Effects of Nutrient Management Scenarios on Marine Food Webs: A Pan-European Assessment in Support of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Piroddi, Chiara, Akoglu, Ekin, Andonegi, Eider, Bentley, Jacob, Celić, Igor, Coll, Marta, Dimarchopoulou, Donna, Friedland, René, de Mutsert, Kim, Girardin, Raphael, Garcia-Gorriz, Elisa, Grizzetti, Bruna, Hernvann, Pierre‐yves, Heymans, Johanna, Müller-Karulis, Bärbel, Libralato, Simone, Lynam, Christopher, Macias, Diego, Steenbeek, Jeroen, Miladinova, Svetla, Moullec, Fabien, Palialexis, Andreas, Tsikliras, Athanassios, Parn, Ove, Serpetti, Natalia, Solidoro, Cosimo, Stips, Adolf, Tomczak, Maciej, Travers-Trolet, Morgane
• Other Authors: European Commission - Joint Research Centre Ispra (JRC), Institute of Marine Sciences Erdemli-Mersin (IMS), Middle East Technical University Ankara (METU), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent (SAC), University of Kent Canterbury, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Marine Sciences Institute of Andalusia, Spanish Council for Scientific Research. ICMAN (CSIC), Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessalonik, Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, European Commission - Joint Research Centre Geel (JRC), Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, USA, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire (UNH), Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques de Boulogne (LRHBL), Unité Halieutique Manche Mer du Nord (HMMN), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Écologie et santé des écosystèmes (ESE), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-INSTITUT AGRO Agrocampus Ouest, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), Unité Sciences et Technologies Halieutiques (STH), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), University of California Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC), European Marine Board, Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Lowestoft Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Weymouth (CEFAS), Ecopath International Initiative Research Association, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Universität Hamburg (UHH), aboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessalonik, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Unité Écologie et Modèles pour l'Halieutique (EMH), ANR-18-EBI4-0003,SOMBEE,Scenarios Of Marine Biodiversity and Evolution under Exploitation and climate change(2018)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-03279683; https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.596797

International audience Eutrophication is one of the most important anthropogenic pressures impacting coastal seas. In Europe, several legislations and management measures have been implemented to halt nutrient overloading in marine ecosystems. This study evaluates the impact of freshwater nutrient control measures on higher trophic levels (HTL) in European marine ecosystems following descriptors and criteria as defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). We used a novel pan-European marine modeling ensemble of fourteen HTL models, covering almost all the EU seas, under two nutrient management scenarios. Results from our projections suggest that the proposed nutrient reduction measures may not have a significant impact on the structure and function of European marine ecosystems. Among the assessed criteria, the spawning stock biomass of commercially important fish stocks and the biomass of small pelagic fishes would be the most impacted, albeit with values lower than 2.5%. For the other criteria/indicators, such as species diversity and trophic level indicators, the impact was lower. The Black Sea and the North-East Atlantic were the most negatively impacted regions, while the Baltic Sea was the only region showing signs of improvement. Coastal and shelf areas were more sensitive to environmental changes than large regional and sub-regional ecosystems that also include open seas. This is the first pan-European multi-model comparison study used to assess the impacts of land-based measures on marine and coastal European ecosystems through a set of selected ecological indicators. Since anthropogenic pressures are expanding apace in the marine environment and policy makers need to use rapid and effective policy measures for fast-changing environments, this modeling framework is an essential asset in supporting and guiding EU policy needs and decisions.