Towards an operational ecosystem approach - European Marine
Ecosystem Observatory
D. K. Mills1, R. Laane2, J. M. Rees1, S. Malcolm1, J.G. Baretta-Bekker
3
, K. van Ruiten2, F. Colijn4, W. Petersen4, F. Schroeder4, H. Wehde5, E.
Svendsen6, B. Hackett7 , H. Ridderinkhof8 , M. Edwards9, F. Gohin
10
, R.
Forster1, K. Keeble1, D.J. Hydes11 and G. Nolan12.
1
Cefas, Lowestoft, UK, 2Deltares, Delft, Netherlands, 3Waterdienst,
Rijkswaterstaat Lelystad, Netherlands, 4GKSS Institute for Coastal
Research, Germany 5NIVA,Bergen, Norway , 6IMR, Bergen, Norway,
7
Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Norway, 8NIOZ, Texel,
Netherlands, 9SAHFOS, Plymouth, UK, 10 IFREMER, Brest, France,
11
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK, 12 Marine Institute,
Galway, Ireland.
Corresponding author, email: david.mills@cefas.co.uk
Abstract
European policy developments, such as the new European Marine
Strategy Directive, require a wide range of marine scientific evidence to
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support the ecosystem-based approach to the management of human
activities. The evidence required will be within 'regions'
which cross national boundaries and be based on observation from
physics to fish over wide time and space scales. As a step towards
demonstrating this new approach, a European Marine Ecosystem
Observatory (EMECO) has been established that initially focuses on
observations in the North Sea. The aim of EMECO is to serve as a
network linking European research and monitoring communities with
complementary interests focussed on innovative monitoring methods and
strategies, that integrate modelling, field measurements and remote
sensing. EMECO builds on existing international cooperation including
on-going research and monitoring projects as well as current networks
(e.g. EuroGOOS, NOOS, ECOOP, GMES). Methods for integrating and
interpreting spatial and temporal multinational data sets are under
development and a prototype application using Google Earth has been
implemented allowing users to manipulate data and visualise integrated
information products. EMECO is addressing an urgent need for
integrated international initiatives that are essential in supporting
sustainable development.
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1. Introduction
EMECO (European Marine Ecosystem Observatory;
www.emecogroup.org) was formed in response to new challenges posed
by the new European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and
the implicit need to deliver an ecosystem approach. The aim of EMECO
is to serve as a network linking European research and monitoring
communities with complementary interests focussed on innovative
monitoring methods and strategies, that integrate modelling, field
measurements and remote sensing. EMECO builds on existing
international cooperation including on-going research and monitoring
projects as well as current networks (e.g. EuroGOOS, NOOS, ECOOP,
GMES). The consortium partners include agencies and institutions with
responsibilities for monitoring and assessment of environmental status
and also for improving understanding through research in European
shelf-seas.
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The Ecosystem
Approach is, regarded
by Rice et al. (2008),
as a comprehensive
integrated
management of
Figure 1. Map showing the location of a range of
monitoring programmes undertaken by EMECO
partners in the North Sea in the last five years. These
include Ferrybox routes operated by GKSS (Germany)
and NIVA (Norway), CPR operated by SAHFOS (UK),
a wave monitoring network (WaveNet) and SmartBuoy
locations operated by Cefas (UK) and at the Oyster
Grounds in jointly with the Netherlands Rijkswaterstaat
(RWS) and survey vessel observations.
human activities
based on the best
available scientific
knowledge about the
ecosystem and its dynamics. The desired outcome is to identify and take
action on influences which are critical to the health of the marine
ecosystems, thereby achieving sustainable use of ecosystem goods and
services and maintenance of ecosystem integrity.’
Delivery and application of an ecosystem approach requires monitoring
and assessment based on sound science for identifying ecological
objectives, identifying indicators and determining reference points.
Against a background of increasing demand for resources there is a need
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for cost effective use of existing monitoring programmes and
implementation of new approaches that will add further value to these
programmes. There is an urgent need to maximise synergy between
current national monitoring programmes that will begin to provide the
required comprehensive spatial coverage of the entire North Sea system.
