EDMERP Details

General

Project Title

Implementation of the MSFD to the DEep Mediterranean Sea

Project Acronym

IDEM

Project Reference

Associated programme

EU Project DG ENV funded

Start Date

2017-04-01T00:00:00

End Date

2019-03-31T00:00:00

Geographic Area

Geocoverage

Sea Area

Mediterranean Sea

Observations

Data Theme

Environment

Biological oceanography

Chemical oceanography

Human activities

Marine geology

Physical oceanography

Description

Abstract

The project IDEM (Implementation of the MSFD to the DEep Mediterranean Sea) aims to support the next phase of MSFD implementation, in particular to achieve, by the end of the project, a regionally coherent, coordinated and consistent initial environmental assessment and determination of GES, as well as the definition of sets of environmental targets for the Mediterranean deep Sea (below 200 m of depth). Beside this, IDEM aims at understanding, quantifying and mapping drivers, anthropogenic pressures and impacts, current knowledge and spatial coverage of data regarding the MSDF indicators in the Mediterranean deep sea. These represent crucial steps towards developing a comprehensive set of environmental targets and associated indicators/criteria that can be used to extend the concept of Good Environmental Status (GES) to the deep sea. Objective of IDEM will be to review and update the current determinations of GES, environmental targets and criteria/indicators assessed so far for Mediterranean Sea coastal areas to be adapted to the Mediterranean deep-sea basin. This will be done through literature/existing data review and scientific surveys already scheduled, which will be conducted in ongoing national or international programs during the lifespan of IDEM. Furthermore, an integrative analysis of all indicators will be performed in order to establish key-areas for monitoring. Overall, IDEM will provide also crucial information for the conservation and management of the deep Mediterranean sea, contributing to the action and initiatives for the identification of Special Areas of Conservation and the design of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) networks (e.g. Joint Management Action of the European Community with the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan). Presently, the only off-shore Mediterranean MPAs are located in France and Spain: the National Park of Calanques includes an off-shore area, for the protection of cold-water corals (CWCs) of Le Cassaidagne canyon and the MPA of the Gulf of Lyon, which encompasses seven canyons, two of them characterised by the occurrence of the deep corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. There are also off-shore areas in which trawling activities are banned or restricted. The banned areas include the Lophelia reef off Capo Santa Maria di Leuca (1673 km2, GSA 19, Italy), the Nile Delta Area - cold hydrocarbon seeps (6043 km2, GSA 26, Egypt) and the Eratosthenes Seamount deep-sea benthic habitats colonised by scleractinian corals and sponges (14792 km2 GSA 25, Cyprus), all of which established by Rec. GFCM/30/2006/3; the Strait of Sicily - nursery areas of European hake and deep-water rose shrimp (GSAs 12-14, between Italy and Malta) established by Rec. GFCM/40/2016/4. The restricted area to only authorized vessels includes the Eastern part of the Gulf of Lyon, identified as important aggregations of spawners (European hake, monk fish, lobsters) area (3742 km2 GSA 07, France) established by Rec. GFCM/33/2009/1.

Project website

http://www.msfd-idem.eu/

Originators

Coordinator

University of Marche / Polytechnic University Of Marche - Lmbe

Contact name

Roberto Danovaro

Fax

E-mail

sdn-userdesk@seadatanet.org

Other Partners

University of Marche / Polytechnic University Of Marche - Lmbe

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN)

Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Division of Marine Biology and Ecology

ENEA Centro Ricerche Ambiente Marino - La Spezia

IFREMER/EEP/ DEEP SEA ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

University of Barcelona, Department of Fundamental Physics

Department of Biology, University of Malta

CNR, Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR) - Bologna

Tel Aviv University - The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History

Administration

Local identifier

2047

Creation Date

2019-01-23

Revision Date

2019-01-23