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Marine ecosystems are significantly changing due to human activities

Space related R&D

BIOWEB project concludes that Human activities have significant impact on marine ecosystems. From fishing and pollution, to climate change and invasions of non-native species, these factors have existed since prehistoric times but little is known about their cumulative impact.


FP7 funded project BIOWEB "Towards an Ecosystem-based Approach of Marine Resources: Linking BIOodiversity, Food WEBs, Ecosystem Services and Drivers" has found that cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems are essential to explaining the past and current dynamics of changes seen in marine resources.


Marta Coll, BIOWEB project coordinator says that ‘In general marine ecosystems today have fewer large organisms like marine mammals, large fish and sharks and more small fish and invertebrates like small crustaceans and pelagic cnidarians like jellyfish. These organisms tend to be less commercial. There are also more invasive species. In some cases they can have a commercial value, but in others they can be poisonous and dangerous for humans.’


There are also fluctuations in marine productivity observed by researchers. Whereas productivity levels are rising in coastal zones due to organic pollution from sewage and agricultural run-off, they may be decreasing in open ocean systems. At the same time marine ecosystems are becoming more variable, less resilient to change and more prone to unpredictable shifts.


The EU Earth Observation Programme Copernicus is delivering also data about marine ecosystems. The Sentinel-1 radar mission, which consists already of two operational satellites, is focusing on monitoring marine environment.




(Source European Commission)