Implementation of new approaches that integrate low and high frequency
spatial and temporal data from multiple platforms (e.g. buoys, landers,
ships of opportunity, satellites) together with data from models are the
key to this strategy.
2. Approach
To meet these requirements EMECO is adopting an integrated approach
that combines monitoring, modelling and research to improve our
knowledge of the current status of shelf seas. In turn, this provides the
background knowledge needed to make reliable predictions of future
environmental and trophic status. It builds on an existing pan-European
observational infrastructure that is multi-scale and multi-disciplinary.
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Table 1. The range of platforms, data return type and variables measured
by the EMECO partners in the North Sea (SOOP, Ship of Opportunity;
RV, Research Vessel). NRT is near real-time data return
Biological
Chemical
Phytopl.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Fish
Oxygen
+
Zoopl.
Nutrients
NIOZ
NIVA
+
+
+
+
+
SmartBuoy
NRT
+
WaveNet
Waverider
buoy
Marcoast
products
NRT
+
R.V.
Marcoast
products
FerryBox
Ferrybox
Light
BSH
MUMM
Physical
IFREMER
Waves
Cefas
SPM
R.V
R.V.
SOOP –
CPR
R.V.
Salinity
RWS
IMR
SAHFOS
NRT
Temp.
Ferrybox
Data
return
Platform
Group
GKSS
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
NRT
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
NRT
NRT
NRT
+
+
+
+
+
The wider North Sea provides a number of opportunities for synergy
between on-going national monitoring and research programmes
operated by EMECO partners (Figure 1). For example, a Cefas
SmartBuoy is deployed on the Dutch Oyster Grounds in collaboration
with the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat and Deltares. This region is also in the
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vicinity of a joint Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) route (HE) and a
GKSS Ferrybox route between Immingham and Cuxhaven as well as
over flights by satellites that provide images of water quality parameters
derived from ocean colour.
A similar complementary approach is seen in the UK’s NOC (see
www.noc.soton.ac.uk/ops/Ferrybox_index.php) Ferrybox between
Portsmouth and Bilbao that also tows a CPR. In this example Ferrybox
provide information on environmental control variables that improves
understanding of the CPR observations on the abundance and distribution
of plankton. These examples illustrate the synergies achieved through the
EMECO initiative. By bringing together high-frequency fixed point
observations with repeated spatial observations from Ferrybox and
survey vessels coupled with satellite observations we are able to resolve
spatial variability at regional scales. These programmes include physical,
chemical and biological measurements (Table 1) from plankton up to
fish.
In addition, a number of the EMECO partners run complex coupled
hydrodynamic models with North Sea domains that benefit from these
observations and in return provide tools for improving understanding and
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predicting changes in the ecosystem in this region. A focal point for
EMECO will be to provide mechanisms not only for coordinating ongoing observations but also to identify methods for bringing together
multi-agency data from a range of sampling platforms with model results.
This will generate integrated products for use in environmental
assessments and also for research. For example, under the auspices of
OSPAR a number of these models, were used to predict the future
eutrophication status of the North Sea as a result of OSPAR
recommended riverine nutrient reductions (see:
www.cefas.co.uk/eutmod). The models were calibrated and validated
with integrated datasets derived from research (NERC North Sea
Programme) and national marine monitoring programmes. This work
revealed that data availability for calibration and validation as well as
forcing (e.g. riverine nutrient inputs) for the North Sea is very patchy, not
easily available. This limits our ability to calibrate and validate these
numerical models. Nevertheless, by drawing together multi-national
monitoring and research data and multiple model results it was possible
to predict, together with estimates of uncertainty, the eutrophication
status of the North Sea for a range of nutrient reduction scenarios. This
work is essential for OSPAR in determining the effectiveness of current
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‘nutrient reduction’ strategies for elimination eutrophication and
developing future strategies (OSPAR, 2008). This work exemplifies the
benefits of the ‘integrated approach’ central to the concept of EMECO.
In Norway an integrated approach has also been adopted using an
operational “ecosystem” model (http://wms.met.no/moncoze/ ) together
with data from satellite and in situ observations has been used to predict
the distribution, development and decay of harmful algal blooms.
