1. ICES Ecosystem overviews 2012/13 Pressures, descriptors & indicators Han Lindeboom Vice-chair ACOM

2. Ecosystem overviews:
New ecosystem overviews are needed (update of 2008)
How to optimise the use of the overviews
How to present the ecosystem
How to link drivers and indicators (e.g. biodiversity)
How to distinguish manageable and non-manageable pressures
Needed: A new concept of presentation and integrated analyses

3. The marine ecosystem according to Han
Sand extraction
Climate
Wind energy
Fisheries
North Sea
Solar-activity ? ?
NAO
N,P,Si
N,P,Si
Weather
Ecomare
This is an example of an integrated ecosystem overview as Han Lindeboom developed for the Dutch coastal marine ecosystem. This is just a conceptual model (or picture) of the ecosystem, drivers of change and trends in important species. See next slide
CO2
Temperature
N-cycle
Eutrophication
The marine ecosystem according to Han

4. The marine ecosystem according to Han
Sand extraction
Climate
Wind energy
Fisheries
North Sea
Solar-activity ? ?
NAO
N,P,Si
N,P,Si
Weather
Central is a simplified picture of the mean features of the ecosystem and food web. (Click) Surrounded by the temporal development of drivers of change like climate, fisheries, eutrophication and sand extraction. (Click) And surrounded by the temporal trends in important species like fish, birds and mammals. (Click) And in this case with a potential explanation of some of the observed changes by a more detailed look at the nitrogen cycle.
For the time being this is only a conceptual model. The challenge is now to get up-to-date graphs, to collect all relevant graphs, to develop proper parameters for the different pressures and to start real integrated analyses.
But we can now use this concept also for the ICES ecosystem overviews. The next sheets show the example for the North Sea
CO2
Temperature
N-cycle
Eutrophication
The marine ecosystem according to Han

5. The ICES North Sea ecosystem overview 2008
Bathymetry
Sediments
Elasmobranchs
Biodiversity (fish)
demersal
Fish
Harbour porpoise
1994
2005
N,P,Si
Temperature
South
strandings
North
Zooplankton dominance
This is a first North Sea ecosystem overview based on the graphs that were presented in the overview of This shows that different information was available but also that quite some information was missing (e.g. birds, phytoplankton)
North Sea flux
Degree of connection
Salinity

6. The ICES North Sea biodiversity overview 2008/12 Non-manageable
pressures
Manageable pressures
Temperature
Fisheries
Artificial hard
substrates
Sand/gravel
extraction
MPAs
South
Introduced
species
Platforms
Ship
wrecks
North
Eutrophication
Wind farms
Building with
Nature
Indicators
Zooplankton dominance
Salinity
Wind
N,P,Si
Biodiversity fish
North Sea flux
Ecomare
In this graph we see a first attempt to compile an overview of North Sea Biodiversity and the pressures that may cause changes. Again the non-manageable like climate and the manageable like fisheries, artificial hard substrates and MPAs. As indicators different faunal groups, like zooplankton, fish and birds are depicted, while the occurrence of different habitats is also seen as an important indicator for this descriptor. In the following sheet a detail for the seabirds is presented.
Habitats
Mammals
Birds EcoQO
Harbour porpoise
Seals NL
1994
2005
Info:

7. The ICES North Sea ecosystem overview 2012 Descriptors Non-manageable
pressures
D1 Biodiversity (fish)
Manageable pressures
Temperature
South
Dutch Wadden Sea
eutrophication
Fisheries
North
Zooplankton dominance
USA
Wind farms
Shipping
Salinity
N,P,Si
D2 Non-indigenous species
D3 Commercial fish and shellfish
North Sea flux
In the new approach we suggest to focus on pressures and descriptors. (Click) Central again is a simplified picture of the ecosystem concerned. (Click) Now we distinguish between non-manageable (like climate) and manageable pressures (like fisheries, wind farms etc.). (Click) And we add the 11 descriptors as identified by the EU that will be used in the MSFD. (In red are descriptors for which ICES can give support by supplying information). For each descriptor it is possible to develop a next sheet that will also contain indicators. In the next slide this is done for biodiversity
D5 Eutrophication
D4 Foodwebs
D11 Energy including underwater noise
Degree of connection
D7 Hydrographical conditions
D6 Sea floor integrity
D10 Marine Litter
Bathymetry
Sediments
D9 Contaminants in Sea foods
D8 Contaminants

