Exploring Marine Management and Policy Response to Ocean Acidification in Europe
European Maritime Day 2023 (EMD) took place in Brest, France between 24-25 May. The EMD was organised by the European Commission, the City of Brest, the Region of Brittany, the department of Finistère and the General Secretariat for the Sea. It will explore the current state of play on a broad range of issues concerning the blue economy and the marine environment and discuss ways of moving forward.
To support these themes and advance the integration of climate change information across key European marine management frameworks, the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance), OSPAR Convention Intersessional Correspondence Group on OA (ICG-OA), and NE Atlantic Hub of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) convened a meeting, “Exploring Marine Management and Policy Response to Ocean Acidification.”
The meeting brought together policy and decision-makers across Europe to discuss:
OA trends, biological impacts and threats to keystone fisheries and aquaculture within the Arctic, North Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Reporting and OA recommendations by OSPAR's Intersessional Correspondence Group on OA (ICG-OA) in OSPAR’s Quality Status Report 2023 as well as national response strategies.
EU and national ocean and marine policy frameworks (including the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Water Framework Directive and Marine Spatial Planning efforts) that can be leveraged to characterize, address, and minimize ocean and coastal acidification.
Outcomes of Workshop
As the science, research and observed impacts of climate-ocean continue to grow, there is a need for increased knowledge exchange and expertise on the substance and process for developing local, regional, and national marine management and policy responses in the face of cumulative change.
Specific outcomes of this workshop included:
Exploring what role OA information should play in the updated Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Improving understanding of ecosystem-based management and Good Environmental Status in the context of climate-ocean change.
Leveraging European (national or EU) management and policy frameworks to take-up regional seas conventions recommendations, such as those by OSPAR’s ICG-OA, and further prioritize ongoing Convention mandates or reporting on OA.
White paper recommendations/ suggested European marine management and policy mapping to support national governments and the European Commission in further integrating climate-ocean change information across myriad blue economy targets, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture goals, nature-based solutions, and coastal management decision frameworks.
Additional Background
Communities across the NE Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Mediterranean Sea are already experiencing negative impacts of climate change on habitat and biodiversity, fisheries and aquaculture, economies, cultural practices, and livelihoods. These impacts will worsen in the future without interventions from managers and decision makers across marine, coastal and climate policy themes.
Ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation have gained increasing recognition across international policy platforms including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Sustainable Development Goal Agenda, Convention on Biological Diversity and High Seas Treaty.
To date, international science coordination has emphasized enhancing coastal observations, establishing regional baselines, contributing to global indicators, and broadly developing research around keystone species.
While this work must continue across different scales, national governments and end-users can leverage and apply targeted information to support discrete choices about localized mitigation, adaptation, and preparedness strategies in the face of ongoing climate change.
Specifically, OA information can be used to support or evaluate marine management targets, evaluate ecosystem-based approaches, assess cumulative impacts to EEZs and coastal zones, and tailor mitigation or adaptation responses to potential interference of ecosystem services caused by climate change.
