Download 04_HELCOM_and_BALTEX

Research priorities for
HELCOM monitoring and
assessment purposes
Juha-Markku Leppänen, HELCOM
(presented by Timo Vihma, FIMR)
Helsinki Convention
• 1974, 1992
The aim of the Helsinki Convention is, inter alia,
• to protect the Baltic Sea (water, seabed, biota)
from any kind of pollution:
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land-based sources
airborne
marine transport, including dumping
seabed and subsoil exploitation and
• to restore the ecosystem into a balance;
• to conserve natural habitats and biological
diversity and to protect ecological processes.
Helsinki Commission
(HELCOM)
• Baltic Marine Environment Protection
Commission
• Governing body of the Convention
• Secretariat in Helsinki
STRUCTURE OF HELCOM
CONTRACTING PARTIES
Denmark, Estonia, European Community,
Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Russia, Sweden
HEADS OF DELEGATION
HELCOM
MARITIME
HELCOM
RESPONSE
HELCOM
LAND
HELCOM
MONAS
HELCOM
HABITAT
Ad hoc groups and projects
Seminars, symposia, informal expert meetings
Priorities of HELCOM Monitoring
and Assessment Group MONAS
• To produce assessments, which cover
– nutrients,
– hazardous and radioactive substances,
– various components of the marine environment (hydrography,
chemistry, biology).
• To develop procedures to accelerate publication of
assessments
– operationally produce annual indicator reports, thematic reports
and periodic assessment with a frequency of ca. 10 years.
• To coordinate, update and develop monitoring
programmes according to
– assessment requirements,
– scientific knowledge in the Contracting Parties.
• To promote and develop the application of new and
effective methods for monitoring and assessment.
• To identify gaps in knowledge and promote
corresponding scientific research.
Some questions to be answered
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What is the state of the Baltic Sea marine environment today
Future prospects for the Baltic Sea marine environment
Which are the most severe problems
Origin of the pollution
Natural background forcing vs. anthropogenic effects
Effects of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea environment
Effects of nutrients in the Baltic Sea environment
Monitoring, prediction and regulation of excessive algal blooms
Contaminants in Baltic Sea fish
How to manage fish stocks sustainably
Threats to biodiversity – endangered species – alien species
State of the populations of seals and harbour porpoises
Effects of an oil accident – combating tools
How will the Baltic Sea ecosystem be influenced by the increasing maritime
transport
Possible new upcoming threats for the Baltic Sea and how can we detect
them
Need for Improvements in
Monitoring and Assesment
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The present monitoring program and time series should be guaranteed in
the future, including “background information”.
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Despite the varying scientific priorities of the responsible institutes, CPs
should keep their commitments in supporting the joint program.
Monitoring and assessment should be a regular and integrated process
including regular data flow form measurements and QA procedures to
assessments.
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Numeric models, automatic sampling and recording systems including
satellite imagery should be developed and implemented more effectively.
Assessment work should be made interesting for the scientists.
The workload should be divided in a more effective way.
A fully functioning database as well as effective and continuous data
exchange is a prerequisite for the effective assessment work.
Socio-economic driving forces should be included.
Assessment products
• Indicator Fact Sheets
• Thematic Reports
– varying themes
– special events
• Comprehensive scientific background
assessments
Indicator Fact Sheets
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Communication is the main function of indicators.
Provide information that is considered to be critical in mitigating
environmental problems.
Possible actions by decision-makers (weather consumers or high
level policy makers) could be based on this information.
Indicator
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simplifies complex reality
distils information derived from monitoring or observation data
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Raw data or statistics do not make an indicator without
analysis and synthesis.
Thematic Reports
• Covers a one current theme
• Prepared by experts
• Published in HELCOM Baltic Sea
Environment Proceedings after the
approval by the Commission
Holistic Assessments
• Covers the whole DPSIR chain
HELCOM Research needs
• Continuously updated information on physical,
chemical, and biological oceanography, linked to
living marine resources and environmental quality;
• Studies on biology and ecology of all living marine
resources, including topics such as taxonomy,
genetics, behaviour and migration, trophic
relationships, distribution, abundance, and
population dynamics;
• Marine biodiversity and habitats, effects of
contaminants on marine living resources, scientific
aspects of introduction of non-indigenous species;
• Development of scientifically sound indicators,
especially aggregated indicators with reference
and target values/levels showing the good
ecological status;
• Development of additional assessment tools,
such as statistical methods;
• Scenarios for the future of the Baltic Sea (shortterm and long-term)
Proposal for collaboration between
HELCOM and BALTEX
Juha-Markku Leppänen, Mikko Alestalo and Timo Vihma
Assessment of impacts of climate change on the Baltic
Sea
• comparable to IPCC Assessment Reports and the Arctic
Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA).
• collaboration includes research and writing of the
assessment report
Topics:
• review on the observed relation between the regional
climate and the state of the marine environment in the
Baltic Sea
• strategy for joint monitoring of this relation in the future
• regional climate change scenarios
Impacts:
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predicted sea level change  effects on the coastal environment
predicted changes in evaporation, precipitation, and river run-off  changes in salinity  effects
on the marine biota and chemistry
predicted changes in river discharge of nutrients and sediments  effects on the marine
environment
predicted changes in air-sea exchange of heat, moisture and momentum
 effects on air-sea-ice exchange of chemical compounds and micro-organisms
predicted changes in the ice cover  effects on air-sea-ice exchange, ice biota and early-season
algal growth
predicted changes in wind and wave conditions  effects on marine environment
Time schedule
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assessment ready by the end of 2006
Funding
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HELCOM will help in finding funding for a Project Manager for 3 months per year
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Other possibilities:
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Ministries of Envorinment in the HELCOM member states (as in ACIA)
collaboration of national funding agencies, such as BONUS
research frameworks of the EC (not much hope with the proposed time schedule)
other funding instruments of the EC