ICES is involved in a number of projects. Examples include:

European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET)

[Description]
The European Commission, in its EU's Maritime Policy Blue Book (2007), undertook to take steps towards EMODNET in order to improve availability of high quality data. Basic design principles of EMODNET have been formulated by the Commission together with a specially-constituted Expert Group.

These are:

• collect data once and use it many times
• develop standards across disciplines as well as within them
• process and validate data at different levels. Structures are already developing at national level but infrastructure at sea-basin and European level is needed
• provide sustainable financing at an EU level so as to extract maximum value from the efforts of individual Member States
• build on existing efforts where data communities have already organised themselves
  develop a decision-making process for priorities that is user-driven
• accompany data with statements on ownership, accuracy and precision and
• recognise that marine data is a public good and discourage cost-recovery pricing from public bodies.

The "proof of concept" of EMODNET is being tested through preparatory actions. Portals for a number of maritime basins are being set up for hydrographic, geological, biological and chemical data as well as functional habitat maps. These portals will provide access to marine data of a standard format and known quality and identify gaps in coverage.
ICES is participating in the Biological and Chemical portals for EMODNET.

[Lead organisation]
European Commission - Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
(DG-MARE)
VLIZ (Belgium) is the project manager for the Biological portal.
OGS (Italy) is the project manager for the Chemical portal.

[Website]
http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/emodnet_en.html

[ICES Contact]
Neil Holdsworth

SeaDataNet

[Description]
SeaDataNet’s objective is to construct a standardized system for managing the large and diverse data sets collected by the oceanographic fleets and the new automatic observation systems. The objective is to network and enhance the currently existing infrastructures, which are the national oceanographic data centres and satellite data centres of 35 countries, active in data collection. The networking of these professional data centres, in a unique virtual data management system will provide integrated data sets of standardized quality on-line.
SeaDataNet is an integrated infrastructure initiative of the EU, under the Framework 6 programme (FP6).

[Lead organisation]
European Commission - Directorate of Research (DG-RESEARCH)
IFREMER (France) is the project manager for the consortium.

[Website]
http://www.seadatanet.org/

[ICES Contact]
Neil Holdsworth

European Topic Centre for Water (ETC/W)

Environmentally Sound Fishery Management in Protected Areas (EMPAS)

[Description]
The ICES/BfN-project entitled "Environmentally Sound Fishery Management in Protected Areas [EMPAS]" (2006-2008) was based on funding from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).

The EMPAS project was a research project aimed at developing fisheries management plans for the Natura 2000 sites (MPAs) within the German EEZ of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The project was designed to serve as a pilot project and to provide guidance on developing management plans for international fishing activities for all Natura 2000 sites designated under the Birds and Habitat Directive in the European Oceans.

[Lead organisation]
ICES was the project manager for this project.

[Website]
http://www.ices.dk/projects/empas.asp

[ICES Contact]
Søren Anker Pedersen

MARCOM+

[Description]
The ‘Aberdeen Plus interest group’ joined forces with the ‘Venice Platform group’ to take further steps in integrating the marine, maritime and coastal research sectors in Europe. The goal is to establish a sustainable and long-lasting partnership forum (“European Marine and Maritime Science and Technology Forum”), based on shared interests and shared leadership, and to test it on regional seas and pan-European basis. The process will contribute to developing interactions between partners (the research community, industry, regional authorities, civil society and other stakeholders) starting from regional scales to broader issues shared with EU-neighbouring countries. This, being in line with the European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research, will underpin prioritization of future EU research programmes and the future integrated EU Maritime Policy. The action will be supported by the already established key structures and will constitute a Forum which will be an operationally open structure.

The proposal consortium, acting on behalf of the wider Aberdeen Plus Partnership community consists of:

• Coastal and Marine Union
• Community of  European Shipyards’ Associations (representing the Waterborne Technology Platform)
• European Council for Maritime Applied Research and Development Association
• European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform
• European Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization
• Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (representing the European Global Ocean Observing System)
• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
• Marine Board of the European Science Foundation
• Mediterranean Science Commission
• Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (representing the European Network of Marine Research Institutes and Stations

[Lead organisation]
ICES
The Secretariat was asked by the Aberdeen Plus Community to manage the application and following that to coordinate this initiative.

[Website]
For application purposes this website was created.Once negotiations with the European Commission are finalized and the initiative kicks off a ‘.eu’ domain will be purchased to create the MARCOM+ webportal.’

[ICES Contact]

Adi Kellermann

Wojciech Wawrzynski

Baltic Sea Regional Project

[Description]
For more than a decade ICES has been involved in several projects and programmes related to Baltic marine science and management of which the main project has been the Baltic Sea Regional, Project, BSRP. The major aim of the BSRP was to create preconditions for application of the ecosystem approach in managing the Baltic Sea Large Marine ecosystem in order to achieve and maintain sustainable biological productivity of the Baltic Sea.
Through its activities within the BSRP ICES also became engaged in two other prominent projects, the BONUS ERA-NET (Baltic Sea Science – Network of Funding Agencies), and in the SAFMAMS project (Scientific Advice for Fisheries Management at Multiple Scales.

