Case Reports for the OSPAR List of threatened and/or declining species and habitats Biodiversity Series 2008 OSPAR Commission, 2004: CASE REPORTS for the OSPAR LIST of THREATENED and/or DECLINING SPECIES and HABITATS OSPAR Commission, 2008: Case Reports for the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Executive summary ....................................................................................... 6 Récapitulatif................................................................................................... 7 Introduction.................................................................................................... 8 Role of OSPAR ............................................................................................. 8 Further species and habitats......................................................................... 9 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................... 9 Table 1: Timetable of actions taken to develop the OSPAR List ................ 10 Table 2 and 3: OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats ........................................................................................... 11-13 List of Biogeographic regions...................................................................... 14 INVERTEBRATES Arctica islandica, Ocean Quahog................................................................ 15 Megabalanus azoricus, Azorean Barnacle.................................................. 19 Nucella lapillus, Dog Whelk ........................................................................ 21 Ostrea edulis, Flat Oyster............................................................................ 25 Patella aspera, Azorean Limpet .................................................................. 29 BIRDS Larus fuscus fuscus, Lesser Black-Backed Gull ......................................... 33 Pagophilia eburnea, Ivory gull..................................................................... 35 Polystica stelleri, Steller’s eider................................................................... 38 Puffinus assimilis baroli, Little shearwater .................................................. 41 Puffinus mauretanicus, Balearic shearwater............................................... 43 Rissa tridactyla, Black-legged kittiwake ...................................................... 49 Sterna dougallii, Roseate Tern.................................................................... 53 Uria aalge, Iberian Guillemot....................................................................... 56 Uria lomvia, Thick-billed murre.................................................................... 59 contents FISH Acipenser sturio, Sturgeon.......................................................................... 63 Alosa alosa, Allis Shad................................................................................ 66 Anguilla anguilla, European eel................................................................... 69 Centrophorus granulosus, Gulper shark ..................................................... 80 Centrophorus squamosus, Leafscale gulper shark..................................... 86 Centroscymnus coelolepis, Portuguese dogfish ......................................... 94 Cetorhinus maximus, Basking Shark ........................................................ 101 Coregonus lavaretus oxyrynchus, Houting ............................................... 105 Dipturus (Raja) batis, Common Skate....................................................... 108 Dipturus (Raja) montagui, Spotted Ray .................................................... 112 Gadus morhua, Cod.................................................................................. 115 Hippocampus guttulatus (formerly ramulosus), Long-snouted Seahorse 118 Hippocampus hippocampus, Short-snouted Seahorse............................. 121 Hoplostethus atlanticus, Orange Roughy.................................................. 124 Lamna nasus, Porbeagle .......................................................................... 126 Petromyzon marinus, Sea Lamprey.......................................................... 134 Raja clavata, Thornback skate/ ray........................................................... 137 Rostroraja alba, White skate ..................................................................... 146 Salmo salar, Salmon ................................................................................. 151 Squalus acanthias, (Northeast Atlantic) spurdog...................................... 155 Squatina squatina, Angel shark ................................................................ 161 Thunnus thynnus, Atlantic Bluefin tuna..................................................... 168 4 OSPAR Commission, 2008: Case Reports for the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats ________________________________________________________________________________________________ REPTILES Caretta caretta, Loggerhead Turtle ........................................................... 171 Dermochelys coriacea, Leatherback Turtle............................................... 175 MAMMALS Balaena mysticetus, Bowhead Whale....................................................... 179 Balaenoptera musculus, Blue Whale ........................................................ 181 Eubalaena glacialis, Northern Right Whale............................................... 184 Phocoena phocoena, Harbour Porpoise................................................... 187 HABITATS Carbonate mounds.................................................................................... 191 Coral gardens ............................................................................................ 195 Cymodocea meadows............................................................................... 205 Deep sea sponge aggregations ................................................................ 212 Hydrothermal Vents/Fields........................................................................ 215 Intertidal mudflats ...................................................................................... 219 Intertidal Mytilus edulis beds on mixed and sandy sediments .................. 223 Littoral chalk communities......................................................................... 227 Lophelia pertusa reefs............................................................................... 230 Maerl beds................................................................................................. 234 Modiolus modiolus horse mussel beds ..................................................... 239 Ostrea edulis beds .................................................................................... 243 Sabellaria spinulosa reefs ......................................................................... 247 Seamounts ................................................................................................ 251 Seapen and burrowing megafauna communities...................................... 255 Zostera beds ............................................................................................. 259 5 OSPAR Commission, 2008: Case Reports for the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Executive summary The OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats (OSPAR List) has been developed to fulfil the commitment set up in the OSPAR Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy that the OSPAR Commission will assess which species and habitats in the OSPAR maritime area need to be protected. This work is intended to guide the setting of priorities by the OSPAR Commission for its activities in implementing Annex V to the OSPAR Convention ("On the Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and Biological Diversity of the Maritime Area"). The OSPAR List has been developed on the basis of nominations by Contracting Parties and observers to the OSPAR Commission of those species and habitats that they consider to be priorities for protection. The evidence in support of these nominations has been collectively examined by the OSPAR Commission and its subordinate bodies on the basis of the relevant Texel/Faial criteria for the identification of species in need of protection (Reference number 2003-13). The information provided in support of nominations has been reviewed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), in order to give assurance that its quality is suitable for the purpose for which it has been used1. This information is compiled in this justification report. The purpose of the OSPAR List is to guide the OSPAR Commission in setting priorities for its further work on the conservation and protection of marine biodiversity. The inclusion of a species or of a type of habitat on the List has no other significance. Fish species affected by fishing in the OSPAR List are marked with an asterisk (*). These species are subject to management by an international or national fisheries authority or body. The OSPAR Commission has no competence to adopt programmes or measures on questions relating to the management of fisheries. Where the OSPAR Commission considers that action is desirable in relation