8. The Seven Seas project Jan Kok and Han Lindeboom Faroe plateau
Islandic Sea
Barents/Norwegian Sea
North Sea
Atlantic Ocean
In the near future we intend to develop this kind of overviews for all the different ICES sea areas. In the so called Seven Seas project we have started these overviews by using the knowledge in the overviews of We intend to ask different ICES working groups to supply information and call upon others to join this initiative in the future.
Baltic Sea
Celtic Sea
Bay of Biscay
Jan Kok and Han Lindeboom

9. The Functioning of Marine Ecosystems Four major Determinants
Anthropocene
Energy
Man
11-year cycle
Natural driver of change
Man-made drivers of change
Temperate
18-year cycle
N,P,Si
Setting the stage
Determines reaction
Habitat
Intrinsic properties
living nature
(Intrinsic properties
non-living nature)
Info:

10. The Functioning of Marine Ecosystems Four major Determinants
Man
Fisheries
Hunting
Aquaculture
Eutrophication
Pollution
Mining
Noise
River inputs
Waterworks/Polders/Embankments
Hard substrate
Rotor blades
Management
CO2 emissions
Invasive species
Energy
Anthropocene
Light/heat/kinetic
Climate
Temperature
Wind
Precipitation
Tides/Currents
Nutrient availability
Tectonics
Volcanism
Earth quakes
Tsunamis
18-year cycle
11-year cycle +
Temperate
N,P,Si
Intrinsic properties
living nature
Habitat
(Intrinsic properties
non-living nature)
Biodiversity
Behaviour
Production
Recruitment
Predation
Diseases
Reef building
Evolution
Regime shifts/sudden changes
Resilience/sensitivity
Feedbacks
Match/mismatch
Complexity/chaos
Depth
Bottom type
Currents
Salinity
Intertidal
Waves (splash zone)
Thermal vents
Gas seeps
Ice
Biogenic structures
Man-made structures
Info:

11. The Functioning of Marine Ecosystems Four major Determinants
Man
Fisheries
Hunting
Aquaculture
Eutrophication
Pollution
Mining
Noise
River inputs
Waterworks/Polders/Embankments
Hard substrate
Rotor blades
Management
CO2 emissions
Invasive species
Energy
Anthropocene
Light/heat/kinetic
Climate
Temperature
Wind
Precipitation
Tides/Currents
Nutrient availability
Tectonics
Volcanism
Earth quakes
Tsunamis
18-year cycle
11-year cycle +
Temperate
N,P,Si
Intrinsic properties
living nature
Habitat
(Intrinsic properties
non-living nature)
Biodiversity
Behaviour
Production
Recruitment
Predation
Diseases
Reef building
Evolution
Regime shifts/sudden changes
Resilience/sensitivity
Feedbacks
Match/mismatch
Complexity/chaos
Depth
Bottom type
Currents
Salinity
Intertidal
Waves (splash zone)
Thermal vents
Gas seeps
Ice
Biogenic structures
Man-made structures
Info:

12. The suggested way forward:
Workshop 7-11 January 2013
Prepare complete overviews per area (8)
Extend available data series, e.g. descriptors 1,2,4,6
Work out specific areas (Baltic Sea, North Sea)
Use new overviews in advice (pictures and text)
Compare and analyse major changes and drivers
Other suggestions ?

13. Statement
In marine science, biodiversity is the variability among living
organisms and the ecological complexes of which they are part;
In marine management, biodiversity is not about biodiversity,
it is about the absence or decline of species
If we agree, this could be priority agenda setting
Fish
Elasmobranchs
Benthos

14. Thank you