Martina ORLANDO-BONACA, Lovrenc Lipej, Borut Mavrič, Janja Francé, Branko Čermelj, Alenka Malej, Valentina Turk, Patricija Mozetič, Andreja Ramšak,

Milijan Šiško, Tjaša Kogovšek, Tinkara Tinta, Boris Petelin, Oliver Bajt, Nives Kovač & Vlado Malačič

National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Fornace 41, SI-6330 Piran

e-mail: orlando@mbss.org

Determination of Good Environmental Status: Slovenian Experiences

D1 Biodiversity

Geno

v (2

011)

Škor

nik

(198

3, 1

985,

200

9, 2

011)

Laza

r et a

l. (2

003)

Seagrasses, Bottlenose dolphin, Loggerhead turtle,Marine birds, Noble pen shell, Mediterranean stony coral

Cymodocea nodosa

Criteria 1.1 -1.2: Species distribution & Population size

Turk

& &

Vuk

ovič

(199

8)

Lipej

et a

l. (2

000)

Fala

ce e

t al.,

in p

repa

ratio

n

Posidonia oceanica

Littoral rock ->Biocoenoses of the upper and of the lower mediolittoral rocksDecreasing habitat extention, as a consequenceof human-induced modifications of the coast

Criteria 1.4 – 1.6: Habitat distribution, extent & condition

Biocoenosis of the photophilic algae (AP) Stable extent

Biocoenosis of muddy detritic bottom – predominating biocoenosis

in the Northern Adriatic.Stable extent

Lipej et al. (2006)Orlando-Bonaca et al. (2011)

D1 Biodiversity

D4 Food websCriterion 4.3: Abundance/distribution of key trophic groups/species

Zooplankton biomass (dw mg/m3) in the Gulf of Trieste during 1991 – 2011. Red line = 90-percentile of values measured during the reference period (1971 – 1981). Wavelet anaysis of the occurrence of jellyfish.

The increasing presence of jellyfish in the last 10 years could not be

correlated with eutrophication, since there is an evident opposite trend in

the North Adriatic (Mozetič et al., 2012)

Kogo

všek

et a

l. (2

010)

D6 Seafloor integrity Criterion 6.2:

Condition of benthic community PO1

PO2

PO3

PO4

PO5

PO7

PO8 PO6

Iz4Iz3 Iz2

Iz1

Por1

Por2

Por3

PP3 PP4

PP1PP2

Iz5

Iz6

Se1

Se2Se3

DR3

DR4

An1

DR1

DR 2

KP1KP2

Bel1

RR1BS1

BS2

MZ1

MZ2BS3Str2

Str1

Str3

Str4

Pa 1Pa 2

PiO1

PiO2Fi1

Fi2

Ber1

MBP 1MBP 2

Legend: EEI246810Water BodiesUrban AreaSeaLandSaltworks

N

0 2 km

SI5VT3

SI5VT4

SI5VT5

SI5VT2

Orlando-Bonaca et al. (2008)

Benthic macroalgae

Cy10

Cy9

Cy8

Cy7

Cy6

Cy5

Cy4

Cy3

Cy2

Cy1

N

S

W E

0 4 km

Cymodocea nodosa

Orlando-Bonaca et al. (2011)SD_VT4_P7

SD_VT4_P1

SD_VT2_P5

SD_VT4_P4

SD_VT3_P1

SD_VT3_P3

SD_VT3_P4

SD_VT3_P2

SD_VT3_P7

SD_VT3_P5

SD_VT2_P1

SD_VT2_P2

SD_VT3_P6

SD_VT2_P3

SD_VT2_P4

SD_VT4_P6

SD_VT4_P5

SD_VT4_P3

SD_VT5_P5

SD_VT4_P9

SD_VT5_P3

SD_VT4_P2

SD_VT5_P7

SD_VT5_P6SD_VT5_P4

SD_VT5_P1

SD_VT4_P8

SD_VT5_P2

SD_VT5_P8

SD_MA

Mavrič et al. (2010)

Benthic invertebrates

Bursatella leachiiCodium fragile fragile

Crassostrea gigas

Terapon therapsMnemiopsis leidyi

•min. 17 species•no monitoring•poor data

D2 Non-indigenous speciesCriterion 2.1: Abundance and state

characterisation

Spatial relevance of indicators: TWO GROUPS1. near-shore belt:

macroalgae and seagrasses, nutrients

2. open waters: bottom oxygen, nutrients, phytoplankton indices (and water transparency)

D5 Eutrophication

Criteria5.1: Nutrients levels5.2: Direct effects of nutrient enrichment5.3: Indirect effects of nutrient enrichment

D7 Hydrographical conditions

Criteria 7.1 – 7.2: Spatial characterisation of permanent alterations & Impacts Only one area with permanent changes of larger dimensions -> the inner part of the Bay of Koper (~4 km2 water surface).

Construction of major hydrographic barriers in the Slovenian coastal area would likely cause only local changes.

Impacts on benthic habitats is not known

D8 Concentrations of contaminants Criteria 8.1 – 8.2: Concentration of contaminants & Effects Sea water – occasionally exceeded maximum allowed and annual average concentrations of TBT -> recent decreasing trend.

Sediments and tissues of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) – decreasing trend of some hydrocarbons (PAH).

D9 Contaminants in fish and other seafood Criterion 9.1: Levels, number and frequency of contaminantsConcentrations of hydrocarbons (aliphatic and aromatic) and heavy metals (Cd, Hg) in some species of mussels, fish and shrimps are below the set thresholds.

2004 2006 2008 20100

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Koncentracija

Leto

PAH postaja 0024

PAHs in farmed mussels

Time

podatki

0.000

0.002

0.004

Time

sezona

-4e-04

2e-04

Time

trend

0.0004

0.0010

0.0016

Time

ostanek

-0.0015

0.0005

0.0020

2008 2010

čas

Shortcomings Data exist mainly for near-shore areas; Incomplete assessment for some relevant elements, due to lack of

long-term series; Non-existing evaluation of cross-border pressures and impacts; Lack of international cooperation for the GEnS determination and

for the establishment of Environmental Targets.

Actions Urgent need for experts meetings within the Sub-Region; Common assessment of the status of many relevant elements within

the Sub-Region (or at least within the North Adriatic); Development, application and testing of methodologies

establishment of monitoring programmes in 2014.

Possible projects Evaluation of the EnS of biological elements that have a wide area

of distribution; Common assessment of status and impacts of non-indigenous

species; Creation of observatory systems within the Sub-Region.

Thank you for your attention

Special thanks to:Institute for Water of the RS; Ministry of agriculture and environment of the RS; Agency for Environment of the RS; Morigenos; Sečovlje Salina Natural Park; EU FP7 project Perseus; Dr. Annalisa Falace; Dr. Sotiris Orfanidis; Nicola Bettoso; Dr. Bojan Lazar; Iztok Škornik; Valter Žiža