How can we increase the operational utility of Marine
Environmental Indicators?
Marine Theme Objective: Human pressures and impacts on the marine environment
What’s the problem?
In recent years a considerable amount of new environmental legislation has been presented with the aim of monitoring,
conserving and protecting the marine environment (e.g. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, etc). The overall
objectives of these policies and directives revolve around attaining sustainable development, while assessing the current
state of the marine environment and the extent of human impacts.
Indicators have increasingly become an important tool to monitor the impacts of human activities at sea. Indicators can
illustrate a specific aspect of the environment with the aim of guiding policy makers and informing the public of the
effectiveness of both legislation and management in improving the state of the environment. Due to the increasing
prevalence of these tools it has become evident that a much more integrated approach is needed, for both the UK and
internationally, to help support policy makers in the development, comprehension, and application of marine indicators.
What are the aims of the project?
Communication is the main function of indicators that
should enable information exchange regarding the
issue they address. Indicators need to simplify a
complex reality while being resilient to legal and
scientific scrutiny.
The aim of the project is to improve the operational
use of environmental indicators that relate directly to
Defra’s marine management and reporting obligations.
The project will produce guidelines to facilitate the
development and application of indicator formulations.
In some instances the project will also propose novel
indicators (specifically for state and impact). This will
be achieved through interrelated scientific themes
(and one theme dedicated to integration of the
activities and outputs) to:
1. produce an analysis of what constitutes a legally
robust indicator.
2. focus on the development of pressure indicators,
including the aggregating of pressures between
and within different sectors.
3. focus on the development of state and impact
indicators to test the validity of these across spatial
and temporal scales, and across sectors.
Five research modules also test novel indicators
(including those relating to chemistry, biology,
biogeochemistry, geology).
MANAGEMENT CONTEXT
Management objectives
(e.g. FEPA, MSFD etc)
Develop or interpret Pressure, State
and Impact indicators
Establish monitoring programmes to
follow trends in state/impact and
human induced pressures
PROJECT CONTEXT
PROJECT
OUTPUTS
Theme 1: Legal regulatory risk assessment
1) Guidelines to develop
and interpret
marine indicators.
Themes 2+3: Themes 2+3: Themes 2+3:
P, S&I
P, S&I
P, S&I
2) Map/Report card to
demonstrate
behaviour of
indicators, and
provide a
framework for
future monitoring
and reporting.
Selection
3) Peer reviewed papers
on ‘P’ and ‘S/I’
indicator
development and
application,
including
potential novel
formulations.
Application
Target setting Performance
Operational
use
Implementation
guidelines
Activities (A), Locations (L), Scales (S).
Interactions (‘A’ x ‘L’ x ‘S’)
R&D
Modules
R&D
Modules
Other
research
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of interrelationships between Themes.
Which policy areas will the research
inform?
The products of this work will facilitate delivering the
requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive (MFSD) and the Marine and Coastal Access
Act. Specifically the outputs will enable Defra to plan the
delivery of the most efficient and robust indicators for
monitoring and reporting purposes.
ME4118: Environmental indicators: a structured approach to the evaluation of impacts arising from human activities at sea
How can we increase the operational utility of Marine Environmental Indicators?
What are the results from the project and
how will they be used?
In light of the recently adopted Marine and Coastal Access
Act there is a current emphasis on the need to identify
appropriate indicators that are operationally useful in
meeting both activity specific regulatory needs along with
assessing performance against higher level GES
descriptors set out under the MSFD.
The outcome of this work will facilitate the UK
government’s capacity to effectively assess the UK seas in
line with these national and international drivers. It will do
this by providing guidelines and indicator-based tools that
are consistent with reporting requirements for national and
international processes, and produce guidance for the
development and interpretation of socio-economic
indicators.
also describes how different legal contexts treat science
and suggests a process to gather data for monitoring
purposes including defining a legal context to ascertain any
specific legal requirements to be complied with.
The outputs of the project have to date produced thematic
reports, peer reviewed scientific papers, and directly
supported the delivery of the ICES Environmental
Indicators Symposium (20 - 23 November 2007, London).
The final report will include a detailed guidance document
for the development and comprehension of marine
environmental indicators, and a proposed framework to
disseminate these indicators in the future.
For example:
1) For ‘Pressure’ indicators the present study aims to use
existing data sets describing human activities, specifically
aggregate extraction, dredge disposal and chemical
pollution, to further develop the system of pressure
indicators derived by OSPAR. The outer Thames will be
used as a case study for determining pressure indicators
and assessing their potential for integration as a means of
assessing aggregated pressure posed by multiple
activities.
2) For ‘State and Impact’ indicators the project is
investigating the behaviour and sensitivity of state and
impact indicators across spatial and temporal scales, and
for a range of human activities. Case studies primarily
relate to dredged material relocation, aggregate extraction
and organic discharges. These studies will be employed to
assess indicator performance in measuring environmental
status according to the relevant GES descriptors set out
under the MSFD.
Where can I find further information about
this and related research?
If you would like to know more about this project, details
can be obtained from Cefas www.cefas.co.uk/contactus.aspx
Alternatively, please contact Defra’s Marine and
Fisheries Science Unit:
[email protected]
3) In relation to the legal aspects of indicator development
the project highlights that the implementation of indicator
based monitoring programmes that are subject to legal
scrutiny necessitates a risk management plan. The project
Defra Science – did you know?
At any one time Defra manages over 2000 research projects covering a wide range of topics. For more information on current
research see http://randd.defra.gov.uk and to find out about future research proposals see the Defra Research and Analysis
page at: www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/index/htm
ME4118: Environmental indicators: a structured approach to the evaluation of impacts arising from human activities at sea