Transcript valorisation

Marine spatial planning valorisation of Polish marine areas based on the
biological elements
Michał Olenycz
Maritime Institute in Gdańsk
1st international MSP meeting,
18.-19.10.2016 Gdańsk
Marine spatial planning and the marine environment – friends or
foes?
Economic
Interests
Social
Interests
Environmental
Interests
Marine spatial planning and the marine environment – friends or
foes?
Economic
Interests
Social
Interests
Environmental
Interests
Marine spatial planning and the marine environment – friends or
foes?
Economic
Interests
Social
Interests
Environmental
Interests
these two were and
are priorities
Marine spatial planning and the marine environment – friends or
foes?
The guiding principle of spatial development of the sea areas (in acc. with
HELCOM-VASAB) -
ecosystem approach!
Reconciliation of economic, social and environmental interests.
Maritime spatial planning is promoted and recommended by the Marine
Strategy Framework Directive.
Marine spatial planning and the marine environment – friends or
foes?
The Marine Directive imposes on the Member States the obligation to
achieve a good environmental status (GES) of EU marine waters by 2020.
The ecosystem approach in marine spatial planning ensures that pressure
exerted by human activity does not prevent the achievement of GES.
From that point of view, maritime spatial planning is perceived as a useful
tool for achieving good environmental status.
So, friends or foes?
Friends!
Valorisation of the natural environment
– scope of analysis
Valorisation of Polish marine areas was based on:
• habitats,
• macrophytes (marine benthic plants),
• macrozoobenthos (marine benthic animals),
• ichtyofauna,
• avifauna,
• marine mammals.
Baseline for marine spatial plan:
Study of Conditions of Spatial Development of Polish
Sea Areas (2015).
Valorisation of the natural environment
– scope of analysis
The valorisation included both quantitative and qualitative criteria/data.
[Derous et al. 2007, Natural conditions of spatial plans… 2008, Węsławski et al. 2009]
The quantitative criteria:
• the number of species (biodiversity),
• the abundance and biomass of species.
The qualitative criteria:
• the rarity of a species/habitat (uniqueness),
• naturalness (degree to which a species complex/habitat is conserved
in unchanged form),
• presence of protected species/habitats,
• relevance of species/habitats for ecosystems functioning.
Valorisation of the natural environment
– scope of data
Data used in valorization based on biota came from:
• the State Environmental Monitoring (macrophytes, macrozoobenthos,
ichtyofauna and avifauna);
• inventory research for the needs of developing the protection plans for Natura
2000 areas in Polish marine areas (macrophytes, macrozoobenthos,
ichtyofauna, avifauna and marine mammals);
• international project BRISK (avifauna);
• international project SAMBAH (marine mammals);
• online database of The Hel Marine Station of the UG Institute of
Oceanography (marine mammals);
• online database of project “Protection of habitats of marine mammals and
birds” realised by WWF Poland (marine mammals),
• MIG research projects (macrophytes, macrozoobenthos, ichtyofauna),
• literature (macrophytes, macrozoobenthos, ichtyofauna, avifauna and marine
mammals).
Habitats - criteria of valorisation
Habitats calssification in Polish marine areas was based on EUNIS habitat
classification.
At the third level of the EUNIS habitat classification system, based only on
sediment characteristics, 5 habitats are distinguished in the Polish sea
areas:
• coarse-grained deposits (A5.1),
• sands (A5.2),
• muds – fine sediments (below 0.63 mm) (A5.3),
• mixites (A5.4) — mixed sediments (sand, mud, gravel),
• mosaic substratum (X32)
Habitats - criteria of valorisation
hard immobile
substratum (A3)
Macrophytes - criteria of valorisation
• occurrence of plant communities,
• occurrence of rare and protected species,
• dominance of eutrophication indicator species in the
biomass.
Macrophytes - valorisation
Macrophytes
Criterion of
valorisation
Existence of
communities
Puck Bay
Green algae
communities
(2 species)
Vascular plants
communities
(3 species)
Stone and boulder
field on Slupsk Bank
Stone and boulder
fields off Rowy
Red algae
communities
(4 species)
Red algae
communities
(2 species)
Occurrence of
protected species
8 species
3 species
4 species
Occurrence of rare
species
6 species
4 species
4 species
Dominance in
biomass of
eutrophication
indicator species
5 species
-
-
Macrophytes - threats
Threats for macrophytes in the Puck Bay, on stones and boulders on the
Slupsk Bank and near Rowy
• disturbing the seabed (habitat) (i.e. extraction of natural
aggregates, marine wind farms construction and linear
investments),
• water and sediment,
• discharges of biogenic compounds from point and nonpoint sources (The Puck Bay specific).
Macrozoobenthos - criteria of valorisation
• rareness of occurrence of a habitat/species,
• naturalness of habitat/community,
• significance of a habitat/community for ecological
processes.
Macrozoobenthos - criteria of valorisation
Macrozoobenthos - valorisation
Criterion of
valorisation
Inner part of the Puck Bay
Boulder field in the Słupsk
Bank
Slupsk Furrow
Rareness of occurrence
of a habitat/species
the only shallow water region
with lagoon characteristics
and salinity typical for the
coastal zone of the southern
Baltic Sea
the only
region in the Polish marine
areas having an area of just
over 100 km2, with bottom
covered by boulders
and cobbles
main channel through which
the saline and well oxidized
water from the North Sea
flows towards the Gdansk
and Gotland Deeps
-
far from industrial centers,
large cities, river estuaries
far from industrial centers,
large cities, river estuaries
The diversity of seabed
habitats causes that
macrozoobenthos is
characterised by high
taxonomical diversification.
