It can be said that overall GES for D1/6 cannot yet be established, but at the minimum, good environmental status is achieved if good environmental status is achieved, if:
?... the coastal waters in accordance with the Water Framework Directive are in good environmental condition and in good chemical status.
... are in a favourable conservation status for the habitat types of Annex I (habitat type 11) to the Habitats Directive relevant to the marine environment in the Baltic Sea.
... the species of Annex II to the Habitats Directive, relevant for the marine sector in the Baltic Sea, as well as species of the Birds Directive relevant for the marine sector in the Baltic Sea, are in favourable conservation status due to the quality of their food habitat.
... the objectives are achieved by single species or group specific conventions (e.g. ASCOBANS, Yaoundé).
... HELCOM?s biodiversity is in good condition.

For the assessment of good environmental status in relation to D1-Pelagian habitats, criterion D1C6 is used as set out in Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848. Pending the development of the necessary assessment methods in the open Baltic Sea > 1 nautical mile may be used as a proxy for criteria D5C2, D5C3. In addition, criterion D1C6 is evaluated with diatoms/dinoflagellates Index indicator. The HELCOM Indicator zooplankton mean size and total biomass is under development. In the coastal waters < 1 nautical mile, the WFD quality component phytoplankton quality is assessed.
Explanation: Germany does not update the general description of good environmental status (GES) from 2012 at descriptor level in this reporting exercise. During the reporting period, Germany has worked with the countries bordering the Baltic Sea in the framework of the EU?s MSC CIS process and in HELCOM to develop methodological standards (indicators, evaluation procedures). Specific aspects of criteria and indicators that contribute to a quantitative assessment of good environmental status are reported in the reporting scheme Art. 8_GES. For the assessment of the criteria set out in Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, the relevant assessments under other EU directives shall be taken into account under Article 8_GES, taking into account, as far as possible, the regional assessments that have been coordinated so far and, on a case-by-case basis, supplemented by national assessments.

Cyanobacterial blooms and biomass below HELCOM agreed index thresholds: 0.90 in the Gulf of Finland; 0.77 in the Northern Baltic; and 0.58 in the Bothnian Sea. The status of the plankton community is determined by the phytoplankton and the zooplankton. In their absence, habitat indicators such as visual depth and oxygen conditions may also be used.


The average size and total biomass of the zooplankton community is both indicative and high in the feed. The thresholds for the average size and total biomass are 8,6/125 in the Gulf of Finland, 5,1/220 in Northern Baltic Sea, 10,3/55 in the Åland Islands, 8,4/23,7 for the Bothnian Sea and 23,7/161 for the Bothnian Sea.
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The concentrations of dissolved oxygen in water bodies in coastal waters do not fall below 4 mg L-1 (monthly mean).
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The high seas value thresholds laid down in HELCOM are exceeded:In the Gulf of Finland, 5.5 m, North Baltic Sea, 7.1 m for the Åland Sea, 6.9 m for the Åland Sea, 6.8 m for the Bothnian Sea, 6.0 m for the Kvarken Sea and 5.8 m at the Bothnian Sea.
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The oxygen shortfall in the Baltic Sea must not exceed the values of the oxygen bond index, which is 8,66 in the Gulf of Finland, 8,66 in Northern Baltic Sea, 2,02 in the Åland Islands, 2,02 in the Bothnian Sea and 0,81 in the Bothnian Sea.
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The threshold values for chlorophyll levels in water management are underestimated: In the internal coastal waters of the Gulf of Finland, 3,5 µg L-1, 2,5 µg L-1 in the outer archipelago of the Gulf of Finland, 3,0 µg L-1 in the south-west archipelago, 2,5 µg L-1 in the south-west archipelago, 2,3 µg L-1 in inner coastal waters in the Bothnian Sea, 2,7 µg L-1 in the outer archipelago area of Bothnian Sea 2,1 µg L-1, 3,3 µg L-1 in the outer archipelago and 2,2 µg L-1 in coastal waters in the Bothnian archipelago, 3,3 µg L-1 in the outer archipelago and 2,2 µg L-1 in the outer coastal waters of the Bothnian Bay.
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The threshold values for the chlorophyll content of phytoplankton on the high seas in HELCOM are to be reduced: In the Gulf of Finland, 2,00 µg L-1, 1,65 µg L-1 in northern Baltic Sea, 1,5 µg L-1 in the Åland Islands, 1,5 µg L-1 in Bothnian Sea, 2,00 µg L-1 in the Kvarken Sea and 2,00 µg L-1 in the Bothnian Sea.
Plankton shall, by means of plant and zooplankton, determine the status of the plankton in the weakest position. In the absence of these,
indicators of the habitat, such as visual acuity and oxygen conditions, may also be used.


