OSPAR Science Agenda Knowledge Gap Portal
Welcome to the OSPAR Science Agenda knowledge gap portal. The page showcases important scientific questions and evidence needs identified by OSPAR to help protect and sustainably manage the North-East Atlantic. Use the filters and search options below to explore knowledge gaps by topic, category, region, and status, or browse visually to discover areas where new research, data, or collaborations are needed. The aim is to make it easy for anyone - scientists, funders, and policy makers to understand the current priorities, access key details, and get involved in helping to close these important gaps for a healthier ocean future.
Showing 1 - 19 of 19 items
Evaluate MPAs conservation benefits on marine mammals
ID Number: BB31.04
Knowledge gap description: There needs to be improved methods of evaluating whether the OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network's ability to deliver a genuine conservation benefit.
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Marine Mammals Thematic Assessment
Understanding management effectiveness of MPAs on marine mammals
ID Number: BB31.05
Knowledge gap description: There is gap in understanding of the management effectiveness of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the MPA networks as well as of the network itself.
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Marine Mammals Thematic Assessment
Data availability of different human activities in MPA networks
ID Number: BB31.06
Knowledge gap description: There needs to be improved data availability relating to the OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network to inform managers of different human activities in the marine environment.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Marine Mammals Thematic Assessment
Gaps in geographic coverage of marine mammals
ID Number: BB31.07
Knowledge gap description: Regarding area-based protection, there are gaps in the geographic coverage of marine mammals, in ecological coherence and in understanding whether or not management is effective.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D1C4
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Marine Mammals Thematic Assessment
Management effectiveness of the MPAs within the network regarding food web
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network: understanding the management effectiveness of the MPAs within the network, and the network itself, needs to be addressed, particularly from the perspective of ecosystem functioning and food webs
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Food webs Thematic Assessment
Availability of data related to the OSPAR MPA network for management of human activities.
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network: there needs to be better data availability relating to the OSPAR MPA network for those that have the responsibility to manage different human activities.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Food webs Thematic Assessment
Geographic coverage and ecological coherence of OSPAR Marine Protected Area network
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network: OSPAR is progressing towards establishing key metrics in terms of area-based protection; however, there are still gaps in geographic coverage (particularly in the Arctic region), and ecological coherence.
Knowledge Gap Category:
2. thresholds & references
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Food webs Thematic Assessment
Site-specific data on the ecological status of the protected features of the MPA
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: In 2021, there was a high proportion of 'unknown' responses regarding whether the protected features of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are moving towards their conservation objectives. This is largely due to the lack of site-specific data on the ecological status of the protected features of the MPAs. Measures necessary to achieve the conservation objectives of the protected features of the MPAs need to be implemented.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Report and assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Evaluation of the management of the OSPAR network of marine protected areas
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Improvement is needed in methods of evaluating the degree to which the OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network is well-managed to support a better assessment as to whether or not the OSPAR MPA network is delivering a conservation benefit to targeted habitats, species and ecological processes.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Report and assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Long-term monitoring programmes to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: There are knowledge gaps with respect to ecological status. Long-term monitoring programmes are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures to conclude with greater confidence on whether the conservation objectives of the protected features of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are being achieved.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Report and assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Quality of distribution data and assessment of Marine Protected Areas' connectivity
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Improve the ecological and scientific robustness of the OSPAR eco-coherence assessment methodology: ecological distribution data needs to be assessed for quality and applied in order to assess the connectivity of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of each threatened and/or declining feature and assess whether the OSPAR MPA network is representative and resilient for each threatened/and or declining feature.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Report and assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Site-specific socio-economic benefits of Marine Protected Areas
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Detailed knowledge on the site-specific socio-economic benefits of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is often missing since it is a challenging task to generate this information. The exact links between biodiversity and other benefits are yet poorly understood. In most cases sufficient data to perform cost-benefit analyses are lacking due to missing long-term ecological monitoring programmes. More work is needed to understand the value of the previous undisturbed state of the area.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Report and assessment of the status of the OSPAR network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Data for eco-coherence assessment.
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Data deficiencies hamper a sophisticated eco-coherence assessment. A major challenge of assessing ecological coherence is the paucity of relevant data (e.g. on occurrence, distribution and status of species and habitats).
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status of the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Methodology for eco-coherence assessment
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: The lack of a feasible methodology currently hamper a sophisticated eco-coherence assessment.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
1. indicator development
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status of the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Monitoring programmes to assess the achievement of conservation objectives in the OSPAR Marine Protected Areas
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Broaden long-term monitoring programmes to evaluate with greater confidence whether the conservation objectives of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are being achieved.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status of the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas in 2021
Gaps in status of T&D fish species in OSPAR MPA network
ID Number: BB33.01
Knowledge gap description: There are gaps in the OSPAR Marine Protected Area (MPA) network for almost all of the fish species on the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats. Many of the fish (listed by OSPAR as threatened and/or declining) are of unknown status.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Fish Thematic Assessment
Management effectiveness of MPAs related to fish communities
ID Number: BB33.04
Knowledge gap description: Improve understanding of management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)s as related to fish communities.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Fish Thematic Assessment
Effectiveness of area-based management
ID Number: BB33.09
Knowledge gap description: There are gaps in understanding of whether or not area-based management is effective (e.g., of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)s within the network or of the network itself).
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Fish Thematic Assessment
Better understanding of the links between user groups and marine protected areas (MPAs)
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Better understanding how user groups and marine protected areas (MPAs) are interrelated is needed to improve opportunities for recreational and tourism provided by MPAs.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Feeder Report 2021 - Recreation and Tourism in the North-East Atlantic