Many species, e.g. four
species of molluscs, are a food
base for sea birds. Small
crustaceans inhabiting
macrophyte fields and
nectobenthos are the main
component of fish food
a high degree of taxonomical
diversification and abundance
of macrozoobenthos.
Therefore, the boulder field is
a natural feeding area for sea
birds and demersal fish
The inflows, moving to the
east through the Slupsk
Furrow, are very important
for macrozoobenthos
inhabiting the bottom below
the halocline, especially in
the South Baltic deeps
Naturalness of
habitat/community
Significance of a
habitat/community for
ecological processes
Macrozoobenthos - threats
Threats for macrozoobenthos in the Puck Bay, on stones and boulders
on the Slupsk Bank and in Slupsk Furrow
• disturbing the seabed (habitat) (i.e. extraction of natural
aggregates, marine wind farms construction and linear
investments),
• water and sediment pollution,
• invasive species,
• Increased concentration of organic matter in the deposits
could cause a change of the present qualitative and
quantitative structure of macrozoobenthos.
Ichtyofauna - criteria of valorisation
Qualitative criteria which take into account the role fulfilled by areas
important for development of the ichthyofauna:
• feeding,
• breeding,
• migratory.
Ichtyofauna - criteria of valorisation
Ichtyofauna - criteria of valorisation
Ichtyofauna - criteria of valorisation
Ichtyofauna – criteria of valorisation
The natural value of the identified areas changes seasonally depending on the
number of criteria/functions fulfilled by the area. Their seasonal significance was
taken into account.
Values of classification criteria:
• 3 – very high: when all the criteria are fulfilled;
• 2 – high: when two out of three criteria are fulfilled;
• 1 – average: when one out of three criteria is fulfilled;
• 0 – low value: when none of the criteria is fulfilled.
Ichtyofauna – valorisation
Ichtyofauna – valorisation
Ichtyofauna – valorisation
Ichtyofauna – valorisation
Ichtyofauna – threats
Threats for ichtyofauna:
• water pollution,
• disturbing the seabed (habitat) (i.e. extraction of natural
aggregates, marine wind farms construction and linear
investments),
• intensive fishing,
• blocking of migration routes of bi-environmental fish.
Avifauna - criteria of valorisation
The valorisation of Polish marine areas based on the avifauna included
the data characterizing:
• wintering locations;
• resting areas of migratory birds;
• nesting areas.
Avifauna - criteria of valorisation
In the designation of areas important for avifauna, the following criteria
were taken into account:
• occurrence of rare or/and in danger of extinction species,
• occurrence of protected species (including species listed in the
Appendix I of the Birds Directive),
• high number of birds.
Avifauna - criteria of valorisation
Avifauna - criteria of valorisation
Avifauna - criteria of valorisation
Avifauna - valorisation
Avifauna - valorisation
Avifauna - threats
• by-catch in fishing nets,
• growing tourism activity (growing number of fast moving vessels,
development of infrastructure e.g. marinas, havens, etc.), (the Puck
Bay specific),
• growing tourism activity and human penetration of the sandbanks
with breeding colonies of birds (sandbanks in the the Vistua River
mouth),
• water pollution and potential oil spills,
• periodically conducted flood protection and icebreaking works in the
river mouth (sandbanks in the the Vistua River mouth specific),
• construction of wind farms on bird migration routes (the Slupsk Bank
and the Pomeranian Bay specific),
• high density vessel traffic (the Puck Bay and the Pomeranian Bay
specific).
Marine mammals – criteria of valorisation
• all the species of marine mammals occurring in Polish sea areas
belong to the Baltic populations, which migrate over almost the whole
Baltic Sea;
• during the last centuries populations of Baltic marine mammals have
decreased and at present they are on the brink of extinction (harbour
porpoise) or revival (grey seal, harbour seal, ringed seal).
• the MSP should take into account the existence and state of secluded
beaches and sandbanks, which are not part of Polish sea areas but are
a refuge for seals during the resting, molting and breeding periods.
Marine mammals – valorisation
Marine mammals – threats
Threats in Polish marine areas (as whole):
Seals
• disruption of peace and safety in land and sea habitats,
• by-catch in fishing nets,
• water pollution.
Porpoise
• by-catch in fishing nets,
• underwater noise,
• disruption of peace and safety in sea habitats,
• water porllution.
Valorisation based on the biological elements – summary
The most valuable areas in Polish marine areas (in relation to
the biological elements):
•
•
•
•
•
the Puck Bay,
the Slupsk Bank,
the Pomeranian Bay,
the Vistula River Estuary,
coastal zone (to the depth of 10 m);
Protected areas in Polish EEZ
In Polish sea areas there are basins of significant importance for the good state of
macrophytes, macrozoobenthos, ichthyofauna, avifauna and sea mammals. Most
valuable regions coincide with areas protected by the Nature Conservation Act,
and these areas must be taken into consideration by the marine spatial plan of
Polish sea areas.
Protected areas in Polish EEZ:
• 6 Special Areas of Conservation (Natura 2000 area),
• 4 Special Protection Areas (Natura 2000 area),
• 2 national parks,
• 1 lanscape park.
Protected areas in Polish EEZ
Recommendations for the Marine Spatial Plan
The MSP should take into account the importance for protection of the
Slupsk Furrow (area valuable for macrozoobenthos) and East Border
Waters (important area for wintering birds). Activities which could result
in deterioration of the ecological state of these waters should be
prevented.
It should be bear in mind that the time factor is equally important as
space factor in nature protection.
The MSP should take into account the existence and state of secluded
beaches and sandbanks, which are not part of Polish sea areas but are a
refuge for seals during the resting, molting and breeding periods and also
nesting areas of birds.
Thank you for your attention