EcApRHA first WP4 (Ecosystem perspective) workshop

23 September 2016

The first EcApRHA Work Package 4 (Ecosystem perspective) workshop took place in London from 12 - 13 September 2016. The aim of the workshop was to explore how to achieve more of an ecosystem perspective in the assessment of Marine Strategy Framework Directive Descriptors 1 (biodiversity), 4 (food webs), and 6 (seafloor integrity) for the EcApRHA projects other work packages - pelagic habitats (WP1), benthic habitats (WP2) and food webs (WP3).

To do this, the workshop drew on expertise and experience from across the project consortium as well as from OSPAR (ICG-COBAM, ICG-MSFD and ICG-C), EcApRHA’s sister projects (BalticBOOST and ActionMed), experts in the application of an ecosystem perspective (such as ICES), and policy specialists.

The workshop discussed the:

  • importance and missing links in the dialogue between science and policy, in order to improve EcApRHA project outputs;
  • crossovers between the different work package indicators;
  • identification of gaps and possible approaches for the integration of habitat and food web assessment;
  • roadmap and guidance on the WP4 deliverables including what needs to be taken into account (approaches, communications needs and policy requirements) to achieve more of an ecosystem perspective in these assessments as project deliverables.

Currently, the project team is working on summarising the workshop outcomes, which will be presented in the workshop report and will be shared with the participants and interested parties towards the end of October 2016.

The second WP4 workshop is planned at the end of the year and will gather a similar group of participants to present the outcomes of WP4 and receive feedback as well as assuring that the deliverables are relevant and could be used by the OSPAR Contracting Parties after the project is finished. In addition, the second WP4 workshop will focus on how to advance the results and identified gaps through the EcApRHA Action Plan.