Integrated initial Assessment of pressures and state of the Mediterranean marine environment in the framework of the application of Ecosystem Approach by UNEP/MAP Michael Angelidis, UNEP/MAP – MED POL Marine and Coastal EEA/EIONET Workshop, Copenhagen, 25 October 2010

ECAP Road map 1. Set vision 2. Determine strategic objectives 3. Undertake preliminary assessment 4. Set ecological objectives 5. Set operational objectives (indicators and targets) 6. Revise monitoring programs and adjust targets as needed 7. Develop action plans

Ecological vision and strategic goals Ecological vision “A healthy Mediterranean with marine and coastal ecosystems that are productive and biologically diverse for the benefit of present and future generations” (2008) Strategic goals to protect, allow recovery and, where practicable, restore the structure and function of marine and coastal ecosystems thus also protecting biodiversity, in order to achieve and maintain good ecological status and allow for their sustainable use. To reduce pollution in the marine and coastal environment so as to minimize impacts on and risks to human and/or ecosystem health and/or uses of the sea and the coasts. To prevent, reduce and manage the vulnerability of the sea and the coasts to risk induced by human activities and natural events;

Initial Assessment The ECAP initial assessment of the ecological status and of pressures and impacts is undertaken in four different regions of the Mediterranean, identified based on bio-geographic and oceanographic considerations.

 Data on contaminants released by point sources are submitted by the countries in 2005 and 2008 (NBB Database).  2005 data include 7,600 records, each record indicating the emission of a substance for a given activity sector and sub-sector, in an administrative region and country (about 80 different substances or groups of substances and parameters).  2008 data under consideration. Pollution levels and impacts (i) sources

Wastewater treatment plants in coastal Mediterranean cities with population above 10,000 inhabitants (UNEP/MAP/MEDPOL/WHO 2004

Industrial sources of BOD5

Industrial sources of Cr

(ii) Pollution impact on the marine environment Major parameters Hazardous substances (metals: mainly Cd, Hg also Pb, Zn and Cu; halogenated hydrocarbons: mainly DDT, PCBs also Drin’s (aldrin, endrin and dieldrin), HCB and lindane ) They are monitored in sediments and biota (mainly Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mullus barbatus), in the framework of MED POL Monitoring programme Why these matrices? In principle, they are the most indicative compartments of the state of the environment. Data: total of more than 28,000 observations, corresponding to more than 400 stations Gaps: Geographical (Northern Africa) Temporal (small time series in most countries)

Stations Sediment and biota

Sub-regionCdTotal-HgPbZnCu Adriatic 0.21 ( ) 0.10 ( ) 9.5 ( ) 65.7 ( ) 16.1 ( ) Aegen- Levantine 0.11 ( ) 0.16 ( ) 5.9 ( ) 26.8 ( ) 11.2 ( ) Central Mediterrane an 0.53 ( ) 0.05 ( ) 4.3 ( ) 34.4 ( ) 5.14 ( ) Western Mediterrane an 1.60 ( ) 0.16 ( ) 19.4 ( ) 50.1 ( ) 13.9 ( ) Median and ranges of metals Sediments (µg g -1 dw)

Median and range of metals Mytilus galloprovincialis (µg g -1 dw) Sub-regionCdTotal-HgPbZnCu Adriatic 0.75 ( ) 0.15 ( ) 1.49 ( ) 121 ( ) 7.92 ( ) Aegen- Levantine 0.36 ( ) 0.06 ( ) 2.09 ( ) 68 ( ) 5.90 ( ) Central Mediterrane an 0.44 ( ) 0.18 ( ) 0.81 ( ) 87 ( ) 9.32 ( ) Western Mediterrane an 0.66 ( ) 0.16 ( ) 1.30 ( ) 122 ( ) 5.91 ( )

BIOTA Mean concentrations of Cadmium in Mytilus galloprovincialis (µg g -1 dw). BIOTA Mean concentrations of Total Mercury in Mytilus galloprovincialis (µg g -1 dw).

