As part of EEA's ongoing security and identity management improvements, we are currently migrating the system to Entra ID authentication.
We kindly ask all users to start using Entra ID credentials when logging in to the system. 

Please note that LDAP authentication will be phased out and disabled by the end of August 2026.
We encourage you to verify that you can successfully access the system and that your account and permissions function as expected after Entra ID login.
Should you encounter any issues or require assistance during this transition, please contact Laszlo Cseh at laszlo.cseh@eaudeweb.ro 
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
As part of EEA's ongoing security and identity management improvements, we are currently migrating the system to Entra ID authentication.
We kindly ask all users to start using Entra ID credentials when logging in to the system. 

Please note that LDAP authentication will be phased out and disabled by the end of August 2026.
We encourage you to verify that you can successfully access the system and that your account and permissions function as expected after Entra ID login.
Should you encounter any issues or require assistance during this transition, please contact Laszlo Cseh at laszlo.cseh@eaudeweb.ro 
Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Member State report / Art8 / 2018 / D4 / Ireland / NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2018-10-15
GES Descriptor D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Member State Ireland
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas
Reported by Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Report date 2020-08-31
Report access msfd2018-ART8_GES_IE_Updated_24_July.xml

ACS-IE-AA-001

GES component
D4
D4
Feature
Ecosystems, including food webs
Ecosystems, including food webs
Element
Fish community
Phytoplankton
Element code
FishCommunity
QE1-1
Element code source
Link to other vocabulary or code lists that may be relevant
Eutrophication (D5)(EQRs) http://dd.eionet.europa.eu/vocabulary/wise/ObservedPropertyBiologyEQR/view
Element 2
Element 2 code
Element 2 code source
Element source
EU
EU
Criterion
D4C1
D4C2
Parameter
Other
Other
Parameter other
Fish
Phytoplankton
Threshold value upper
Threshold value lower
Threshold qualitative
Threshold value source
Threshold value source other
Value achieved upper
Value achieved lower
Value unit
Value unit other
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend
Unknown
Unknown
Parameter achieved
Unknown
Unknown
Description parameter
For fish there are local increases and decreases but for the greater part of Irish waters, the situation is unclear. Demersal fish size decreased along the shelf edge waters to the west and near some coasts but increases towards the south of Ireland. For the pelagic fish community there were increases in the central Irish Sea and Celtic Sea.
With the phytoplankton community there have been significant changes in community structure and energy flows. The strongest change was observed between small and large copepods and between non-carnivorous and carnivorous zooplankton, indicative of food web structure and energy flow between trophic groups. The holoplankton and meroplankton lifeform pair also experienced significant change, suggesting changes in linkage between the benthic and pelagic components of the ecosystem.
Related indicator
  • D4el1
  • D4el2
Criteria status
Unknown
Unknown
Description criteria
Element status
Unknown
Unknown
Description element
Integration rule type parameter
Integration rule description parameter
Integration rule type criteria
SPATIAL
SPATIAL
Integration rule description criteria
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
GES achieved
Unknown
Unknown
Description overall status
A key finding of the assessment was that the environmental status of Ireland’s marine food webs is currently unknown. There was evidence that components of the food webs are changing but it was not clear how they are affecting each other or the extent to which this is due to anthropogenic influence or associated pressures. Marine food webs are complex systems to gather detailed information on and to interpret with scientific accuracy. This is particularly the case in Ireland’s diverse and variable marine environment.
A key finding of the assessment was that the environmental status of Ireland’s marine food webs is currently unknown. There was evidence that components of the food webs are changing but it was not clear how they are affecting each other or the extent to which this is due to anthropogenic influence or associated pressures. Marine food webs are complex systems to gather detailed information on and to interpret with scientific accuracy. This is particularly the case in Ireland’s diverse and variable marine environment.
Assessments period
1958-2014
1958-2014
Related pressures
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
  • Input of nutrients - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition
  • Input of organic matter - diffuse sources and point sources
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
  • Input of nutrients - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition
  • Input of organic matter - diffuse sources and point sources
Related targets
  • D4T1
  • D4T2
  • D4T1
  • D4T2