B-USEFUL WPs and deliverables

WP1
End-user needs and project co-creation

This WP will identify, discuss the key needs, and capture the insights, of marine biodiversity spatial planning users. This constituted user forum will include not only managing and policy-designing users regularly working with biodiversity data for regulatory needs, but also NGO and industry stakeholders who have to use information generate from this data. This user forum identifies key barriers to marine conservation, while co-creating indicators, scenarios and decision-support tools (DSTs) together with partners in order to overcome these barriers and challenges. Furthermore, the end-user forum is also involved in the co-dissemination of projects outputs and outcomes.

WP3
Biodiversity status and cumulative impacts

This WP aims to assess the status, trends, and cumulative impacts of pressures acting on multiple biodiversity indicators and establish their links to ecosystem functions and services across European Seas. More specifically, we use a set of statistical tools and methods capable of integrating multiple sources of data from WP2, including observations of species occurrence and abundances, traits and environmental conditions. After proper cross-validation, the set of trained and parameterized models are used to generate maps and trends in a suite of biodiversity indicators, such as the taxonomic and functional richness and evenness (see figure below). Furthermore, we investigate state-pressure relationships and cumulative impacts on biodiversity arising from multiple natural and human stressors (e. g., fishing, eutrophication and climate change), as well as quantify potential links and relationships between biodiversity indicators and estimates of ecosystem functions and their associated services for human well-being (e. g., food provisioning).

Example maps of key biodiversity indicators, here illustrated by the mean estimated richness and evenness of demersal (bottom-living) fish species based on a joint-species distribution model setup for the NE Atlantic shelf seas

WP5
Forecasting and scenario simulations

WP5 aims at producing short- to mid-term forecasts of marine biodiversity and its vulnerabilit across European Seas, as well as provide trajectories in ecosystem functions and their associated services. To achieve this aim WP5 will pursue the following objectives: (i) perform seasonal-to-decadal forecast of species distributions and biodiversity indicators, (ii) assess changes in species and/or habitats’ risk and vulnerabilities, and (iii) forecast changes in ecosystem functions and services. An end-product of this work package tailored to end-user needs will be (iterative) spatial maps of seasonal-to-decadal forecasted biodiversity, risk, and
vulnerability indicators (to WP6).

WP7
Project coordination