UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG.20/Inf.8 17 January 2012 ENGLISH
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UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG.20/Inf.8 17 January 2012 ENGLISH MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN 17th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols Paris (France), 8-10 February 2012 INITIAL INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA: FULFILLING STEP 3 OF THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH PROCESS UNEP/MAP Athens, 2012 Note from the Secretariat 1. This report represents an initial assessment of information on ecology, status, and pressures affecting coastal and marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean, based on existing information available either at the regional level, or throughout each of the four subregions that were delineated by decision of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention. The assessment was prepared in line with the agreement at the First Meeting of Technical Experts on the Application of the Ecosystem Approach by MAP, in Rome 8-9 April 2010, which stipulated that the integrated report should follow the Table of Contents proposed and adopted by the Second meeting of Government Designated Experts on the Application of the Ecosystem Approach by MAP, in Athens 9-10 July 2008. In addition to a standard format for each of the subregions, this integrated report contains an Introduction that describes this initial assessment in the context of the ecosystem approach process, a basin-wide overview of what is currently known about pressures and states of marine and coastal ecosystems across the Mediterranean, and a concluding section identifying priority issues, as well as critical gaps in understanding that need to be filled in order to advance the Ecosystem Approach process. 2. The Secretariat has submitted the draft for consideration and review to the Second meeting of technical experts on the Application of the Ecosystem Approach by MAP held in Barcelona in July 2010. The report was also subject to comments by the Contracting parties through the second half of 2010. Comments from Croatia, Greece, France, EC, Israel, Morocco, Spain and Turkey were received and incorporated. 3. After the decision of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties the second draft version, including the comments received, was submitted to GESAMP (Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection) for peer review in March 2011. The review process was completed and review comments have been incorporated. 4. The present version of the report includes therefore the comments received by the Contracting Parties on the previous version and comments and suggested changes provided by GESAMP. It also includes final comments made during the third meeting of Government-designated Experts on the Application of the Ecosystem Approach by MAP in June 2011. 5. This initial assessment report has been prepared under the auspices of UNEP/MAP Coordinating Unit with the contributions of lead consultant Dr. Tundi Agardy, as based on the subregional reports prepared by UNEP/MAP components, MED POL and SPA/RAC, along with contributions of regional and national consultants, and with the regional UNEP/MAP- BP/RAC report on the "Economic Value of Sustainable Benefits Rendered by Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems". 6. Many portions or the text originate from consultant subregional reports, especially the sections on biodiversity pollutants, pressures and impacts. Additional material was derived from national reports and from comments and contributions provided by Contracting Parties representatives. Important additional sources of information include the UNEP/MAP-EEA reports, and the Transboundary Assessment of the Mediterranean, as well as cumulative impacts mapping prepared under the auspices of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis by Fiorenza Micheli. 7. Regional consultants engaged by UNEP/MAP-MED POL who provided text and information include: Dr. François Galgani (Western Mediterranean), Prof. Victor Axiac (Central Mediterraenan and Ionian), Dr. Monica Peterlin (Adriatic) and Dr. Nikos Streftaris (Eastern Mediterranean). 8. Regional and national consultants engaged by UNEP/MAP – SPA/RAC who provided text and information include: Thierry Pérez, (West Mediterranean), Sami Ben Haj, (Central Mediterranean), Bayram Öztürk (Adriatic), Ferdinando Boero (East Mediterranean), Samir Grimes (Algeria), Hocein Bazairi (Morocco), Mohamed Salah Romdhane (Tunisia), Thierry Pérez, Arthur Antonioli. (France), Raphael Simonet (Monaco), Núria Marbà et Carlos M. Duarte (Spain), Argyro Zenetos, Nikos Streftaris, Panayotis Panayotidis, Nomiki Simboura, Maria Salomidi (Greece), Esmail Shakman (Libya), Zamir Dedej, Pellumb Abeshi, Nehat Dragoti (Albania), Branko Vujicak, Tarik Kuposovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Jasminka Radovic, Ivna Vuksic (Croatia), Lovrenc Lipej, Borut Mavric, Robert Turk (Slovenia), Bella Galil (Israel), Bayram Özturk (Turkey), Andreas Demetropoulos (Cyprus), Joussef Halim (Egypt), Manal Nader (Lebanon), Amir Ibrahim (Syria), Silvia de Juan ,Jordi Lleonart (Open Seas). Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION - THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH AND ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING INFORMATION 6 CHAPTER 2. MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS: AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE OF PRESSURES AND EXISTING CONDITIONS 11 2.1 Region-wide perspective on ecosystem condition 11 2.1.1 Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Mediterranean Basin 11 2.1.2 Key features supporting ecosystem services 16 2.1.3 Mediterranean Biodiversity 17 2.1.4 Flagship species 18 2.1.5 Populations of Fisheries Species 18 2.1.6 Major Habitat Types and Condition 20 2.1.7 Locations of SPAMIs and other MPAs 27 2.2 Ecosystem Services and their Values 28 2.3 Pressures and Impacts: Pollution 30 2.3.1 Contamination by hazardous substances (heavy metals, halogenated and petroleum hydrocarbons, antifoulants, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, etc. from all sources as well as radionuclides) 30 2.3.2 Nutrient and organic matter enrichment, eutrophication, and anoxia 33 2.4 Biological disturbance 35 2.4.1 Non-indigenous and invasive species distribution and impacts 35 2.4.2 Pathogen spread and the occurrence of new microbial pathogens 38 2.4.3 Impact of fisheries on target species and on food webs/biodiversity 39 2.4.4 Impacts of desalination and aquaculture 44 2.5 Physical disturbance 45 2.5.1 Effects from coastal constructions, infrastructure, and urbanization 45 2.5.2 Offshore constructions and dredging activities/ impacts 46 2.5.3 Fisheries Impacts on the seabed 46 2.5.4 Freshwater Diversion 46 2.5.5 Environmental Pressures in the Water Column: Underwater Noise, Marine Litter 47 2.6 Climate Change and Emerging Issues 47 CHAPTER 3: WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN 49 3.1 Introduction 49 3.2 Physical and chemical characteristics 49 3.2.1 Topography, bathymetry and nature of seabed 49 3.2.2 Salinity, temperature regime; currents, sediment transport, etc. 51 3.2.3 Spatial and temporal distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen and pH 59 3.2.4 Relationship of catchment area to subregion 62 3.3 Biological characteristics 63 3.3.1 Description of water column biological communities including the species and seasonal and geographical variability 63 3.3.2 Information on invertebrate bottom fauna macro-algae and angiosperms 64 3.3.3 Marine mammals, reptiles and seabirds 70 3.3.4 Exotic, non-indigenous and invasive species 74 3.3.5 Fish populations including abundance, spatial distribution 74 3.4 Habitat classification and known distribution of habitats 75 3.5 Pressures and impacts 77 3.5.1 Contamination by hazardous substances 3.5.2 Dumping activities (introduction of substances and impact) 89 3.5.3 Nutrient and organic matter enrichment 90 3.5.4 Biological and physical disturbance 91 3.5.5 Effects of underwater noise and marine litter 93 3.5.6 Emerging issues such as climatic change effects 94 3.6 Conclusions and gap analysis of pressures and impacts 97 CHAPTER 4: IONIAN SEA AND CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SUBREGION 99 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Physical and chemical characteristics 99 4.2.1 Topography, bathymetry and nature of seabed 4.2.2 Salinity, temperature regime; currents; sediment transport 100 4.2.3 Spatial and temporal distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen and pH 102 4.2.4 General description of the catchment area in relation to the analysi s 104 4.3 Biological characteristics 104 4.3.1 Description of water column biological communities 4.3.2 Information on invertebrate bottom fauna, macro-algae and angiosperms 105 4.3.3 Marine mammals, reptiles, and seabirds 107 4.3.4 Exotic, non-indigenous and invasive species 108 4.3.5 Fish populations including abundance, spatial distribution and age/size structure 109 4.4 Habitat classification and known distribution of habitats 110 4.5 Pressures and impacts 111 4.5.1 Contamination by hazardous substances 111 4.5.2 Dumping activities (introduction of substances and impact) 120 4.5.3 Nutrient and organic matter enrichment 121 4.5.4 Biological and physical disturbance 125 4.5.5 Effects of underwater noise and marine litter 127 4.5.6 Emerging issues: climatic change effects and deep sea modifications 127 4.6 Conclusions and gap analysis on pressures and impacts 130 CHAPTER 5: ADRIATIC SEA 131 5.1 Introduction 131 5.2 Physical and chemical characteristics 132 5.2.1 Topography, bathymetry and nature of seabed 132 5.2.2 Salinity, temperature regime; currents; sediment transport 133 5.2.3 Spatial and temporal distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen and Ph 138 5.2.4 Relation of catchment area to subregion 139 5.3 Biological characteristics