EU PERSEUS Project Activities to Strengthen Marine ...planbleu.org/sites/default/files/upload/files/Vangelis_Papathanassiou_PERSEUS.pdfVangelis Papathanassiou Research Director Hellenic

"Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach in the Mediterranean: strengthening the science-policy, 15-16 Dec. 2015 Sophia-Antipolis

Vangelis Papathanassiou

Research Director Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)

& Coordinator of PERSEUS EU project

EU PERSEUS Project Activities to Strengthen Marine Environmental SPI in the Mediterranean


•Develop a “Smart Monitoring” strategy •Develop awareness groups & increase capacity building •Support non-EU countries

•Design an innovative, small R/V for shallow areas •Provide science-based recommendations for protection and management

PERSEUS Policy-oriented marine Environmental Research for the Southern EUropean Seas

Key Figures •21 countries •53 partners (>300 scientists)

65 Institutes & Universities •48 months (Jan ‘12-Dec ’15)

• Help and support the EU countries on MSFD implementation

AIMS


Field work on pressures and processes

Changes in environmental parameters and impacts on plankton

Pelagic fish

Food web interactions (including jellyfish)

Mapping habitat types with emphasis on sea grass meadows

Impact of coastal development and urbanization on shallow water habitats Demersal fish aggregations; analysing functional community changes

Pollution - Contaminants

Pollution - Bioaccumulation

Litter

Noise

Non-indigenous Species

Primary productivity - planktonic biomass

Pollution - Contaminants

Non-indigenous Species

Impacts of environmental parameters on food web AlborEX

LionEX

AegEX

LevEX

MarEX

BSEX

• Plastic makes most of the floating and the sea bottom litter (av. >80%) • NIS have been increasing at all coastal study areas after 2000 • Eutrophication assessment methodology has been developed in coastal areas • Nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in a decrease trend in most areas • Ocean acidification trend in the Mediterranean Sea has been identified


Tools developed in PERSEUS

• Ecoregions (biogeochemical, species distribution and pressures & impacts) in the Mediterranean Sea

• TEAP Tool, assisting on-line to port managers in their daily environmental tasks (Applicable to all EU ports - and beyond)

• VMS Improvement of methodologies for data analysis; construction of maps with spatial distribution of fishing effort

• “Early Warning System for Managing Oil Spills” prototype, for national, regional and local authorities

• Vessel: Concept of an innovative small research and survey vessel for the coastal areas estuaries, port areas shallow channels

Caretta caretta

Noctiluca scintillans

Monachus monachus

Pelagia nocticula

Calanus helgolandicus

Epinephelus marginatus


12 PERSEUS Argo Floats increase information New: Extension of biogeochemical sensors

Petrolina Tanker

CPR Line

A Strategy for an Integrated System of Systems was developed to define the principles and key components for the future…..

Gaps & needs for 17 Mooring Platforms in the SES

Upgrade & Expand

Expansion of glider monitoring in the south Mediterranean

Repeated Cruises and SES coverage

Manual of Data submission from different platforms


Εισαγωγή

Assessment of the state of Marine ecosystems

…An ecosystem “end to end” approach

Model Satellite

GP

P

Dia

tom

s

Model

Satellite

Gross primary production

Phytoplankton Population structure

From phytoplankton to fish with a fully coupled

(Physics + Biogeochemistry) approach

Scenaria for hypoxia Development in the Coastal Black Sea

Model-based assessments

Spawning areas

Anchovies

Blue Tuna


Activities for demonstration of the MSFD principles - Harmonisation

Overview of methods for assessment of environmental status for MSFD Support harmonization of assessments using compatible methodologies across Basins


INTERACTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS

PERSEUS Workshops: Key Highlights

Split (Croatia): 4-5 May 2015

Attendees: 35 participants (Administrative bodies, Academia , NGOs)

Tangiers (Morocco): 29-30 September 2015

Attendees: 31 participants (Administrative bodies, Academia)

Tbilisi (Georgia): 8-9 October 2015

Attendees: 25 participants (Administrative bodies, Academia, NGOs)

Odessa (Ukraine): 24 November 2015

Attendees: 30 participants (Administrative bodies, Academia)

Tunis (Tunisia): 4 September 2015

Attendees: 21 participants (Public environmental agencies, Private environmental agencies, Academia)

