Collecting information on marine nature values – basis for
development of Marine Spatial Planning in Estonia
Georg Martin
Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu
Marine Spatial Planning to promote sustainable use and biodiversity Conservation. April, 15. Helsinki
Existing information on marine nature values before 2005
Background historical information:
History of marine reserach of Estonian coastal sea areas dates centuries back. Available information has historical value but limited use for
present assessments.
Time period from WWII till 80-90s most of the research effort was concentrated on open sea areas (North Atlantic and Baltic Proper) Physical oceanography and managemnt of fish resources as priority.
Current situation:
• Information on the state of biological diversity of coastal areas is insufficient
• Long-term data series available for only limited areas (e.g. Pärnu Bay, Tallinn Bay)
• Insufficient geological and bathymetrical information especially in shallow coastal sea
Purpose of large scale mapping/inventories
• Protection and management of nature values
• Sustainable use of living and non-living marine resources
• Basis for spatial planning of marine areas for minimisation of possible conflicts between different types of marine uses
• International obligations (e.g. EU Marine
Strategy Directive, HELCOM Baltic Sea Action
Plan)
What are the most important marine nature values?
• Species (distribution pattern and dynamics)
• Communities (e.g. Communities having ecological significant function)
• Habitats
• Single objects (interesting and unique geological formations)
• Marine landscapes
Estonian coastal sea
Length of the coastline: 3794 km Number of islands: 1520
Area of territorial sea: 23773 km2
Prevailing environmental conditions
Salinity: 3-7 PSU
Duration of ice-cover up to 90 days/year Largest depths: up to 140 m
Complicated bottom morphology Diversity of coastal types
Need for developing new techniques and methods for mapping benthic
communities (-habitats)
• Traditional investigation methods were not sufficient for coverage of large areas (expensive, time consuming).
• Required depth range needed new methods, especially on hard bottoms.
• Needs for high quality presentation material (foto/video
images).
Current situation with benthic inventories in Estonian coastal sea
First large-scale complex inventories started in 2005. (EU Life project “Marine Protected Areas of Eastern Baltic Sea) Project duration 2005-2009.
Currently inventories are carried out in the framework of different projects having two main objectives:
Development of Natura 2000 network in Estonian coastal areas:
ESTMAR (Norvegian Grants), Gretagrund, Krassgrund,
Paljassaare inventories (Elf, KIK), Nõva-Osmussaare SCA (EU Life)
EIA studies for larger technical development projects (offshore windparks, construction and reconstruction of harbours and bridges, establishemnt of new fishfarm and sand and gravel mining areas etc.)
6 project areas
Fieldworks 2006-2007 Habitat/fish/bird
inventories
Classiffication system of benthic habitats developed in
framework of EU Life project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” EBHAB (Eastern Baltic marine benthic HABitats)
Classification is based on physical and biological features:
Exposure
Substrate type (quality)
Light avaialability (photic zone)
Biological communities
Alltogehther 25 classification units for
Eastern Baltic Sea (18 for Estonian waters)
Method: Sampling strategy and laboratory studies
1. Predefined sampling grid is set up based on:
– Size of the area (variability of environmental conditions) – Bathymetry (all depth intervals should be covered)
– Geological information (all types of susbtrate should be covered)
2. Sampling according to agreed scenario.
– SCUBA – biomass samples (3 replicates) and visual coverage estimation
– Handheld video & photography
– Grab sampling – soft substrate (3 replicates) – UW video (“Drop” cameras) coverage estimation
3. Laboratory treatment of samples
– Quantitative sorting of frame and Grab samples –
biomass/abundance & species composition, substrate quality – Processing of video & photographic material – coverage of
species and substrate quality
SCUBA VIDEO GRAB
Field data
Georeferenced database
Method: Schematic illustration of data processing
Geology Exposure
Bathymetry
Other
Existing
data
Statisticalmoddeling
GIS moddelling
& spatial interpolation Example: Suur Strait, West- Estonian Archipelago, 2008
Species diversity Coverage/biomass Communities Habitats
Products
UW video systems – powerfull data collection tool
“Drop” video systems Handheld video systems operated by divers
Data obtained from UW video:
Species composition Species coverage Susbtrate type
Habitat
Results of inventories of marine habitats
Project results – Book on marine habitats of Eastern Baltic (publication from series Est. Mar. Inst. Report
Series)
Benthic mapping and inventories projects 2005-2009
Year Area, km2
2005 561
2006 5711
2007 2471
2008 748
2009 170
Areas covered by benthic inventories/
mapping projects – status of end of 2009
9058 km
2Preliminary results benthic
mapping/inventories of Estonian coastal waters
By end of 2009 more than 9000 km2 (more than 1/3) of territorial waters have been covered by mapping/inventory activities
Habitat type Area km2 Importance % 1110 (sandbanks) 2018,18 22,13
1130 (estuaries) 146,71 1,61 1140 (mudflats) 302,95 3,32 1150 (lagoons) 29 0,32 1160 (Inlets) 140,54 1,54 1170 (Reefs) 802,95 8,81
7 species of invertebrates
discovered or rediscovered for Estonian waters
Distribution range of different macroalage is updated
Data on depth distribution of maroalgae is updated
Detailed information on substrate quality for many areas is specified
Distribution of HD Annex I habitat types identified during inventories
Map: Kristjan Herkül
1 – Echinogammarus stoerensis, 2 – Pontogammarus robustoides, 3 – Melita palmata,
4 – Calliopius laeviusculus
(*historical records from 1963), 5 – Paramysis intermedia,
6 – Chelicorophium curvispinum.
Species
First record (year)
No. of samples
Biomass (g dw m-2) Abundance (ind. m-2) Depth (m)
Sediment
Min Max Mean Min Max Mean Min Max Mean
Gammarus
tigrinus 2003 350 <0.001 12.220 0.654 0.118 5150 418.39 0.2 20.5 1.7 sand, silt Chelicorophium
curvispinum 2005 21 <0.001 1.975 0.246 0.017 10950 1078.85 0.2 4.9 1.2 sand, pebbles Pontogammarus
robustoides 2006 33 <0.001 3.460 0.641 0.033 1200 214.87 0.1 2 0.6 sand, pebbles Paramysis
intermedia 2008 3 <0.001 0.020 0.007 0.042 25 8.64 1 2.1 1.4 sand
Echinogammarus
stoerensis 2007 10 0.001 0.131 0.049 25 250 77.50 3.2 10.7 7.5 rock
Calliopius
laeviusculus 2006* 41 0.003 0.180 0.037 25 450 109.15 0.5 18 8.1
rock, pebbles Melita
palmata 2006 14 0.002 0.085 0.034 25 150 57.86 0.5 13 2.8
rock, sand
New findings of
species
Implementation of Natura 2000 in Estonian marine areas: site selection, designation and
protection measures - ESTMAR 2007-2011
Investigations for potential new Natura 2000 sites in offshore areas of Estonia
Inventories of seabirds, fish, marine mammals and benthic habitats in 10 selected areas;
Assessment of nature values of the inventoried areas and proposing the most valuable of them for designation as Natura 2000 sites;
Defining borders, protection regime and management needs for the proposed sites.
Developing management plans for 6 existing marine protected areas in the coastal sea. This activity is based on
existing data.
Facilitating a constructive dialogue with social and economic stakeholders,