The growing interest in EMECO reflects the benefits that accrue from
adopting an integrated pan-European approach. Such benefits include
improving the partners ability to contribute to robust assessments and
provide improved advice to government agencies required to enable the
competent authorities to meet their obligations to EU Directives and
international conventions. For example, by increasing the availability of
data for established indicators such as nutrient and chlorophyll
concentrations then the evidence base on which environmental
assessments are based will be strengthened. By bringing together the
national agencies responsible for monitoring and assessment the
improved dialogue can bring about a greater likelihood of achieving
consensus in the international policy fora that agree outcomes to
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assessments. The overall result is greater confidence in the outcome of
formal assessments of environmental status that may in some cases be
subject to legal scrutiny. However, the integration of temporally and
spatially disparate multivariate data set that have both multi-agency and
multinational sources and collected for different reasons is time
intensive. It is also inefficient for each partner with a common need for
integrated products to create them independently. To address this need,
we have begun to develop an automated method that exploits the
capability of Google Earth to manipulate and display geo-referenced
data.
3. Data Integration and Assessment System
A prototype application has been developed that allows users to integrate
multi-platform (e.g. satellite, buoys, FerryBox), multi-agency and
multinational data sets. The EMECO data integration and assessment
system is a suite of web-based tools that enable rapid integration and
visualisation of multi-parameter, multi-platform (e.g. satellite, buoys,
FerryBox), multi-agency, and multinational data. In the first instance it
has been designed is to deliver policy-relevant information products in a
transparent and auditable manner that increase confidence in the outcome
to formal environmental assessments at a regional scale. It has a fully
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interactive user interface that allows users to select date, output type,
averaging period, regions and areas, and platforms and parameters of
interest. Users can select data output in the form of XML (Data), KML
(Google Earth Maps), CSV (Data), Assessment Maps and time series
plots. Data sources for the North Sea currently include national marine
monitoring data (as submitted to ICES), Cefas SmartBuoy and Wavenet
data sets and satellite derived chlorophyll and temperature.
4. Applications
The data integration and assessment system has been designed to
facilitate more efficient environmental assessments by allowing
manipulation of the data into a form amenable to environmental
assessments. There is an initial focus on assessment of eutrophication
through the application of the OSPAR Comprehensive Procedure (CP).
The CP has a clearly defined procedure that requires calculation of the
value of a series of linked environmental indicators. The assessment
maps in particular are designed to support the application of the CP by
mapping the levels of indicators (e.g. chlorophyll and nutrient
concentration) together with levels of confidence onto OSPAR defined
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water bodies in the North Sea. However, the EMECO data tools support
a range of potential uses where regional scale integrated data sets are
required.
5. Summary and conclusions
EMECO is a network of European research and monitoring groups with
complementary interests focussed on innovative monitoring methods and
strategies that integrate modelling, in situ field measurements and remote
sensing. EMECO is a timely initiative that builds on existing
international cooperation including on-going research and monitoring
projects as well as current networks (e.g. EuroGOOS, NOOS, ECOOP,
GMES). Integration is a key element of the EMECO initiative where new
information products are derived through optimal combinations of
observed data from multiple sources and model results. To encourage
access and uptake web-based tools are being developed to allow users to
visualise and generate new information products in support of
environmental assessments and research needs. Whilst the initial focus is
on the North Sea the intention is to extend the domain to include the
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Celtic Seas to the west of the UK within a Western Shelf Observatory
and to draw in new partners as appropriate.
References
Rice, J. Trujillo, V., Jennings, S., Hylland, K., Astudillo, A. and J.N.
Jensen (2008). Guidance on the Application of the Ecosystem
Approach to Management of Human Activities in the European
Marine Environment. ICES Cooperative Research Report, Rapport de
Recherches Collectives, 273, 28pp.
OSPAR Commission, 2008. Nutrient reduction scenarios for the North
Sea - Environmental consequences for problem areas with regard to
eutrophication following nutrient reductions in model scenarios (55
pp). Mills, D.K., Baretta-Bekker, H and H. Lenhart. ISBN 978-1906840-15-0. Publication Number: 374/2008
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