Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D11 / Croatia / Mediterranean: Adriatic 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 D11 Energy, incl. underwater noise
Member State Croatia
Region/subregion Mediterranean: Adriatic Sea
Reported by Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
Report date 2020-10-15
Report access

Descriptor
D11
D11
Monitoring strategy description
The monitoring strategy for D11C1 and D11C2 at the moment is mostly based on several EU projects that are currently taking place and the TG Noise recommendations that will work towards defining threshold values. QuietMED2 project is funded by Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission, it is focused on impulsive noise in the Mediterranean Region, and it will provide practical outcomes through a joint proposal of a candidate for an impulsive noise indicator in the Mediterranean Region and a common methodology for Competent Authorities to establish threshold values, together with associated lists of elements and integration rules. This should lead to an establishment of a joint register of impulsive underwater noise in the Mediterranean Sea Region. Within the project Monitoring and Observation System within the Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in Croatia measurements on four positions in two seasonal periods are being carried out regularly. Moreover, Interreg Italy-Croatia project SOUNDSCAPE works on creating a cross-border technical, scientific and institutional cooperation to face the challenge of assessing the impact of underwater environmental noise on the marine fauna and in general on the Northern Adriatic ecosystem. A shared monitoring network is being implemented, that will provide a yearlong continuous noise data in the Northern Adriatic, which will be integrated into modelling tools to create more general view of the soundscapes in the region.
The monitoring strategy for D11C1 and D11C2 at the moment is mostly based on several EU projects that are currently taking place and the TG Noise recommendations that will work towards defining threshold values. QuietMED2 project is funded by Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission, it is focused on impulsive noise in the Mediterranean Region, and it will provide practical outcomes through a joint proposal of a candidate for an impulsive noise indicator in the Mediterranean Region and a common methodology for Competent Authorities to establish threshold values, together with associated lists of elements and integration rules. This should lead to an establishment of a joint register of impulsive underwater noise in the Mediterranean Sea Region. Within the project Monitoring and Observation System within the Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in Croatia measurements on four positions in two seasonal periods are being carried out regularly. Moreover, Interreg Italy-Croatia project SOUNDSCAPE works on creating a cross-border technical, scientific and institutional cooperation to face the challenge of assessing the impact of underwater environmental noise on the marine fauna and in general on the Northern Adriatic ecosystem. A shared monitoring network is being implemented, that will provide a yearlong continuous noise data in the Northern Adriatic, which will be integrated into modelling tools to create more general view of the soundscapes in the region.
Coverage of GES criteria
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Gaps and plans
There is no law on the register of impulsive underwater noise and corresponding data, which is the gap of MSFD implementation in Croatia. At the moment, the text of technical requirements for future law is under preparation. Results of the QuietMED2 project and resulting activities at the national level will help in its adoption. The spatial and temporal resolution of continuous noise monitoring has been significantly improved recently, new instruments were obtained, and additional stations are being used to expand the monitoring network. The upgrades in continuous noise monitoring are also expected through cross-regional cooperation and soundscape modelling.
There is no law on the register of impulsive underwater noise and corresponding data, which is the gap of MSFD implementation in Croatia. At the moment, the text of technical requirements for future law is under preparation. Results of the QuietMED2 project and resulting activities at the national level will help in its adoption. The spatial and temporal resolution of continuous noise monitoring has been significantly improved recently, new instruments were obtained, and additional stations are being used to expand the monitoring network. The upgrades in continuous noise monitoring are also expected through cross-regional cooperation and soundscape modelling.
Related targets
  • D11T1
  • D11T2
  • D11T1
  • D11T2
Coverage of targets
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Related measures
Coverage of measures
Related monitoring programmes
  • MADHR-D11-03
  • MADHR-D11-04
  • MADHR-D11-03
  • MADHR-D11-04
Programme code
MADHR-D11-03
MADHR-D11-04
Programme name
Impulsive underwater noise- distribution, frequency and levels
Continuous underwater noise - distributiin, frequency and levels
Update type
Modified from 2014
Modified from 2014
Old programme codes
  • MADHR-D11-01
  • MADHR-D11-02
Programme description
Impulsive sounds can lead to a variety of behavioural reactions such as avoidance of feeding or breeding areas, or may result in physiological effects such as temporary or permanent damage to hearing organs, and at very high levels, even death. Criteria D11C1 will be realized through the establishment of an underwater impulse noise occurrence register. The register should provide information on the number of days within an area where the pulse level is or a series of noise pulses exceeded a certain threshold. These sound levels refer to the relevant frequency band 10 Hz - 10 kHz.
