The Use of Ocean-Colour Data to Estimate Chl-a Trends in European Seas

Ocean-colour remote-sensing products have been used to estimate Chl-a trends in European seas with the aim to develop a new indicator based on ocean-colour data for the European Environment Agency (EEA). The new indicator, called CSI023(+), derived from satellite ocean-colour products from the MyOcean Marine Core Service (www.myocean.eu) has been defined and calculated. In our analysis, we have used 3 MyOcean satellite products: 2 global satellite products (SeaWiFS and a merged product) and one regional (adjusted to specific regional Mediterranean conditions) ocean-colour product. We have evaluated the differences among the 3 different products in estimating Chl-a trends. CSI023(+) complements the EEA CSI023 indicator for eutrophication based on chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in-situ observations. Analysis has revealed the potential of ocean colour as a CSI023(+) indicator to detect large-scale, and in some cases, even local-scale, changes and decreasing trends of Chl-a were observed throughout the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, the southern part of the Western Mediterranean, the English Channel and the north part of the North Sea. Large areas with increasing trends were observed in the Bay of Biscay, in the North-East Atlantic regions of Ireland and the UK, in the northern part of the North Sea, in the Kattegat and in the Baltic. Specific analysis has been performed in the Mediterranean coastal areas using regional products to investigate local scale results. Validation of ocean-colour products has been carried out through comparison with observations of the Eionet EEA database. The validation results highlight that regional products produced with regional algorithms are recommended for the future.

European Broad-Scale Seabed Habitat Maps Support Implementation of Ecosystem-Based Management

We have analyzed the development of “Broad-Scale Seabed Habitat Maps” (BSHM) and their potential use in a European context with regard to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) implementation, MPA designation and network assessment as well as other applications of BSHMs. The analyses are anchored in BSHMs developed by a series of interlinked EU projects (e.g. UKSeaMap, BALANCE, MESH, Mesh Atlantic, EUSeaMap 2012, and EUSeaMap 2016) and all maps are based on environmental data. Some EU Member States have used BSHMs as part of their MSFD Initial Assessments published in 2012. However, we conclude that BSHMs are a prerequisite for another key MSFD activity, i.e. mapping of potentially cumulative effects of multiple human stressors. Further, BSHMs seem to play a growing role with regard to evidence-based assessments of MPAs. With the upcoming second round of MSFD Initial Assessments due in 2018, including assessment of potentially cumulative pressures, there seems to be an increasing need for more BSHMs nationally, regionally and on a European scale.

Advancing Digital Earth:beyond the next generation

The Digital Earth(DE)movement is gaining momentum.Much of it is unstructured.This paper examines a number of recent developments including those in health sensors(Wearable Absence,Q-Sensor,and Guardian Angels)and systems frameworks(Gelernter’s Mirror Worlds,Virtual Australia,and New Zealand).Consideration is given to the implications of DE for citizens and on citizen science,including those of ethics.A suite of principles to guide the development of DE is proposed.

Does DE need a C?A proposal for a DE curriculum

The vision of a digital earth(DE)is continuously evolving,and the next-generation infrastructures,platforms and applications are being implemented.In this article,we attempt to initiate a debate within the DE and with affine communities about‘why’a digital earth curriculum(DEC)is needed,‘how’it should be developed,and‘what’it could look like.It is impossible to do justice to the Herculean effort of DEC development without extensive consultations with the broader community.We propose a frame for the debate(what,why,and how of a DEC)and a rationale for and elements of a curriculum for educating the coming generations of digital natives and indicate possible realizations.We particularly argue that a DEC is not a déjàvu of classical research and training agendas of geographic information science,remote sensing,and similar fields by emphasizing its unique characteristics.