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Review of marine environmental indicators
Kittiwakes - breeding success is a proposed indicator of sandeel fishery sustainability
We commissioned a review of marine environmental indicators reporting on the biodiversity aspects of ecosystem health.
The review looked at the range of existing and proposed indicators that the UK was signed up to, both domestically and internationally, and identified those best suited to give an overview of marine ecosystem health and the sustainability of human activities.
The UK has a range of domestic policies and international commitments that include targets for environmental improvement. However, it is not always clear how effective the various actions taken by the Government, or its bodies, are in achieving these particular conservation aims, if at all.
Therefore Governments, including the UK, now set environmental indicators, which can inform decision-making and help measure and report on changes in environmental status and progress towards achieving conservation goals and objectives.
A 'suite' of indicators rather than a single one will be needed to adequately report on marine ecosystem health, structure and function.
In the marine environment, many of the targets and indicators we use to measure performance towards good conservation status are either directly from international commitments, or are domestic versions to be used at the national level. Although many of these indicators are very similar they are not always exactly the same – this, and the numerous sources of indicators, can lead to confusion.
Traditionally, most environmental indicators describe the quality or status of a particular aspect of the environment. A clear message that emerges from examining the different approaches to selecting indicators is that it is preferable to reflect and report on the status of the whole ecosystem, and its structure and function.
Therefore a 'suite' of indicators rather than a single one will be needed to adequately report on marine ecosystem health, structure and function.
This approach supports the desire for a more holistic, ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities. It also helps to deliver 'good environmental status', which is the aim of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
The ecosystem-based approach is being advocated by many forums and organisations, and is particularly relevant to the mobile marine environment where boundaries tend to be more arbitrary.
Last modified: 14 April 2010