1. Marine Reporting Units: Aegean-Levantine Sea
Towards a set of
Marine Reporting Units:
Aegean-Levantine Sea
2nd workshop on subdivisions of the Mediterranean Sea
20 February 2018, Athens

2. Following maps and table provide a basis for workshop discussions
Map shows:
Boundary of MSFD subregion
Possible subdivisions – main basins with indicative boundaries (based on June 2017 meeting in Rome)
WFD coastal and territorial waters (transitional waters also shown for information – not part of MSFD marine waters) (2016)
MS marine waters (solid = water column; hatched = seabed only) (2012 reporting)
Table shows:
Indicative allocation of descriptors and criteria to each of the MRU scales (based on Decision (EU) 2017/848)
To be discussed at workshop:
Possible specific boundaries of subdivisions (including most appropriate aggregations of WFD water bodies for D5 & D8)
Allocation of descriptors/criteria to each MRU scale
Identify issues needing further consideration (e.g. specific descriptors/criteria)
Distinguish what could be used for 2018 (e.g. WFD aggregations) and what is for later (e.g. joint assessments)

3. Subdivision
Aegean-north
Subdivision
Aegean–central
Subdivision
Aegean-south
Subdivision
Levantine Sea
MS waters data as reported by EU Member States Illustrative map for purposes of MRU workshop only

4. Indicative allocation to areas
Scale
Areas (MRUs)
Descriptors
Region
Mediterranean
D1* deep-diving toothed cetaceans, baleen whales, deep-sea fish
Subregion
Aegean-Levantine Sea
D1* birds; mammals (small toothed cetaceans, seals), turtles, pelagic & demersal fish, cephalopods
D3 commercial fish & shellfish
D4 food webs
D8 Acute pollution (C3)
D9 Contaminants in seafood (??)
D11 Underwater noise (C1-C2)
Subdivision
Aegean - north
Aegean – central
Aegean - south
Levantine Sea
D1* Coastal fish
D1 Pelagic habitats
D2 NIS (C1-C2)
D5 Eutrophication (beyond coastal) (C1-C8)
D6 Benthic habitats (C1-C6)
D7 Hydrography (C1-C2)
D8 Contaminants (beyond territorial) (C1-C2)
D10 Litter (C1-C2-C3)
WFD territorial waters
Aggregated to subdivisions
D8 Contaminants (territorial)
WFD coastal waters
D5 Eutrophication (coastal) (C1-C8)
D8 Contaminants (coastal - ? separate from territorial)
* Also impacts of NIS (D2C3), acute pollution (D8C4), litter (D10C4) on species in these species groups

5. Map with WFD RDBs
MS waters data as reported by EU Member States Illustrative map for purposes of MRU workshop only

6. Feedback subgroup 2 (Aegean-Levantine)
- Only Greece present
- In 2012, Greece used:
Subdivisions (assessment areas): D5, D8, D9 and D10
Subregion: the rest of the descriptors
- Discussion around the possibility of using the coastal waters level for the D1 and D6 assessments (and D7?)
- Monitoring programmes starting currently: decision on which MRUs to use in the assessments would be taken around the end of the year
- Possible aggregation of coastal water bodies at a lower level than RBD. For “Beyond CW”, the subdivisions will be used for both D5 and D8
- No coordination with CY yet, although there`s potential for good cooperation (e.g. the same IC thresholds are being used)
- Sensitivities: maps to be represented very carefully (TeW of Greece, CY EEZ)