MS/Art8/2012/D1-P/Malta/Mediterranean: Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean Sea

Member State report / Art8 / 2012 / D1-P / Malta / Mediterranean: Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean 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	D1 Pelagic habitats
Member State	Malta
Region/subregion	Mediterranean: Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean Sea
Reported by	Malta Environment and Planning Authority
Report date	2013-08-02
Report access	MSFD8aFeatures_20131105_121510.xml HTML Factsheet

MIC-MT-MS

Simplified table

Topic	HabitatCondition	HabitatDistribution	HabitatExtent	HabitatOverall
Reporting Feature	Seagrass habitat (predominantly Posidonia oceanica meadows)	Seagrass habitat (predominantly Posidonia oceanica meadows)	Seagrass habitat (predominantly Posidonia oceanica meadows)	Seagrass habitat (predominantly Posidonia oceanica meadows)
Indicator	1.6.1	1.4.1	1.5.1
Threshold Value	Ecological Quality Ratio based on the PREI index >0.6	No significant changes in distirbutional range for the past ten years	Changes to the extent of P. oceanica meadows due to anthropogenic disturbance are estimated at less than 10% of the current extent.	All criteria assessed are indicative of good status; None of the criteria are indicative of poor status.
Threshold Unit	Ratio	Trend	Percentage	Ratio
Threshold Proportion
Baseline	Reference conditions identified through the WFD 2012 monitoring	Distributional range of P. oceanica as indicated by the 2002 baseline survey and supplemented by more recent localised data (as aggregated for the purposes of the MSFD).	Extent of P. oceanica as compiled in 2002 baseline survey and supplemented by more recent localised data (as aggregated for the purposes of the MSFD).	Distributional range and extent based on 2002 survey as supplemented by more recent localised data, and reference conditions as identified through 2012 WFD monitoring.
Status	Good	Good	Good	Good
Status Description
Status Trend	Stable	Stable	Stable	Stable
Status Confidence	High	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Topic	FuncGroupAbundance	FuncGroupCondition	FuncGroupAbundance	FuncGroupCondition	FuncGroupOverall	FuncGroupAbundance	FuncGroupCondition	FuncGroupAbundance	FuncGroupCondition	FuncGroupOverall	FuncGroupAbundance	FuncGroupCondition	FuncGroupOverall
Reporting Feature	Offshore pelagic-feeding birds	Offshore pelagic-feeding birds	Turtles	Turtles	Turtles	Mammals	Mammals	Demersal elasmobranchs	Demersal elasmobranchs	Demersal elasmobranchs	Demersal fish	Demersal fish	Demersal fish
Indicator	GESOther	GESOther		1.6.1	1.6.1		1.6.1		1.6.1			1.6.1
Threshold Value				Species composition is in line with the composition of marine reptiles in the Mediterranean region	Species composition is in line with the composition of marine reptiles in the Mediterranean region		Good status: Species composition in Malta reflects species composition at a regional level.		Species composition in annual samples is stable			Species composition in annual samples is stable
Threshold Unit
Threshold Proportion
Baseline				Historic records	Historic records		Records of cetaceans in Malta since 1960		MEDITS data for the period 2007-2012			MEDITS data for the period 2005-2012
Status	NotAssessed	NotAssessed	NotAssessed	Good	Good	NotAssessed	Good	NotAssessed	Good	NotAssessed	NotAssessed	Good	NotAssessed
Status Description	In view of current limitations in available data	In view of current limitations in available data	Given that a single species is representing this functional group, status in terms of relative abundance is not deemed relevant. On the other hand, reference is being made to the assessment of characteristics for Caretta caretta			Due to limited abundance estimates as well as lack of reference conditions		Due to limited knowledge on ecosystem functions to which the outcome of the analysis of relative biomass can be related		Since the assessment of this functional group should be undertaken in relation to ecosystem functions, which due to current data limitations, could not be udertaken at this stage	Due to limited knowledge on ecosystem functions to which the outcome of the analysis of relative biomass can be related		Since the assessment of this functional group should be undertaken in relation to ecosystem functions, which due to current data limitations, could not be udertaken at this stage
Status Trend	Unknown_NotAssessed	Unknown_NotAssessed	Unknown_NotAssessed	Stable	Stable	Unknown_NotAssessed	Stable	Unknown_NotAssessed	Stable	Unknown_NotAssessed	Unknown_NotAssessed	Stable	Unknown_NotAssessed
Status Confidence				Moderate	Low		Moderate		Moderate			Low