Member State report / Art8 / 2012 / D8 / Greece / Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea
| Report type | Member State report to Commission |
| MSFD Article | Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates) |
| Report due | 2012-10-15 |
| GES Descriptor | D8 Contaminants |
| Member State | Greece |
| Region/subregion | Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea |
| Reported by | Dept of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece, University of Creete, Biology Department, Faculty of Geology and Geo-Environment, University of Athens, Greece, APC S.A., Dept of Chemisrty,University of Athens |
| Report date | 2012-10-15 |
| Report access | MALGR_MSFD8bPressures_20130430.xml |
It constitutes the assessment area Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
It constitutes the assessment area Central Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
GES component |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature |
LevelPressure |
LevelPressureContaminant |
ImpactPressureSeabedHabitats |
ImpactPressureFunctionalGroup |
Assessment Topic |
PollutionEvents8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsSeabedHabitats8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsFunctionalGroups8_2_2
|
|
Element |
LitRock, LitSed, ShallCoarseSed, ShallMud, ShallMxdSed, ShallRock, ShallSand, ShelfCoarseSed, ShelfMud, ShelfMxdSed, ShelfRock, ShelfSand |
BirdsInshoreBenthic, BirdsInshoreHerbiv, BirdsInshorePelagic, BirdsInshoreSurface, BirdsIntertidalBenthic, BirdsOffshorePelagic, BirdsOffshoreSurface, FishCoastal, FishDemersal, FishDiadromous, FishPelagic, FishPelagicElasmobranchs |
||
Element 2 |
||||
ThresholdValue |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
|
Threshold value/Value unit |
||||
Proportion threshold value |
||||
Status of criteria/indicator |
Good |
NotAssessed |
NotAssessed |
|
Status trend |
Improving |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
|
Status confidence |
Low |
NotRelevant |
NotRelevant |
|
Description (status of criteria/indicator) |
Insufficient data
|
Insufficient data
|
||
Limitations |
||||
Assessment period |
||||
Description |
The significant pollution events which took place in the assessment area are either accidents which created oil spills or shipwrecks. In both cases, there has been leakage of contaminants, polluting the environment. The majority of these events occured in Saronikos Gulf the adjacent Gulf of Athens and Pireaus exacerbating the state of its environment. |
The volume of contaminants entering the marine environment is not available for all the recorded events, neither precise. It is mentioned that 140 tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbons were disposed of in the sea in three of the above mentioned incidents. In addition the extent of the area affected is insufficiently recorded; about 3 km2 were contaminated. |
The impacts of the acute pollution events have not been recorded. However, it is deemed that the majority of the habitats is impacted by the pollution incidents. |
The impacts of the acute pollution events have not been recorded. However, it is deemed that the majority of the habitats in the vicinity of the events is impacted by the pollution incidents. |
Input load |
There have been 13 incidents of acute pollution, timescale for above data: 6/1997-05/2008 |
lessthan1%
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Load unit |
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
|||
Confidence |
Low
|
Low
|
Non related GES component
|
Non related GES component
|
Trends (recent) |
Decreasing
|
Decreasing
|
||
Trends (future) |
Decrease
|
Decrease
|
||
Description (activities) |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
Activity type |
|
|
|
|
Information gaps |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It constitutes the assessment area Levantine Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
It constitutes the assessment area North Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
GES component |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature |
LevelPressure |
LevelPressureContaminant |
ImpactPressureSeabedHabitats |
ImpactPressureFunctionalGroup |
Assessment Topic |
PollutionEvents8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsSeabedHabitats8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsFunctionalGroups8_2_2
|
|
Element |
LitRock, LitSed, ShallCoarseSed, ShallMud, ShallMxdSed, ShallRock, ShallSand, ShelfCoarseSed, ShelfMud, ShelfMxdSed, ShelfRock, ShelfSand |
BirdsInshoreBenthic, BirdsInshoreHerbiv, BirdsInshorePelagic, BirdsInshoreSurface, BirdsIntertidalBenthic, BirdsOffshorePelagic, BirdsOffshoreSurface, FishCoastal, FishDemersal, FishDiadromous, FishPelagic, FishPelagicElasmobranchs |
||
Element 2 |
||||
ThresholdValue |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
|
Threshold value/Value unit |
||||
Proportion threshold value |
||||
Status of criteria/indicator |
Good |
NotAssessed |
NotAssessed |
|
Status trend |
Improving |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
|
Status confidence |
Low |
NotRelevant |
NotRelevant |
|
Description (status of criteria/indicator) |
Insufficient data
|
Insufficient data
|
||
Limitations |
||||
Assessment period |
||||
Description |