The visual depth thresholds established for water management are exceeded in: Inland Gulf of Finland 3.5 m, Gulf of Finland 4.4 m, Southwestern Inner Archipelago 3.6 m, Southwestern Outer Archipelago 4.6 m, Inner Sea m, in the outer coastal waters of the Bothnian Sea, 4.1 m, in the Inner Kvarken Archipelago, 2.3 m, in the outer Kvarken Archipelago, 3.7 m, in the outer coastal waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, 3.3 m.


There are species in the phytoplankton community that represent a healthy food web and species that indicate eutrophication are not predominant, as assessed by the phytoplankton community indicator. The status of the plankton community is determined by the phytoplankton and the zooplankton. In their absence, habitat indicators such as visual depth and oxygen conditions may also be used.

The state of the habitat type, including its biotic and abiotic structure and its functions (e.g. the typical species composition and their relative density, absence of particularly sensitive or vulnerable species, or species that have an important function in the ecosystem, or species size structure) are not adversely affected by man-made pressures.

D1C6 The condition of pelagic habitats, including their biotic and abiotic structure and their functions (e.g, their typical species composition and their relative abundance, absence of particularly sensitive or fragile species or species providing a key function, size structure of species), is not adversely affected due to anthropogenic pressures. GES: Definition of GES at criteria level is not yet available.

D1C6: None

D1C6: HELCOM (2018a) Five indicators were used in the assessment of the status of HOLAS II pelagic habitats: 1) “Average zooplankton size and total abundance”, 2) “Seasonal change of dominant phytoplankton groups”, 3) “Diatom / Dinoflagelate index”; 4) "Chlorophyll-a" and 5) "Cyanobacterial bloom index". The applicability of the indicators to the Lithuanian sea area is analyzed in the report. The indicators are applicable to habitat AD.N5 “Baltic Sea Photographic Oxygen Pelagic Zone above the Halocline” as the assessment indicators for other habitats HELCOM (2018a) have not been developed.

D1.6: In the coastal waters, the WFD-Assessment of the biological quality component phytoplankton was used to assess D1C6.

D1C6: HELCOM (2018a) Five indicators were used in the assessment of the status of HOLAS II pelagic habitats: 1) “Average zooplankton size and total abundance”, 2) “Seasonal change of dominant phytoplankton groups”, 3) “Diatom / Dinoflagelate index”; 4) "Chlorophyll-a" and 5) "Cyanobacterial bloom index". The applicability of the indicators to the Lithuanian sea area is analyzed in the report. The indicators are applicable to habitat AD.N5 “Baltic Sea Photographic Oxygen Pelagic Zone above the Halocline” as the assessment indicators for other habitats HELCOM (2018a) have not been developed. The characteristics of pelagic habitats and the assessment of the prevailing trends were analyzed in 2010-2017. Hydrological data of the Baltic Sea. In general, a comparative analysis of hydrographic characteristics (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH, water transparency) in 2006–2011 and 2012–2017 did not show significant changes in physico-chemical conditions in pelagic and benthic habitats.

D1.6: During the reporting period, regional cooperation focused on the development of methodological standards to assess the various aspects of stress and resilience on the basis of Commission Decision 2010/477/EU. The indicators vary in their level of maturity and require further development or testing. Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 gives, for the first time, an explicit obligation on the part of the EU Member States to agree on evaluation elements, thresholds and integration rules in the framework of the EU MSFD CIS process and through regional or subregional cooperation. Germany is actively working with the countries bordering the Baltic Sea in the framework of the ongoing work programmes of the EU MSFD and the HELCOM bodies to establish where a coordinated definition is still missing.

D1C6: For D1C6, good environmental status is considered descriptive, as at present there are no regional or subregional coordinated thresholds for good environmental status in the pelagic habitat.