OSPAR Common Indicators

Marine Mammal Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Seal abundance and distribution (M3)	I, II, III	IA2017-Seal abundance and distribution	BB1 – M3	Agreement 2016-11
Abundance and Distribution of marine mammals (M4)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - M4a1 - Coastal bottlenose dolphins IA2017 - M4 a2 - PILOT Killer whale IA2017 - M4b - Abundancy and dist. Of cetaceans	BB2 -M4	Agreement 2018-09
Grey seal pup production (M5)	I, II, III	IA2017 - Grey seal pup production	BB3 – M5	Agreement 2016-12
Marine mammal bycatch (M6)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Harbour porpoise by-catch	BB18 – M6

Seabird Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Marine bird abundance (B1)	I, II, III, IV	IA2017 - Marine Bird Abundance	BB4 (B1)	Agreement 2016-09
Marine Bird Breeding Productivity (B3)	I, II, III, IV	IA2017 - Marine bird breeding success or failure	BB5 (B3)	Agreement 2016-10

Fish Community Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Recovery in the population abundance of sensitive fish species (FC1)	II, III, IV, V	IA2017 - Recovery in population abundance of sensitive fish species	BB6 (FC1)	Agreement 2018-05

Benthic Habitat Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Sentinels of the Seabed (BH1)	IV	N/A		Agreement 2023-02
Condition of Benthic Habitat Communities (BH2)	II, III, IV	IA2017 BH2 - Condition of benthic habitat defining communities (Multi-metric indices) BH2a - Nutrient and organic enrichment	BB8 (BH2)	Agreement 2018-06
Condition of Benthic Habitat Communities (BH2)	II	IA2017 BH2 - Condition of benthic habitat defining communities (Multi-metric indices) BH2b - Benthic Multi-Metric Index quality assessment of the Southern North Sea	BB8 (BH2)	Agreement 2018-06
Extent of Physical Damage to Predominant and Special Habitats (BH3)	II, III, IV	IA2017- Extent of physical damage to predominant and special habitats		Agreement 2017-09

Pelagic Habitat Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Changes in plankton functional types (life form) index Ratio (PH1/FW5)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton communities	BB10 (PH1/FW5)	Agreement 2018-07
Plankton biomass and/or abundance (PH2)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Changes in phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton abundance	BB11 (PH2)
Changes in biodiversity index(s) (PH3)	III	IA2017 - PILOT Changes in plankton diversity	BB12 (PH3)

Food Web Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Size composition in fish communities (FW3)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Size composition of fish communities	BB15 (FW3)	Agreement 2018-05
Change in average trophic level of marine predators in the Bay of Biscay (FW4)	IV	IA2017 - Changes in average trophic level of marine predators in the Bay of Biscay	BB16 (FW4)	Agreement 2018-08
Proportion of large fish (Large Fish Index) (FC2)	II, III, IV, V	IA2017 - Proportion of large fish (Large Fish Index)	BB7 (FC2)	Agreement 2018-05

Non-Indigenous Species Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Trends in New Records of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) Introduced by Human Activities (NIS)	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Trends in new records of non-indigenous species introduction by human activities	BB13	Agreement 2018-04

Marine Litter Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Beach litter	I, II, III, IV	Beach litter monitoring	BE1 - Marine litter on beaches	Agreement 2020-02
Fulmar	II	Plastic Particles in Fulmar stomachs in the North Sea	BE3 - Monitoring of plastic particles in stomachs of seabirds	Agreement 2015-03
Seabed litter	II, III, IV	IA2017 – Composition and spatial distribution of litter on the seafloor	BE2 - Marine Litter on the Seafloor	Agreement 2017-06
Litter ingested by sea turtles	IV	N/A	BE8	Agreement 2020-03

Underwater Noise Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Impulsive noise	II, III, IV	Distribution of reported impulsive sound in the sea	BE4 - Impulsive noise	Agreement 2017-07

Eutrophication Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Nutrient input	II, IV	IA2017 - Nutrient Inputs to the Greater North Sea and the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast	CAMP - Nutrient Inputs via the Atmosphere RID - Nutrient Inputs From Land-Based (Diffuse and Point) Sources	Agreement 2016-05
Nutrient concentration	II	IA2017 - Winter Nutrient Concentrations in the Greater North Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak	E1 - Nutrient concentrations in seawater (DIN DIP)	Agreement 2016-05
Chlorophyll-a	II, III	IA2017 - Concentrations of Chlorophyll-a in the Greater North Sea and Celtic Seas	E2 - Direct and indirect eutrophication effects including chlorophyll, water transparency , abundance of macrophytes, benthic species shift, phytoplankton species shift and oxygen	Agreement 2016-05
Phaeocystis	II	IA2017 – Trends in Blooms of the nuisance phytoplankton species Phaeocystis in Belgian, Dutch and German waters	E2 - Direct and indirect eutrophication effects including chlorophyll, water transparency , abundance of macrophytes, benthic species shift, phytoplankton species shift and oxygen	Agreement 2016-05
Dissolved oxygen	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Concentrations of Dissolved Oxygen Near the Seafloor	E2 - Direct and indirect eutrophication effects including chlorophyll, water transparency , abundance of macrophytes, benthic species shift, phytoplankton species shift and oxygen	Agreement 2016-05

Hazardous Substances Common Indicators

Common indicator name	Common in OSPAR Region	Latest assessment (OAP)	CEMP appendix (OAP)	CEMP guideline
Heavy metals inputs	II	IA2017- Inputs of Mercury, Cadmium and Lead via Water and Air to the Greater North Sea	RID - Contaminant Inputs From Land-Based (Diffuse and Point) Sources CAMP - Contaminant Inputs via the Atmosphere	Agreement 2016-04
Metals in biota	II, III, IV	IA2017 - Status and Trends for Heavy Metals (Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead) in Fish and Shellfish.	H1 - Metal concentrations in sediment and biota	Agreement 2016-04
Metals in sediment	II, III, IV	IA2017- Status and Trends for Heavy Metals (Mercury, Cadmium and Lead) in Sediment	H1 - Metal concentrations in sediment and biota	Agreement 2016-04
Organotin sediment	II, III, IV	IA2017-Status and Trends of Organotin in Sediments in the Southern North Sea.	H4 - Organotins concentrations and biological effects	Agreement 2016-04
Imposex	II, III, IV	IA2017- Status and Trends in the Levels of Imposex in Marine Gastropods (TBT in Shellfish).	H4 - Organotins concentrations and biological effects	Agreement 2016-04
PAH		Status and Trends in the Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Shellfish Status and Trends in the Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Sediment	H3 - PAH concentrations in sediment and biota	Agreement 2016-04
PCBs		Status and Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in Fish and Shellfish Status and Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in Sediment	H2 - PCB Concentrations in sediment and biota	Agreement 2016-04
PBDE		Trends in Concentrations of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Fish and Shellfish Trends in Concentrations of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Sediments	H5 - Brominated Flame Retardants concentrations in sediment and biota	Agreement 2016-04

To support the coordinated effort to develop biodiversity common indicators an advice manual and background document was developed (publication 581).

When a new indicator is being developed, a common template is used.

When an indicator is proposed to be extended to another OSPAR Region, a template has been used to collect information from concerned Contracting Parties.