The significant pollution events which took place in the assessment area are either accidents which created oil spills or shipwrecks. In both cases, there has been leakage of contaminants, polluting the environment. Two of these events occured in the northern part of the aseessment area- Thermaikos Gulf contaminating part of the gulf and Chalkidiki, causing restricted pollution. The other two mentioned incidents occured between the islands of Chios and Lesvos and in Evia polluting the wider South Evoikos area. |
The information concerning the quantities which were disposed of in the marine environment are not available for all cases neither precise. For two of the above mentioned incidents, 540 tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbons have been reported to have entered the sea. The extent of the area affected is not precise either; about 10 km2 were contaminated. |
The impacts of the acute pollution events have not been recorded in all cases. However, it is deemed that the majority of the habitats in the vicinity of the events is impacted by the pollution incidents. In the case of the accident which took place in Evia, Zenetos et al (2004) found that the muddy benthic communities were most affected at the accident site and close vicinity, where reduction of species and community diversity took place. Full recovery was achieved after 8 months. In coastal areas, the impact on the communities was evident 6 months after the accident. |
The impacts of the acute pollution events have not been recorded. However, it is deemed that the majority of the functional groups are impacted. |
Input load |
There have been 4 incidents of acute pollution, timescale for above data: 11/1998-09/2000 |
lessthan1%
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Load unit |
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
|||
Confidence |
Low
|
Low
|
Non related GES component
|
Non related GES component
|
Trends (recent) |
Decreasing
|
Decreasing
|
||
Trends (future) |
Decrease
|
Decrease
|
||
Description (activities) |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
Activity type |
|
|
|
|
Information gaps |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It constitutes the assessment area South Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
GES component |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
D8C3 Significant acute pollution events (8.2.2) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature |
LevelPressure |
LevelPressureContaminant |
ImpactPressureSeabedHabitats |
ImpactPressureFunctionalGroup |
Assessment Topic |
PollutionEvents8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsSeabedHabitats8_2_2
|
PollutionEventsFunctionalGroups8_2_2
|
|
Element |
LitRock, LitSed, ShallCoarseSed, ShallMud, ShallMxdSed, ShallRock, ShallSand, ShelfCoarseSed, ShelfMud, ShelfMxdSed, ShelfRock, ShelfSand |
BirdsInshoreBenthic, BirdsInshoreHerbiv, BirdsInshorePelagic, BirdsInshoreSurface, BirdsIntertidalBenthic, BirdsOffshorePelagic, BirdsOffshoreSurface, FishCoastal, FishDemersal, FishDiadromous, FishPelagic, FishPelagicElasmobranchs |
||
Element 2 |
||||
ThresholdValue |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
There is no quantitativ e threshold. The occurrence and extent of significant pollution events should be minimised. |
|
Threshold value/Value unit |
||||
Proportion threshold value |
||||
Status of criteria/indicator |
Good |
NotAssessed |
NotAssessed |
|
Status trend |
Improving |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
Unknown_NotAssessed |
|
Status confidence |
Low |
NotRelevant |
NotRelevant |
|
Description (status of criteria/indicator) |
Insufficient data
|
Insufficient data
|
||
Limitations |
||||
Assessment period |
||||
Description |
The significant pollution event which occured in the assessment area has released contaminants, polluting the marine environment in the eastern part of Kythira island. |
The are no data regarding the amount of petroleum hydrocarbons which were disposed of in the marine environment. The extent of the affected area is about 0.1 km2. |
The impacts of this acute pollution events have not been recorded. However, it is deemed that the majority of the habitats is impacted. |
The impacts of the acute pollution events have not been recorded. However, it is deemed that the majority of the habitats in the vicinity of the events is impacted by the pollution incidents. |
Input load |
There has been 1 incident of acute pollution., timescale for above data: 8/2000-12/2008 |
lessthan1%
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
Load unit |
Unknown_NotAssessed
|
|||
Confidence |
Low
|
Low
|
Non related GES component
|
Non related GES component
|
Trends (recent) |
Decreasing
|
Decreasing
|
||
Trends (future) |
Decrease
|
Decrease
|
||
Description (activities) |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
The causes of these pollution incidents are marine based, as the petroleum leakage derives from shipping. It is known that pollution events are also caused by land -based sources, however, there are no records available. |
Activity type |
|
|
|
|
Information gaps |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |
It is obvious that there are many information gaps regarding acute pollution events in the assessment area due to insuffficient data. The situation could be addressed if the local and state authorities (the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection) recorded such incidents in greater detail and developped a network of experts who could record the impacts of such events. The latter could be assissted by implementing research programmes on marine pollution. It is not possible to provide an estimate concerning the time such actions could be taken. |