Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D7 / Belgium / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 11 Monitoring programmes (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2020-10-15
GES Descriptor D7 Hydrographical changes
Member State Belgium
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Reported by FPS Science Policy, Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (Scientific Service MUMM, R
Report date 2020-10-29
Report access

Descriptor
D7
Monitoring strategy description
The monitoring strategy aims at identifying as soon as possible the permanent hydrographic changes induced by the construction of new infrastructures at sea or on the coast and which are likely to modify the distribution of erosion and sedimentation zones in the Belgian part of the North Sea. It is based on numerical models validated with in-situ data (prior to construction) and the results of environmental monitoring programmes. The intensity of the permanent hydrographic changes will be compared with the threshold values defined in Populus et al. (2017) in order to estimate the potentially harmful nature of the changes in large-scale benthic habitats.
Coverage of GES criteria
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018
Gaps and plans
No gaps.
Related targets
  • D7.T1
  • D7.T2
Coverage of targets
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018
Related measures
  • 1 - 'Report on Environmental Impacts (REI) and Adapted Evaluation (AE)'
Coverage of measures
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018
Related monitoring programmes
  • ANSBE-P16-Hydrography
Programme code
ANSBE-P16-Hydrography
Programme name
Hydrographical changes
Update type
Modified from 2014
Old programme codes
  • ANSBE-D7-Hydrography--SP16
Programme description
This monitoring programme aims at identifying as soon as possible the permanent hydrographic changes induced by the construction of new infrastructures at sea or on the coast and which are likely to modify the distribution of erosion and sedimentation zones in the BPNS. (Former programme ANSBE-D7-HydrographySP16) This programme covers the environmental targets D7.1 and D7.2.
Monitoring purpose
  • Pressures at source
  • Pressures in the marine environment
Other policies and conventions
  • Water Framework Directive
Regional cooperation - coordinating body
Regional cooperation - countries involved
Regional cooperation - implementation level
Monitoring details
First of all, during the environmental impact study carried out as part of the licensing procedure, a specific study must be carried out using validated numerical models in order to identify and quantify significant permanent hydrographic changes (currents and waves) induced by the infrastructure to be built and to deduce the area of the area subject to these changes. In a second step, after the construction of the infrastructure, and if the environmental permit for the infrastructure requires the implementation of an environmental monitoring programme, the results of the monitoring will also be used to refine the assessment of the extent of areas undergoing significant permanent hydrographic changes.
Features
Hydrographical changes
Elements
  • Current regime
  • Wave regime
GES criteria
D7C1
Parameters
  • Extent
Parameter Other
Spatial scope
  • Coastal waters (WFD)
  • EEZ (or similar)
  • Territorial waters
Marine reporting units
  • ANS-BE-MS-1
Temporal scope (start date - end date)
2015-9999
Monitoring frequency
As needed
Monitoring type
  • Numerical modelling
Monitoring method
  • Other monitoring method
Monitoring method other
- A validated numerical model with an appropriate resolution. - The model validation should be done against in-situ data collected in the area for which a license is requested.
Quality control
Standard model validation procedure against in-situ data, such as RMSE, bias, standard deviation, scatter plot, correlation coefficient or ROC curves.
Data management
The data is transmitted through BMDC's Data Tracking System, which makes it publicly accessible via RBINS' metadata catalogue (http://metadata.naturalsciences.be).
Data access
Related indicator/name
Contact
Sébastien Legrand, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (RBINS)
References