Guidelines for MPA pressure evaluation - draft update Matti Sahla - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Guidelines for MPA pressure evaluation - draft update Matti Sahla & Lasse Kurvinen Parks & Wildlife Finland STATE & CONSERVATION 9-2018 Copenhagen, Denmark, 22-26 October 2018

Background • At STATE & CONSERVATION 5-2016 Finland present ed a proposal f or harmonising HELCOM MPA pressure evaluat ion. • Used in Finland while updat ing t he HELCOM MPA dat abase, in order t o maint ain consist ency bet ween evaluat ions of dif f erent MPAs, since t here was no excist ing guidelines. • At STATE & CONSERVATION 7-2017, it was not ed t hat t he guideline might be f or some part s out dat ed and Finland was invit ed t o present updat es t o t he draf t at STATE & CONSERVATION 9-2018. • The updat es can be classif ied in t hree classes: 1. Edit orial changes t o t he language. 2. Areal pressure evaluat ions have been modif ied based on new insight s f rom e. g. St at e of t he Balt ic Sea – report . 3. Some more dif f use pressures, which were based on areal analysis or where quit e vague in t he earlier draf t , have been modif ied in a way t o capt ure t he direct ef f ect s on t he ecosyst ems.

Areal evaluat ions • Change of seabed substrate or morphology • High: The pressure af f ect s more t han 5% of t he MPA ´ s seabed OR it occurs in one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence. • Medium: Pressure af f ect s 1-5% of t he MPA ´ s seabed, but NOT in areas wit h not able species diversit y or in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed. Low: Pressure occurs in t he MPA, but af f ect s less t han 1% • High: The pressure af f ect s more t han 1% of t he MPA ´ s seabed OR it occurs in one or more areas wit h not able biological diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened ecosyst em component s. • Medium: Pressure af f ect s 0-1% of t he MPA ´ s seabed, but NOT in areas wit h not able biological diversit y or in known locat ions of t hreat ened ecosyst em component s. • Low: Pressure might occur in very limit ed locat ions and in areas of low ecological import ance. • In t he Balt ic it has been est imat ed, t hat in t he high int ensit y areas physical loss covers 1-5% , whereas t he average f or t he whole Balt ic is 1% (Helcom 2018).

• Disturbance or damage to seabed • of t he MPA ´ s seabed OR it has negat ive impact s t o one or High: The pressure af f ect s more t han 25% mult iple areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in locat ions wit h known t hreat ened species occurrences OR t he pressures int ensit y or f requency is having long-last ing ef f ect s on t he MPA. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed, but it is NOT af f ect ing one or more Medium: The pressure af f ect s 10 - 25% areas of not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence and t he pressures int ensit y or f requency is NOT causing long-last ing ef f ect s t o t he MPA. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed, and it is NOT Low: The pressure is occurring, but it af f ect s less t han 10% occurring in one or mult iple areas of not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence and t he pressures int ensit y or f requency is NOT causing long-last ing ef f ect s t o t he MPA. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed OR it has negat ive High: The pressure af f ect s continuously more t han 25% impact s t o one or mult iple areas wit h not able biological diversit y OR in locat ions wit h known t hreat ened ecosyst em component s. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed, but it is NOT af f ect ing one Medium: The pressure af f ect s continuously 10 - 25% or more areas of not able biological diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened ecosyst em component s. • of t he MPA ´ s seabed, Low: The pressure is occurring, but it is inf requent and af f ect s less t han 10% and it is NOT occurring in any areas of not able biological diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened ecosyst em component s

Diffuse pressures • Input of water • High: Input of wat er is signif icant ly af f ect ing one or more areas of not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence (and lowered salinit y can be considered as a t hreat ening f act or). • Medium: Input of wat er is af f ect ing one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence (and lowered salinit y can be considered as a t hreat ening f act or). • Low: Input of wat er is af f ect ing t he salinit y levels inside t he MPA, but it ´ s not causing not able t hreat t o t he species in t he area. • High: Input of wat er has caused regime shif t f rom marine/ brackish t o f reshwat er species composit ion. • Medium: Input of wat er has not ably shif t ed t he syst em t owards f reshwat er species dominance inside t he MPA. • Low: Input of wat er is af f ect ing t he salinit y levels inside t he MPA, but is not causing not able t hreat t o t he species in t he area.