Trend evaluation results (from Trend-Y-tector suite) of cadmium and total mercury mass fraction in Mytilus galloprovincialis (MG) by year at station TM in Slovenian coastal waters Cadmium Total Mercury

Median and range of Chlorinated compounds Mytilus galloprovinciallis (ng g -1 dw) Sub-regionΣ DDTsLindaneCB138CB153Σ7CBs Adriatic ( ) 0.24 ( ) 6.67 ( ) 5.00 ( ) 96.6 ( ) Aegen- Levantine ( ) 0.21 ( ) 0.33 ( ) 1.13 ( ) Central Mediterrane an ( ) 0.11 ( ) 5.00 ( ) 4.27 ( ) Western Mediterrane an ( ) 0.60 ( ) ( ) ( ) 29.8 ( )

BIOTA Mean concentrations of Σ7PCBs (ng g -1 dw) in Mytilus galloprovincialis BIOTA Mean concentrations of DDTs (ng g -1 dw) in Mytilus galloprovincialis.

DDT in mussels – temporal trend (MED POL 2009 data) AlbaniaCroatia

Eutrophication Nutrients and Chl-a in seawater Nutrients (N, P) are the cause of eutrophication and Chl-a is a parameter to measure of the primary production. They are monitored in the framework MED POL Monitoring Programme Data: total of 3,600 observations, corresponding to 255 stations Gaps: Geographical (only 8 countries provided data) Temporal (small time series in most countries) However Scientific literature data and satellite images are used to evaluate eutrophcation on regional scale

Chlorophyll-a satelite image

SeaWiFS satellite images and show monthly mean concentrations from 1997 to 2004 (March)

SeaWiFS satellite images and show monthly mean concentrations from 1997 to 2004 (August)

Container traffic in Mediterranean harbors (REMPEC 2005)

Major tanker oil spills (> 700 tonnes) 1990–2005 (UNEP/MAP-EEA 2006)

Illicit oil spills in the Mediterranean in 2004 (EC/JRC)

Biodiversity 10,000-12,000 species (about 8,500 species of macroscopic fauna, over 1,300 plant species and about 2,500 other taxonomic groups This corresponds to 4-18% (according to taxonomic group) of the world’s known marine species. With about 0.82% and 0.32% of the surface area and volume of the world ocean respectively 87% of the known forms of life in the Mediterranean are present in the western Mediterranean, 49% in the Adriatic and 43% in the eastern Mediterranean. However, many species are present in two or three basins.

Marine Protected Areas (97,410 km² - 4% of the Med.) - Pelagos Sanctuary (87,500 km²) - Coastal MPAs 9,910 km² (0.4%)

Distribution of invasive marine species across the Mediterranean Sea and mode of introduction in selected areas

New invasive species reported over the last 15 years (UNEP/MAP – Blue Plan, 2009).

Next steps for the finalization of the Initial Assessment Report The countries provided comments and additional information by 30/9/2010 the Secretariat is revising the initial Assessment Report including all additional information,. The revised integrated Report, will be ready by December 2010 The final Report, after peer review by the countries, will be presented in the next COP meeting (December 2011)

Future activities Ecological Objectives The 11 MSFD Descriptors will be used as the basis for developing Mediterranean ecological objectives, taking also into account the issues emerging from the finalized integrated Assessment Report, socio economic considerations, ICZM and cumulative impacts to be discussed at the next meeting of technical experts on ecosystem approach

Definition of GES and target levels Selection of EO for good environmental status (GES) determination by March First discussion on target levels for selected EO indicators, as appropriate, for defining GES will be done by December 2011.

Updating MAP monitoring strategy MAP will develop an integrated monitoring programme in line with the ecosystem approach ( ). It will include all key parameters in order to calculate priority indicators

Thank you !