Ankara (Turkey): 9-10 September 2015

Attendees: 31 participants (Administrative bodies, TUBITAK (National Research Council), Academia, NGOs)


Overall Remarks from the 6 Stakeholder Workshops (173 non-EU Stakeholders were involved)

PERSEUS enhanced the interface between policy and science

Contribution to harmonized methodologies for basin-wide

assessments & improved knowledge on environmental pressures

& impacts

Very positive reaction in using the PERSEUS tools

Capacity building, knowledge sharing and training is very

important need for transnational collaboration

Receiving stakeholders’ feedback & exchange of ideas is of

crucial importance

Important role of the RSCs in connecting with projects like PERSEUS - providing a networking platform and

- ensuring harmonization of scientific and policy approaches related to

environmental issues (e.g. MSFD & EcAp)


Areas for demonstration of the

MSFD principles

Adaptive Marine Policy (AMP) Framework & Tool Box

Absence of a set of tools for policy-makers to implement marine

policies

Difficult to identify & develop new reference points for the GES in

the European Seas

Little progress is being observed

PERSEUS: shifts from a traditional, linear model to a to a 5-step cyclical, Adaptive Marine Policy (AMP) model

• The strategy: 4 Stakeholders’ Platforms, one for each Case + basin

• The structure: AMP has been defined as a five steps policy cycle

• The 2 Components: The AMP Toolbox and the Stakeholder platforms

• The platforms: Forums of negotiation of ~100 persons, who have

contributed to specify the AMP Toolbox and tested it

Rational:

• AMP, AMP Toolbox & 5 Stakeholders Platforms have been developed to assist achieving/maintaining GES in the SES

• A “living” DB, to help developing marine environment policies, with information online

www.perseus-net.eu

http://www.perseus-net.eu





PERSEUS Policy Brief

Translating findings to policy recommendations

• Target audience: Medium-level Policy / Decision makers

• Presents only the policy-relevant findings of PERSEUS

• Set of 24 specific recommendations and 6 overarching take-away messages


UNEP-MAP connection with Projects


The need for scientific knowledge

• A major challenge: attain the necessary scientific knowledge of the elements that define the state of the marine environment in the SES (e.g. processes, biodiversity, food web….)

• A substantial need: develop additional scientific understanding (mentioned also in policy documents e.g. MSFD)

• Scientific Wisdom: Needs to be increased on the marine environment, especially for the SES, and turn the Knowledge to “Wisdom”

(Data Information Knowledge “Wisdom”)

• R & I projects: can provide the scientific support needed at regional & EU level.


When Science meets Policy….. Necessity! Some Progress was made

Knowledge at basin level is required (gradually there…)

Prerequisites: +

“Translate” the

Scientific results

for Society;

Public

awareness

Compromises and

understanding


Lessons learned after PERSEUS ….

• Involve stakeholders from the inception of the project; open

forum discussions with all groups involved. Co-design, co-

ownership principle should apply.

• Decision makers should receive the tool/answers they need.

Concrete answers are not always possible from the scientists.

It is happening but …. only some good examples

• Scientists need to hear the policy makers and provide their

knowledge (or better their “wisdom”)

• “Scientific diplomacy” for getting all countries involved.

Scientific Projects can do that!

• Scientists need to explain the implications of their research

and not their actual research!


• A lot of effort into communicating scientific work but still need

to talk to society. Some results need translation!

• Need trust between and within groups….

• Policy Makers need to understand the results of their actions.

Valuation & Responsibility should govern their actions.

• Up to now weak connection of projects at national level

• International policy is done with more transparent way. This is

why projects mainly go for the international decision makers….

• Conduct “Useful” research and address problems; connection

with jobs and society needs to be improved

• Do not have to change the things we do; we have to change the

way we do them and adapt!

Lessons learned after PERSEUS ….(cont.)

Need to understand and work for the:

• Complexity of the system in the Med, • Integration • Participatory approach including dedicated issues

Thank you!

Documents

EU PERSEUS Project Activities to Strengthen Marine ...planbleu.org/sites/default/files/upload/files/Vangelis_Papathanassiou_PERSEUS.pdfVangelis Papathanassiou Research Director Hellenic