FOUR PARTS Part 1: Habitat Directive, Annex 1: habitat types Part 2: Habitat Directive, Annex 2: marine mammals Part 3: Habitat Directive, Annex 2: non-marine mammals Part 4: Integration DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS REPORT Degraer, S., U. Braeckman, J. Haelters, K. Hostens, T. Jacques, F. Kerckhof, B. Merckx, M. Rabaut, E. Stienen, G. Van Hoey, V. Van Lancker & M. Vincx (2009). Studie betreffende het opstellen van een lijst van potentiële Habitatrichtlijngebieden in het Belgische deel van de Noordzee. Final report by order of FSP Environment, Marine Environment. 93 pp. 20 to 60 % important habitat assigned as N2000 area

Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 RATIONALE HA1110 = structurally and functionally coherent unit of sandbank tops and associated gullies Delineating 24 sandbanks based on DTM and BPI (= basic building blocks) Differentiation 4 biotopes: Habitat suitability Biological value Surface area Differentiation sandbanks: (per biotope) Biological value Density macrobenthos Number of biotopes Share in surface area Scenario testing Preferential & additional biotope 4 scenario’s DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

24 sandbanks Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 RATIONALE HA1110 = structurally and functionally coherent unit of sandbank tops and associated gullies Delineating 24 sandbanks based on DTM and BPI (= basic building blocks) Differentiation 4 biotopes: Habitat suitability Biological value Surface area Differentiation sandbanks: (per biotope) Biological value Density macrobenthos Number of biotopes Share in surface area Scenario testing Preferential & additional biotope 4 scenario’s DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

Macoma balthica community Abra alba community Nephtys cirrosa community Ophelia limacina community Increasing sediment mud content Increasing (median) grain size Degraer et al., 2003 Van Hoey et al., 2004 Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 – 4 biotopes DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 – 4 biotopes DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Macrobenthic densitySpecies richness Abra alba biotope Coastal and near coastal area

Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 RATIONALE HA1110 = structurally and functionally coherent unit of sandbank tops and associated gullies Delineating 24 sandbanks based on DTM and BPI (= basic building blocks) Differentiation 4 biotopes: Habitat suitability Biological value Surface area Differentiation sandbanks: (per biotope) Biological value Density macrobenthos Number of biotopes Share in surface area Scenario testing Preferential & additional biotope 4 scenario’s DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

24 sandbanks X 4 biotopes Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 – 4 biotopes DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Abra alba biotope Ranking of sandbanks

Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 RATIONALE HA1110 = structurally and functionally coherent unit of sandbank tops and associated gullies Delineating 24 sandbanks based on DTM and BPI (= basic building blocks) Differentiation 4 biotopes: Habitat suitability Biological value Surface area Differentiation sandbanks: (per biotope) Biological value Density macrobenthos Number of biotopes Share in surface area Scenario testing Preferential & additional biotope 4 scenario’s DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

Scenario 1 5% preferential biotope Scenario 2 10% preferential biotope Scenario 3 15% preferential biotope Scenario 4 40% preferential biotope DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Habitat types Annex I, HA1110

RATIONALE Ecological importance ? Two candidates HA1170 Lanice conchilega aggregations Gravel beds Actual threats? Bottom disturbing activities HD as instrument for protection? HA1170 HA1170 associated with HA1110 « special feature » under HA1110 Lanice conchilega aggregations MaxEnt Aggregations: min. 500 ind./m² Gravel beds Maximum data exploration Min. 20% gravel; > 2 mm DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 (HA1170)

Lanice conchilega aggregations (~ Abra alba biotope) Gravel beds DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Habitat types Annex I, HA1110 (HA1170)

RATIONALE Potential target species in BDNZ Bottlenose dolphin Harbour porpoise Common seal Grey seal Available data Data RBINS Data INBO Mapping At species level Evaluation Population size Conservation status International importance DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, marine mammals

Harbour porpoise (March-April) April 2008: 2700 ind. (~ 2% NS population)Extinct Bottlenose dolphin (Recent observations) DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, marine mammals

Common seal Grey seal: Only anecdotic observations DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, marine mammals CONCLUSION MARINE MAMMALS None of the Annex II species allow identifying areas of community importance (cf. internationally low numbers and/or no concentration areas).

Potential target species in BPNS Sea lamprey, River lamprey, Sturgeon, Twait shad, shad, Houting, Salmon Loggerhead sea turtle, Green sea turtle RATIONALE Evaluation potential target species Sea lamprey, River lamprey, Sturgeon, Twait shad, Shad Available data Data ILVO (Data RBINS, Data Natuurpunt) Evaluation Population size Conservation status Relative importance BPNS DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, non-marine mammals

Twait shad River lamprey DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, non-marine mammals

CONCLUSION NON-MARINE MAMMALS It is impossible to identify concentration areas, nor is it possible to take site- specific conservation measures. The importance of coastal zone for migrating fish up and down the Scheldt estuary however is acknowledged. DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS Species Annex II, non-marine mammals

FOUR PARTS Part 1: Habitat Directive, Annex 1: habitat types Part 2: Habitat Directive, Annex 2: marine mammals Part 3: Habitat Directive, Annex 2: non-marine mammals Part 4: Integration DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS REPORT Degraer, S., U. Braeckman, J. Haelters, K. Hostens, T. Jacques, F. Kerckhof, B. Merckx, M. Rabaut, E. Stienen, G. Van Hoey, V. Van Lancker & M. Vincx (2009). Studie betreffende het opstellen van een lijst van potentiële Habitatrichtlijngebieden in het Belgische deel van de Noordzee. Final report by order of FSP Environment, Marine Environment. 93 pp. 20 to 60 % important habitat assigned as N2000 area

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Integration DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS

Facts 29% 8% 19% 28% 46% 35% 38% DELINEATING HABITAT DIRECTIVE AREAS IN THE BPNS