Objectives

Objectives

The EPBRS meeting under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU aims at identifying the key knowledge required to effectively protect marine biodiversity whilst ensuring the efficient and sustainable use of marine resources. The meeting will review existing knowledge and identify and discuss the strategic research needed for the marine environment, particularly in the light of new EU policies including the Marine Strategy Directive, the proposed EU Maritime Policy, the implementation of the Habitats Directive (Natura 2000 for the marine environment) and the action plan associated with the Communication on "Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and beyond". Research needs for the protection of biodiversity in the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy, the Water Framework Directive and the discussions on Integrated Coastal Zone Management will also be discussed.

Foreword

Life in the seas and oceans is extremely diverse because it was originated here over 3 billion years ago and because oceans and seas provide 99% of the available living space on the planet, cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and contain 90% of the biosphere. Large parts of the oceans remain very poorly known and new exploration constantly yield new species and higher taxonomic groups. Ecological theory is heavily based on the characteristics of life forms that do not exist in the oceans. Consequently our theoretical knowledge and our conceptual approach to marine ecosystems is largely inadequate.

Marine ecosystems are a great contributor to economic prosperity, social well-being and quality of life. Humankind depends on the oceans for many ecosystem goods and services that are provided by marine biodiversity, including the provision of food, the regulation of climate, the regeneration of carbon and nutrients, the assimilation of waste and so on. But this provision of goods and services is being severely impacted by human activities, both at local level, visible in the coastal zones, and at global scale. Overfishing is still one of the main threats to marine ecosystems, but pollution and building. In addition, the discovery of the enormous potential value of genetic resources associated with deep seabed habitats, has intensified deep seabed research and bioprospecting, very often to the areas beyond national jurisdiction

Indirect human impacts on the ocean are also a major threat. Climate change is likely to affect marine life by exposing ecosystems to altered temperature regimes and ocean circulation patterns, and acidification. Because of its volume the oceans are capable of buffering and feedback capacity that will play a vital role in moderating or amplifying climate change. But the role of its biodiversity, including the species-specific responses of bacteria, archaea, phytoplankton and zooplankton may make the difference between positive or negative feedback effects for the ocean as a whole.

The initiatives being taken by the EU on maritime affairs reflect an increasing recognition of both the importance and the sensitivity of marine ecosystems. In light of the increasing concerns in relation to the state of Europe’s oceans and seas, the EU developed a Marine Thematic Strategy and a Marine Strategy Directive for the protection and conservation of the marine environment that aims at the achievement of the good environmental status of Europe’s marine environment by 2021. This Directive is considered also to be the environmental pillar of the new EU Maritime Policy that takes as its starting point that a high level of protection of the marine environment is a sine qua non to realise the full economic potential of oceans and seas. But other Directives that are now being implemented, as the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive should have a major impact on the conservation of marine biodiversity. Protection of biodiversity in the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy and the discussions on Integrated Coastal Zone Management is also crucial.

Good policy depends on high-quality information and knowledge. Existing monitoring and assessment programmes, as well as research projects, are neither integrated nor complete. The knowledge they have generated reveals a significant number of information gaps on the state and functioning of Europe’s marine environment, the effectiveness of existing measures, and the various threats and pressures posed by human activities.

So the EPBRS meeting under the Portuguese Presidency aims at identifying the key knowledge required to effectively address all these issues and protect marine biodiversity whilst ensuring the efficient and sustainable use of marine resources. The meeting will review existing knowledge and identify and discuss the strategic research needed for the marine environment, particularly in the light of new EU policies. The meeting will also address the organisational aspects of the scientific community, to make it more effective in generating new knowledge and to interact with policy makers and the society in general.