a CSI023 -Chlorophyll in transitional, coastal and marine waters Water transparency related to increase in suspended algae, where relevant Water transparency (Secchi depth) Abundance of opportunistic macroalgae Considered and adopted by the CBD AG in Species shift in floristic composition such as diatom to flagellate ratio, benthic to pelagic shifts, as well as bloom events of nuisance/toxic algal blooms (e.g. cyanobacteria) caused by human activities Species shift/indicator species: Nuisance species Phaeocystis Considered and adopted by the CBD AG in Abundance of perennial seaweeds and seagrasses (e.g. fucoids, eelgrass and Neptune grass) adversely impacted by decrease in water transparency Lower depth distribution limit of macrophytes State of soft-bottom macrozoobenthos (under development) Considered and adopted by the CBD AG in Dissolved oxygen, i.e. changes due to increased organic matter decomposition and size of the area concerned OxygenOxygen concentrationHypoxic situations, expansion of zones of hypoxia

Results (2) – Eutrophication assessment methodologies RSCDescription of assessment procedure OSPARIndicator methodologies and assessment levels developed under the Common Procedure, the OSPAR assessment tool for eutrophication HELCOMIndicator methodologies and targets developed under the HELCOM TARGREV project and the HELCOM EUTRO PRO process, HELCOM Eutrophication Assessment Tool (HEAT) UNEP/MAPGuidance on relevant sampling and analysis techniques available, indicator methodologies under development BSCIndicator methodologies under development EEAIndicator methodologies developed, will be aligned with WFD and MSFD WFDChlorophyll a (phytoplankton biomass) is the most region-wide inter-calibrated parameter for the biological quality element Phytoplankton Nutrient status is included in the physico-chemical quality elements

Results (3) – Overview of data flows relevant to MSFD eutrophication indicators MSFD Nutrients concentration in the water column MSFD art 8, 9, 10 reporting from Palialexis et al X denotes reporting % of CPs reporting100-81%80-61%60-41%40-21%20-1% no reporting

Results (4) – Overview of data flows relevant to MSFD eutrophication indicators MSFD art 8, 9, 10 reporting from Palialexis et al MSFD Chlorophyll concentration in the water column MSFD Water transparency related to increase in suspended algae, where relevant X denotes reporting MSFD BSC reporting on phytoplankton blooms % of CPs reporting100-81%80-61%60-41%40-21%20-1% no reporting

Results (5) – Overview of data flows relevant to MSFD eutrophication indicators MSFD art 8, 9, 10 reporting from Palialexis et al MSFD Dissolved oxygen, i.e. changes due to increased organic matter decomposition and size of the area concerned X denotes reporting MSFD BSC reporting on phytobenthos species level taxonomy, phytobenthos species biomass, total biomass % of CPs reporting100-81%80-61%60-41%40-21%20-1% no reporting

Results (6) – Overview of data flows relevant to MSFD eutrophication indicators Nutrient loads Atmospheric deposition X denotes reporting CLRTAP: Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution Unmonitored coastal flow is estimated % of CPs reporting100-81%80-61%60-41%40-21%20-1% no reporting BSC data is for the period UNEP/MAP data is from the National Baseline Budget (NBB) of emissions and releases (2008)

Summary All RSCs have adopted (HELCOM, OSPAR) or are in the process of adopting (UNEP/MAP, BSC) indicators for eutrophication nutrients, chlorophyll a and oxygen are reported by most contracting parties across RSCs and WiseSoE data flows Nutrients: >60% of CPs of all the RSCs, apart from UNEP/MAP; lower % for reporting under the MSFD (partly because they are expressed differently) 20-60% of MS through WiseSoE Chlorophyll a: >80% of CPs of all the RSCs, apart from UNEP/MAP >80% under the MSFD 40-60% of MS through WiseSoE Oxygen: >80% of CPs of all the RSCs apart from UNEP/MAP lower % for reporting under MSFD 40-60% of MS through WiseSoE

Summary Water transparency: reported only to HELCOM and BSC, although it was used in all regions for MSFD reporting Nutrient inputs: HELCOM: >20% of CP’s report riverine and point sources OSPAR: >40% of CPs report riverine and point sources UNEP/MAP: inputs from point sources are reported every five years BSC: >40% of CPs reported riverine and point sources for Atmospheric deposition: HELCOM: all CPs report to UN ECE OSPAR: >40% of CP’s report to UN ECE UNEP/MAP: no reporting BSC: no reporting

Summary There are RSC data flows for MSFD indicators: Nutrients Chlorophyll Water transparency Dissolved oxygen But even with existing data flows and well established indicators (nutrients, chlorophyll-a), many gaps between RSC/MSFD reporting There are no RCS data flows for MSFD indicators: Nutrient ratios Abundance of opportunistic macroalgae Species shift, bloom events of nuisance/toxic algal blooms (except in BSC) Abundance of perennial seaweeds and seagrasses (except in BSC)

Next task: Development of a ‘data and information flow schema’ Project objective To optimize MSFD reporting data flows, information traceability, and data sharing between MSs, RSCs and EC/EEA Method: Insert RSC inventory information on data/information/flows in a graph database Visualize & analyse (parts of) information flow for missing “links” and doubles Discuss analysis and suggest changes for optimized data and information flows