The map shows the distribution of main fishing ports in the Mediterranean Sea and its corresponding area of pressure (based on self calculations using the total capacity: tonnage of vessels, DG MARE, 2014). The influence of fishing activity was modeled as a buffer with and exponential decay based on self calculations using the total capacity of the fleet: tonnage of vessels (in gross tonnage, GT). This indicator is based on fleet stats of DG MARE, 2014. Calculations were made following the same methodology developed for ESaTDOR Project (ESPON, 2013).
The map shows the spatial distribution of the frequency of oil spills in the Mediterranean Sea, indicating where the probability of an oil discharge is higher. Oil spills were represented as a density layer calculated using data on ship accidents and oil discharges registered by the Mandate of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), and also the oil spills map generated by Cinirella et al., 2012 (based on JRC data, 2009).
Map showing bed places per km2 as an indicator of the local intensity of tourism capacity. This index is based on Eurostat tourism statistic on bed places and the DMSP-OLS Nighttime Lights Time Series image. Eurostat's tourism capacity statistics differentiate between coastal and non-coastal areas within a NUTS2 region. The total number of beds in coastal areas of a NUTS2 region was disaggregated to the most intense nighttime light emission pixels of the Nighttime Lights Time Series assuming that most bed places are located in areas with high nighttime light emissions. Results are showing low to high intensive tourism capacity per km2 pixel.
The indicator of management effort was made by summing all the overlapping MPAs on each 1ha pixel across the whole Mediterranean Sea (based on MAPAMED, the database on Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas, MedPAN, RAC/SPA, 2014). One to three points were given to each 1ha-pixel inside MPAs according to the increasing densities of permanent staff and boats for research and surveillance in the MPA; one point was given to all the pixels inside MPAs with management plans (Management effort index). Management effort scores varied from zero to seven.
This video, produced by the project POSBEMED, highlights the value of Posidonia oceanica for the Mediterranean. The POSBEMED project in one of the 9 thematic initiatives under the umbrella of the EU Interreg Med PANACeA project on Biodiversity Protection. POSBEMED is led by the Entente Interdépartementale de Démoustication Méditerranée (EID-Med, Montpellier) in France and involves partners from three more Mediterranean countries: the International Union for Conservation of Nature - Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN, Malaga, Spain), the International Marine Centre Foundation (IMC, Sardinia, Italy), ECO-logica srl (Bari, Italy) and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR, Anavissos, Greece). Other associated partners are the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (Greece), Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (Cyprus), Larnaka Municipality (Cyprus), Regional Government of the Balearic Islands (Spain), French Agency for Biodiversity (France), and the Municipality of Giovinazzo (Italy). POSBEMED is an Interreg-Med project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
The indicators represent the distribution and degree of accumulation of marine in the Mediterranean Sea. Main source data were modelled by Lebreton et al., 2012 using a Lagrangian particle tracking model to simulate 30 years of input and transport of floating debris in the world’s ocean. The relative contribution of different sources to the total amount was taken into account in their model.
Medbiolitter database summarises results of scientific studies on biodiversity and marine litter interactions in the Mediterranean Sea. To this end, information is collected from different data sources, such as institutions or projects, as well as peer-reviewed publications. The main source of data currently is LITTERBASE/AWI, including only the coverage within the Mediterranean. The database currently comprises 393 records on interactions. Interaction refers to encounters between wildlife and litter items and are classified in four categories: 1) Ingestion, which is the most frequently observed interaction, followed by 2) entanglement, which affects motility, often with fatal consequences, 3) colonization, which occurs when many species settle on floating litter, and 4) others, including different types of less frequent interaction. The database includes among others the location, the type of interaction and litter, marine realm (beach, sea surface, water column, seafloor), habitat, species, whether it occurs in a marine protected area and the type in such case, as well as references to the publication from which the data are extracted. The layer is represented in different ways in the MED Biodiversity platform: 1) Marine litter and biodiversity interactions: it shows the database by type of interaction (ingestion, entanglement, colonization and other) and marine realm (pelagic or benthic). 2) Knowledge update from Nov 2008: changes in the number of records since the last update. It tries to represent the efforts of the PANACeA project to gather additional information on the Mediterranean Sea. 3) Marine litter knowledge from 1988 to 2019: shows the years of publication of the source of the records in the database. In recent dates, especially since 2015, there has been a notable increase in the number of publications related to marine litter.
The map shows the distribution of main ferry ports in the Mediterranean Sea. Ports are classified in groups according to its level of activity.
Medbiolitter database summarises results of scientific studies on biodiversity and marine litter interactions in the Mediterranean Sea. To this end, information is collected from different data sources, such as institutions or projects, as well as peer-reviewed publications. The main source of data currently is LITTERBASE/AWI, including only the coverage within the Mediterranean. The database currently comprises 393 records on interactions. Interaction refers to encounters between wildlife and litter items and are classified in four categories: 1) Ingestion, which is the most frequently observed interaction, followed by 2) entanglement, which affects motility, often with fatal consequences, 3) colonization, which occurs when many species settle on floating litter, and 4) others, including different types of less frequent interaction. The database includes among others the location, the type of interaction and litter, marine realm (beach, sea surface, water column, seafloor), habitat, species, whether it occurs in a marine protected area and the type in such case, as well as references to the publication from which the data are extracted. The layer is represented in different ways in the MED Biodiversity platform: 1) Marine litter and biodiversity interactions: it shows the database by type of interaction (ingestion, entanglement, colonization and other) and marine realm (pelagic or benthic). 2) Knowledge update from Nov 2008: changes in the number of records since the last update. It tries to represent the efforts of the PANACeA project to gather additional information on the Mediterranean Sea. 3) Marine litter knowledge from 1988 to 2019: shows the years of publication of the source of the records in the database. In recent dates, especially since 2015, there has been a notable increase in the number of publications related to marine litter.
The Marine Protected Area Protection Framework (MaPAF; Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al., 2016) was adapted to update progress on the protection of Pelagos Sanctuary marine biodiversity. Accordingly, protection was conceived as an additive process entailing two complementary factors: 1. Legal protection and 2. Managerial protection. Legal protection was assessed through two indicators: 1.1. Legal designation, contributing to protection coverage targets, and 1.2. Regulation stringency, contributing to strict protection targets. Managerial protection was assessed via two indicators: 2.1. Existence of a management authority for the site (this layer), and 2.2. Existence of a management plan that is fully implemented. Both indicators are expected to contribute to effective Marine Protected Areas & Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) management targets. Thus, a site can be legally protected (typically, an MPA), by management measures (e.g. an OECM), attaining different degrees of conservation to their biodiversity. Therefore, a site that has been endowed a stringent legal designation category which has an appointed managerial authority that fully implements the site’s management plan is assumed to have greater protection than a site with opposite characteristics.