Hydrographical conditions

Which are the related MSFD Descriptors?

Descriptor 1: Biodiversity is maintained

The quality and occurrence of habitats and the distribution and abundance of species are in line with prevailing physiographic, geographic and climatic conditions.

Descriptor 3: The population of commercial fish species is healthy

Populations of all commercially exploited fish and shellfish are within safe biological limits, exhibiting a population age and size distribution that is indicative of a healthy stock

Descriptor 4: Elements of food webs ensure long-term abundance and reproduction

All elements of the marine food webs, to the extent that they are known, occur at normal abundance and diversity and levels capable of ensuring the long-term abundance of the species and the retention of their full reproductive capacity

Descriptor 5: Eutrophication is minimised

Human-induced eutrophication is minimized, especially adverse effects thereof, such as losses in biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, harmful algae blooms and oxygen deficiency in bottom waters

Descriptor 6: The sea floor integrity ensures functioning of the ecosystem

Sea-floor integrity is at a level that ensures that the structure and functions of the ecosystems are safeguarded and benthic ecosystems, in particular, are not adversely affected.

Descriptor 7: Permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions does not adversely affect the ecosystem

Permanent alteration of hydrographical conditions does not adversely affect marine ecosystems.

In addition, there are also smaller-scale activities that affect hydrographical conditions, such as local changes in salinity and temperature derived from discharges at sea of brines and refrigeration . Potentially these structures in coastal or open sea could significantly affect entire regional seas such as the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean .

in coastal areas as well as offshore. Modelling studies (e.g. scenarios with and without the constructions and development) could help identifying pressures and potential impacts as well as establishing close links with the effects on the ecosystem.

General outcomes from the regional assessments

In the OSPAR maritime area, monitoring of basic physical and chemical characteristics is include temperature, sea ice, sea level, salinity, storms and waves, and ocean pH in reference to climate change. Relevant elements are not directly linked to alterations of hydrographic conditions caused by human activities. Offshore installations are abundant in particular in the North Sea, major developments in the oil and gas industry have resulted in a 1350 of offshore installations at present, most of them sub-sea steel installations and fixed steel installations (OSPAR- Offshore Installations) . Energy production by marine renewables has emerged in last decades in the coastal and shallower offshore waters of the OSPAR area, being driven by demands for increased renewable energy production as a result of policies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and to mitigate the effects of climate change. The EU is committed to having 20% of its energy production from renewable sources by 2020 (OSPAR- Renewable). OSPAR has developed guidance on environmental considerations for the development of offshore wind farms. This recommends best practices to assess, minimise and manage the potential impacts of wind farms. The guidance also refers to hydrographic conditions, explicitly to disturbances of sedimentary or hydrodynamic processes that should not have significant impacts (OSPAR- Offshore Renewables).

The monitoring of hydrography covers the physical oceanographic parameters temperature, salinity, turbidity and water transparency, waves, currents and sea ice extent and thickness mainly to track changes in natural variability, eutrophication (water transparency) and to climate change. The link to changes of these parameters related to offshore and coastal constructions and of changes in riverine inflows is not addressed (HELCOM, Hydrography).

Alterations of hydrographic conditions in the Mediterranean is addressed under ecological objective EO7 Hydrography with objective: alteration of hydrographic conditions does not adversely affect coastal and marine ecosystems. Common Indicator 15: Location and extent of the habitats impacted directly by hydrographic alterations.

Outcomes from the MSFD assessments

In 2018, Member States had to update the Good Environmental Status (GES) assessments performed under Marine Strategy Framework Directive Article 8. The present dashboard displays the overall status reported by countries for the features, where the results show which is the percentage of assessments where GES has been achieved, not achieved or is unknown or not assessed.