Marine Pressures and Impacts
Coastal and marine ecosystems are subject to pressures associated with a variety of human activities.
Contents
Impacts
Concern over the possible impacts of anthropogenic pressures on these ecosystems has led to the development of national, regional, and global commitments, which aim to preserve and, where possible, mitigate negative impacts on marine biodiversity. JNCC works to develop our understanding of how these human activities and pressures interact with the marine environment and thus, what their potential impacts are.
Areas of Work
Areas of work at JNCC include:
- Research into the links between activities and associated pressures (e.g. fishing activity with abrasion pressure) (see Marine Activities and Pressures Evidence).
- Collating, cataloguing and mapping data showing the spatial location of marine activities and associated pressures (see Marine Activities and Pressures Mapping).
- Sensitivity Assessments of benthic habitats and species to marine pressures.
Use of Information
The information gained through this work can be used to:
- Provide evidence for MPA conservation objectives (i.e. high-level statements of ecological aims for the MPA).
- Facilitate discussions on management measures for MPAs.
- Advise marine industries in relation to environmental impact assessments (principally oil and gas, marine aggregate dredging, fishing and the renewable energy industry).
- Inform risk-based assessments in support of marine biodiversity monitoring.
- Assess the status (condition) of marine habitats for legislative reporting where in-the-field data has not yet been collected or is limited.
- Develop and test OSPAR and national indicators to assess habitat condition, for example the OSPAR common indicator on Extent of Physical Damage to Predominant and Special Habitats.
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