Marine sustainability in an age of changing oceans and seas

The report – resulting from the collaboration between the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) and the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC) – aims at contributing to the governance challenge of how to integrate the various aspects of marine policy (fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, marine environmental protection and integrated approach, as those promoted through IMP and MSP) as part of a coherent ecosystem approach. It considers how current science knowledge on marine ecosystems and the organisation of science can support an integrated approach to management of the seas. The report looks at a number of key aspects for sustainable development in changing oceans and seas, and particularly highlights the key scientific challenges in addressing these issues. Finally, the report presents both recommendations from science for policy development, and recommendations on policy for science.

Sustainable management and development is approached considering changing oceans and sea, therefore also including a wide number of climate change related issues, as:

• Role of oceans in regulating the global climate and as sink for greenhouse gases;
• Sea temperature increase, ocean acidifications and other climate change related effects on European seas;
• Effects on ecosystems functioning, marine biodiversity and marine productivity;
• Improved research on and understating of linkages between climate change, other anthropogenic pressures and marine processes;
• Marine experimental geo-engineering.