• Change in water temperature • High: Act ivit ies af f ect not ably t o wat er t emperat ure in more t han 5% of t he MPA OR af f ect t he ecological condit ions in one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence. • of t he MPA ´ s wat er area. Medium: Act ivit ies af f ect not ably t o wat er t emperat ure in 1 - 5% • Low: Act ivit ies af f ect not ably t o wat er t emperat ure in t he MPA, but af f ect in less t han 1% of it s wat er areas. • High: Act ivit ies af f ect t o wat er t emperat ure in more t han 5% of t he MPA OR af f ect t he ecological condit ions in one or more areas wit h high biological diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened ecosyst em component s OR has created a refuge for invasive species inside the MPA. • of t he MPA ´ s wat er area. Medium: Act ivit ies af f ect not ably t o wat er t emperat ure in 1 - 5% • Low: Act ivit ies af f ect not ably t o wat er t emperat ure in t he MPA but af f ect in less t han 1% of it s wat er areas.

• Input of nutrients and organic matter • High: Input of nut rient s and/ or organic mat t er has not ably af f ect ed over 10 % of t he MPA OR it has an adverse ef f ect s on one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence OR t he pressures int ensit y or f requency is having long-last ing ef f ect s on t he MPA OR t he nut rient levels have increased f rom t he last evaluat ion. • Medium: Input of nut rient s and/ or organic mat t er has not ably af f ect ed 5 – 10 % of t he MPA, but it is NOT occurring in one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence and t he pressures int ensit y or f requency does NOT have long-last ing ef f ect s on t he MPA and t he nut rient levels have NOT increased f rom t he last evaluat ion. • Low: Input of nut rient s and/ or organic mat t er has not ably af f ect ed less t han 5 % of t he MPA, but it is NOT occurring in one or more areas wit h not able species diversit y OR in known locat ions of t hreat ened species occurrence and t he pressures int ensit y or f requency does NOT have long-last ing ef f ect s on t he MPA and t he nut rient levels have NOT increased f rom t he last evaluat ion. • High: The MPA shows clear signs of eut rophicat ion such as increased hypoxia at t he seaf loor OR shif t s t o dominance of species benef it t ing f rom high nut rient cont ent . • Medium: Increased coverage of species benef it t ing f rom high nut rient cont ent . • Low: There are visible signs of eut rophicat ion, but t he ecosyst ems remain unaf f ect ed.

• Input of contaminants • High: Coast al indust ry, harbor/ dock act ivit ies or oil handling f acilit ies cause signif icant discharges of cont aminant s int o wat er inside or near t he MPA OR a pollut ing ship accident has occurred wit h signif icant ef f ect s OR dredging of cont aminat ed sediment has occurred. • Medium: Coast al indust ry, harbor/ dock act ivit ies or oil handling f acilit ies cause some discharges of cont aminant s int o wat er or air inside or near t he MPA OR pollut ing ship accident has occurred wit h pot ent ial ef f ect s OR dredging of pot ent ially cont aminat ed sediment has occurred. • Low: Pot ent ial sources of cont aminant s are present in or near t he MPA, but no report ed spills has occurred. • High: Input of cont aminant s has caused observed physiological or behavioral changes t o t he species inside t he MPA. Known discharges of cont aminant s are occurring in or near t he MPA. • Medium: Input of cont aminant s has caused pot ent ial physiological or behavioral changes t o t he species inside t he MPA. Known discharges of cont aminant s have occurred in or near t he MPA and are pot ent ially st ored in t he sediment s. • Low: Pot ent ial sources of cont aminant s are present in or near t he MPA, but no report ed spills have occurred.

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