Continuous noise may degrade the sound habitat, masking biologically relevant signals such as echolocation clicks, making it harder or impossible to find a mate, locate food or detect predators. The element of criterion D11C2 will be realized through monitoring the spatial-temporal distribution of low and medium frequency continuous noise levels and trend monitoring. This is possible in two ways: by measuring and modeling noise propagation. In Commission Decision 2017/848 / EU requires monitoring of the spatial-temporal distribution of levels continuous low and medium frequency noise in tertiary bands of 63 Hz and 125 Hz. As the measurement methodology is such that the measurement is performed in a wider frequency range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, the parameters to be used in determining the element of criterion D11C2 are the levels of continuous low and medium frequency noise in all third bands within the frequency range of 20 Hz - 10 kHz. Trends will be monitored on all third bands, and also on the overall level within the entire frequency range.
Monitoring purpose
  • Pressures in the marine environment
  • Pressures in the marine environment
Other policies and conventions
Regional cooperation - coordinating body
Regional cooperation - countries involved
Regional cooperation - implementation level
Monitoring details
Features
Impulsive sound in water
Continuous low frequency sound
Elements
  • Not Applicable
  • Continuous sound (1/3 octave frequency band centred on 125 Hz)
GES criteria
D11C1
D11C2
Parameters
  • Duration
  • Underwater sound level
Parameter Other
Spatial scope
  • Territorial waters
  • Territorial waters
Marine reporting units
  • MAD-HR-MRU_1
  • MAD-HR-MRU_1
Temporal scope (start date - end date)
2021-2026
2021-2026
Monitoring frequency
As needed
2-yearly
Monitoring type
  • Other
  • In-situ sampling coastal
  • In-situ sampling offshore
  • Numerical modelling
Monitoring method
  • Other monitoring method
  • Other monitoring method
Monitoring method other
Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part I:Executive Summary, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26557 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/29293 Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part II:Monitoring Guidance Specifications, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26555 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/27158 Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part III:Background Information and Annexes, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26556 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/2808 Sampling procedure has been described in Marasovic I., Krstulovic, N., Leder, N., Loncar, G., Precali, R., Šolic, M., Loncar,.G., Beg- Paklar, G., Bojanic, N., Cvitkovic, I., Dadic, V., Despalatovic, M., Dulcic, J., Grbec, B., Kušpilic, G., Nincevic-Gladan, Ž., P. Tutman, Ujevic, I., Vrgoc, N., Vukadin, P., Žuljevic, A. Coastal cities water pollution control project, Part C1: Monitoring and Observation System for Ongoing Assessment of the Adriatic sea under the Adriatic sea Monitoring Programme, Phase II. Interim report (IR), December, 2013. https://jadran.izor.hr/jadranski_projekt_2/MJERNE-METODE-I-OPREMA.pdf
Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part I:Executive Summary, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26557 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/29293 Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part II:Monitoring Guidance Specifications, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26555 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/27158 Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas, Part III:Background Information and Annexes, JRC Scientific and Policy Report EUR 26556 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, doi: 10.2788/2808 Sampling procedure has been described in Marasovic I., Krstulovic, N., Leder, N., Loncar, G., Precali, R., Šolic, M., Loncar,.G., Beg- Paklar, G., Bojanic, N., Cvitkovic, I., Dadic, V., Despalatovic, M., Dulcic, J., Grbec, B., Kušpilic, G., Nincevic-Gladan, Ž., P. Tutman, Ujevic, I., Vrgoc, N., Vukadin, P., Žuljevic, A. Coastal cities water pollution control project, Part C1: Monitoring and Observation System for Ongoing Assessment of the Adriatic sea under the Adriatic sea Monitoring Programme, Phase II. Interim report (IR), December, 2013. https://jadran.izor.hr/jadranski_projekt_2/MJERNE-METODE-I-OPREMA.pdf
Quality control
Quality control is used as in reported monitoring method.
Quality control is used as in reported monitoring method.
Data management
Data access
Related indicator/name
Contact
References