Working Paper - Experimentation of marine ecosystems biophysical extent and condition accounts in France

Wednesday 20 December 2023

New working paper from the Ecological Accounting Chair by researchers from (or associated with) the Chair and/or who have contributed to the national project, part of the European MAIA programme, to develop marine ecosystem accounts for France.

Title: Experimentation of marine ecosystems biophysical extent and condition accounts in France

Authors : Adrien Comte, Yann Kervinio, Solène Legrand,
Leopold Virieux, Frédéric Quemmerais-Amice, Harold Levrel

Abstract : This technical report presents the experimental biophysical marine ecosystems accounts in France in the context of the H2020 MAIA project. The System of Environmental Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) has been adopted as a statistical standard by the UNSD in 2021. However, only few studies have attempted to operationalize it for the marine and coastal ecosystems. This report specifically deals with the spatial data management architecture and presents the results for the experimentation of extent account and condition account for the marine environment of the French metropolitan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The extent of marine ecosystems is mapped for the whole EEZ, but only for a composite map with datasets spanning more than ten years, so that no temporal trends are observable, nor will be until marine habitats are mapped again. Several ecosystem condition indicators are mapped or at least measured, including on physical impacts, capacity to provide sustainable fish, eutrophication, and variables related to fauna and protected areas. For some of these condition indicators, reference conditions were used. Overall, low data availability prevents the construction of robust marine ecosystem accounts.

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