A Process-Based Approach to Guide the Observational Strategies for the Assessment of the Marine Environment

Pier Francesco Moretti (), Domenico D’Alelio, Aldo Drago, Jaime Pitarch, Patrick Roose, Isa Schön, Mario Sprovieri and Federico Falcini ()
Additional contact information
Pier Francesco Moretti: National Research Council of Italy (CNR), P.le A. Moro 7, 00185 Roma, Italy
Domenico D’Alelio: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
Aldo Drago: Oceanography Section, Institute of Engineering and Transport, Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology, Triq Kordin, PLA9032 Paola, Malta
Jaime Pitarch: Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR-CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Patrick Roose: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Isa Schön: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Mario Sprovieri: Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR-CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Federico Falcini: Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR-CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Ocean sustainability entails the management of marine ecosystems and their services. Monitoring and evaluation of the health of the sea is challenged by the complexity of the marine environment, whose multitude and interconnected aspects, together with the lack of comprehensive models, make the understanding of its functioning a very arduous endeavour. Observations are costly and time-consuming. For this reason, a European joint action, named Science for Good Environmental Status, tested a new approach to monitor and evaluate effectively the state of health of the sea. This approach is based on the identification of driving physical processes that are present in the sea basins and directing the observation strategy to be designed on the basis of preliminary space–time information and patterns. The proof-of-concept of this approach has been implemented offshore of the Belgian coast in an attempt to achieve ecosystem assessments with targeted data collection methods requiring a reduced combination of variables. The proposed approach can impact monitoring activities implemented by those countries aiming to fulfil the requests of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. A map of EU marine areas to further test this process-based approach is also provided.

Keywords: knowledge-based support to ocean sustainability; Marine Strategy Framework Directive; Good Environmental Status; observation strategy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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