1. Pelagic habitats under MSFD D1 : scientific advice of policy relevanceChiara Magliozzi, Jean Noel Druon, Andreas Palialexis, Laura Aguzzi, Konstantinos Antoniadis, Luis Felipe Artigas, Arianna Azzellino, Elena Bisinicu, Laura Boicenco, Natalia Bojanić, Patrizia Borrello, Simona Boschetti, Vanda Carmo, Sanda Skejić, Olja Vidjak, Janja Francé, Živana Ninčević Gladan, 2021, treatise, preliminary study, study Abstract: The pelagic habitat is the largest biome on Earth, key for temperature regulation, oxygen, and food production. Its physical and biological components and processes vary spatially and temporally depending on multiple drivers. Understanding this variability, processes and interactions is fundamental to identify the drivers of changes and properly assess pelagic habitats under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). A JRC workshop was organised to align scientific and policy expectations for an improved MSFD pelagic habitat assessment. The workshop brought together experts from the 17 EU Member States and other organisations (e.g. Regional Sea Conventions) across Europe to share knowledge and methods and provide a coordinated regional input towards a harmonised assessment. This report summarizes the workshop outcomes and the way forward for pelagic Good Environmental Status (GES) determination.
Published in DiRROS: 03.09.2024; Views: 98; Downloads: 73
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2. Marine strategy framework directive : Descriptor 2, non - indigenous species delivering solid recommendations for setting threshold values for non-indigenous species pressure on European seasKonstantinos Tsiamis, Ivan Cvitković, Marija Despalatović, Branko Dragičević, Jakov Dulčić, Ana Fortič, Janja Francé, Lovrenc Lipej, Borut Mavrič, Patricija Mozetič, Živana Ninčević Gladan, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Monika Peterlin, Valentina Pitacco, Domen Trkov, Olja Vidjak, Ante Žuljević, 2021, final research report Abstract: Marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are animals and plants introduced accidently or deliberately into the European seas, originating from other seas of the globe. About 800 marine non-indigenous species (NIS) currently occur in the European Union national marine waters, several of which have negative impacts on marine ecosystem services and biodiversity. Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 2 (D2), EU Member States (MSs) need to consider NIS in their marine management strategies. The Descriptor D2 includes one primary criterion (D2C1: new NIS introductions), and two secondary criteria (D2C2 and D2C3). The D2 implementation is characterized by a number of issues and uncertainties which can be applicable to the Descriptor level (e.g. geographical unit of assessment, assessment period, phytoplanktonic, parasitic, oligohaline NIS, etc.), to the primary criterion D2C1 level (e.g. threshold values, cryptogenic, questionable species, etc), and to the secondary criteria D2C2 and D2C3. The current report tackles these issues and provides practical recommendations aiming at a smoother and more efficient implementation of D2 and its criteria at EU level. They constitute a solid operational output which can result in more comparable D2 assessments among MSs and MSFD regions/subregions. When it comes to the policy-side, the current report calls for a number of different categories of NIS to be reported in D2 assessments, pointing the need for the species to be labelled/categorised appropriately in the MSFD reporting by the MSs. These suggestions are proposed to be communicated to the MSFD Working Group of Good Environmental Status (GES) and subsequently to the Marine Strategy Coordination Group (MSCG) of MSFD. Moreover, they can serve as an input for revising the Art. 8 Guidelines.
Published in DiRROS: 02.09.2024; Views: 75; Downloads: 60
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3. Phytoplankton assemblage over a 14-year period in the Adriatic Sea : patterns and trendsSanda Skejić, Blanka Milić Roje, Frano Matić, Jasna Arapov, Janja Francé, Mia Bužančić, Ana Bakrač, Maja Straka, Živana Ninčević Gladan, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Considering the role of phytoplankton in the functioning and health of marine systems, it is important to characterize its responses to a changing environment. The central Adriatic Sea, as a generally oligotrophic area, is a suitable environment to distinguish between regular fluctuations in phytoplankton and those caused by anthropogenic or climatic influences. This study provides a long-term perspective of phytoplankton assemblage in the central eastern Adriatic Sea, with 14 years of continuous time series data collected at two coastal and two offshore stations. The predominant phytoplankton groups were diatoms and phytoflagellates, but their proportion varied depending on the vicinity of the coast, as evidenced also by the distribution of chlorophyll a. In the coastal environment, the phytoplankton biomass was substantially higher, with a higher proportion of microphytoplankton, while small phytoplankton accounted for the majority of biomass in the offshore area. In addition, a decreasing trend in diatom abundance was observed in the coastal waters, while such trend was not so evident in the offshore area. Using a neural gas algorithm, five clusters were defined based on the contribution of the major groups. The observed increase in diversity, especially in dinoflagellates, which outnumber diatom taxa, could be a possible adaptation of dinoflagellates to the increased natural solar radiation in summer and the increased sea surface temperature.
Keywords: phytoplankton community, long-term data, diversity, chlorophyll a, neural gas analysis, solar radiation, Adriatic Sea
Published in DiRROS: 11.07.2024; Views: 201; Downloads: 189
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