A brief review of the Baltic Sea ecosystem and the major threats to this environment as well as some activities and results of the Baltic projects can be found in Thulin 2009.

The BSRP, was launched in 2003 and were running up to July 2007 while Study Groups and Working Groups established during the project´s  lifetime and after are still active.

[Lead organisation]
HELCOM-VASAB and ICES

[Website]
http://www.ices.dk/projects/BSRP.asp

[ICES Contact]

Jan Thulin

BONUS ERA-NET

[Description]
The BONUS ERA-NET was launched in 2003 and ended in 2008 when BONUS EEIG succeeded this project. A major contribution from ICES to the        BONUS project was the production of the BONUS-169 Science Plan.  

[Lead organisation]
Academy of Finland (2003-07) and BONUS EEIG (2008-), Finland.

[Website]
http://www.bonusportal.org/

[ICES Contact]

Jan Thulin

SAFMAMS

[Description]
The SAFMAMS project was launched in 2005 and ended in 2008. A major contribution from ICES/BSRP to the SAFMAMS project was the production of the report “Reversing the Burden of Proof for Fisheries Management”.

[Lead organisation]
IFM, Innovative Fisheries Management, Denmark.

[Website]
http://www.ifm.dk/safmams/

[ICES Contact]

Jan Thulin

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)

[Description]
ICES has provided scientific support to the European Commission as a background for the preparation of the Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters. The work has been done in close cooperation with the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) in ISPRA.

A total of 10 Task Group reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of Good Environmental Status (GES) listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively.

In addition to these report a Management Group report has been prepared which provides the proper context for the individual Task Group reports as well as a discussion of a number of important overarching issues.

The reports are also published as EU publications available from EU Bookshop, where you can place an order with the sales agent of your choice.

[Lead organisation]
ICES in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra.

[ICES Contact]

Claus Hagebro

[List of reports]

Management Report
TG1 Biological Diversity
TG2 Non-indigenous Species
TG3 Commercially Exploited Fish and Shellfish Populations
TG4 Food Webs
TG5 Eutrophication
TG6 Seafloor Integrity
TG8 Contaminants and Pollution Effects
TG9 Contaminants in Fish and other Seafood
TG10 Litter
TG11 Energy and Noise

[EU legislation]

[ICES documents]

Report of first workshop on D3+
Draft MSFD Overview Report (living document)

SCICOM/ACOM Strategic Initiative Group on Marine Spatial Planning (STIG-MSP)”

[Description]
Area-based science and management of marine ecosystems: from the coast to the high seas

Vision
ICES will be leading the science and advice in coastal and marine area based management and spatial planning through developing the scientific base for ecosystem evaluation, vulnerability analysis, cumulative assessment and by developing relevant tools and facilities.

Background
The ICES Mission set out in the ICES Strategic Plan is ‘To advance the scientific capacity to give advice on human activities affecting, and affected by, marine ecosystems’. To fulfil this, ICES must integrate fishery science within the wider ecosystem context and increase the application of the Principles of Sustainable Development. The ICES Science and Advice Plans were developed to deliver the scientific and advisory needs to achieve this.

In particular, the ICES Science Plan inter alia identified the need for research on climate change, coastal zone habitats, sensitive ecosystems, the impact of fisheries and renewable energy, management tools, Marine Spatial Planning and ecosystem goods and services as strategically important.  Concurrently, the ICES Advice Plan identified a number of activities that would also contribute; these include the integration of fisheries, ecosystems, other human uses and their socio-economic aspects to deliver comprehensive scientific advice on area-based management.  Increasingly, integrated area-based science and the spatial management and planning of human activities are seen by many as the framework to move towards sustainable development. 

Drivers for area-based management and planning come from the EU Maritime Policy in the form of the ‘Roadmap for Maritime Spatial Planning’ adopted by the Commission in 2008 and in Norway and North America (US Framework) in the form of initiatives on area-based management plans and policy developments.  At a very practical level, the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive necessitates an integrated, area based ecosystem approach.

[Lead organisation]
ICES
The joint SCICOM / ACOM Strategic Initiative Group on Marine Spatial Planning (STIG-MSP) facilitate and encourage even more integrated analyses of fisheries, oceanography, ecosystem and environmental data and a more dynamic exchange of spatial data and information between and within expert groups, the Data Centre and the Science and Advisory Services.

[Web and share point sites]

STIG-MSP SharePoint site for members

[ICES documents]

Draft MSP Overview (living document)

[ICES Contact]
Søren Anker Pedersen

ICES
H. C. Andersens -
Boulevard 44-46
DK-1553
Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel: +45 3338 6700
Fax: +45 3393 4215
info@ices.dk