1. Stakeholder Conference on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 7 March Thematic Session on Biodiversity Pauli Snoeijs, Baltic Marine Biologists & Uppsala University Juha-Markku Leppänen, HELCOM Sergej Olenin, Baltic Marine Biologists & Klaipeda University

2. A sustainable society needs healthy ecosystems Ecosystem health: maintenance of ecosystem structure, function and integrity. Key issue = biodiversity We need to get control over the ‘tragedy of the commons’ Society will gain from protecting biodiversity

3. We change the environment too fast for evolution to keep track Climate change, eutrophication, hazardous substances, maritime transport: All affect biodiversity Regime shifts? Consequences? We need to build predictive capacity – scenarios and models for biodiversity – based on ecosystem approaches

4. Complications The Baltic Sea area has natural gradients of biodiversity Difficult to predict food-web interactions, introductions of non-native species, etc

5. High-quality predictive capacity is necessary for well-founded political decisions and ecosystem management
EU ERAnet BONUS

6. Conservation of genetic diversity, species diversity and functional diversity needs an ecosystem approach Juha-Markku Leppänen ‘Introduction to Biodiversity and Nature Conservation’

7. It is impossible to protect single species without protecting the habitats they live in Sergej Olenin ‘Valuation of the Baltic Sea habitat diversity’

8. General discussion Stakeholders Please comment on what the strategic HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan should focus on concerning biodiversity Written comments: HELCOM Secretariat

9. Biodiversity concept for the Baltic Sea Action Plan
Ladies and gentlemen
With this presentation I am not able to give you a comprehensive assessment on the state of the Baltic Sea biodiversity and nature conservation. Instead I try give you a brief introduction to Biodiversity concept for the Baltic Sea Action Plan.
What is biodiversity
Ecological objectives
Potential indicators
Proposals for future actions

10. Why biodiversity Genetic diversity Resilience Species diversity
Functional diversity
Resilience
Adaptation
Buffering
Biodiversity determines resilience to changing conditions.
With low genetic diversity the ability of species and ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions is reduced.
Species and functional diversity are important for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Degraded habitats and loss of species lead to a reduced ecosystem function.
Poorly functioning ecosystems are more vulnerable to the effects of natural variability and stochastic events. They also lose their buffering capacity against e.g. climate change.
A diverse and well functioning marine ecosystem is also necessary to maintain so called ecosystem goods and services.
Loss of species
Degradation of habitats
Reduced ecosystem function
Vulnerability
Stochastic events
Anthropogenic pressures
Climate change

11. Healthy Baltic Sea Favourable status of bio-diversity
VISION: A healthy Baltic Sea environment, with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable human economic and social activities
Hazardous substances
Excessive nutrients
Maritime transport
Resource extraction
including fisheries
Healthy Baltic Sea
Favourable status of bio-diversity
Biodiversity reflects the healthy ecosystem
The marine and coastal ecosystems in the Baltic Sea are threatened by many human activities.
Eutrophication has changed water quality
Hazardous substances have accumulated in the biota, having consequent impacts on biodiversity.
Some species are directly threatened e.g. due to overexploitation by fisheries .
Many species suffer from the destruction of habitats, caused by e.g. coastal developments, extraction of gravel and dredging.
The probability for environmental hazards caused by severe oil spills is continuously rising with increasing shipping.
In addition, intensive maritime traffic throughout the world has resulted in the introduction of many non-native species. Together with the potential global warming, they might play an increasingly important role in the future.
Diverse biological components functioning in balance
Good ecological status
Wide range of sustainable economic and social activities

12. Goals and Ecological Objectives
Favourable status of Baltic Sea biodiversity
Goal:
Objectives:
The strategic goal for protection of nature and biodiversity is the “favourable conservation status of the Baltic Sea biodiversity”. The Ecological Objectives related to this goal are divided into landscape/seascape level, community level and species level, reflecting the CBD, focused on levels “within species”, “between species” and “of ecosystems”
Natural landscapes and seascapes underlines the importance of diverse coastal and marine landscapes, associated ecosystems, processes and cultural values. The Baltic Sea Protected Area (BSPA) network is set up in a way to comprehensively cover different ecosystems and landscapes.
Thriving and balanced communities of plants and animals are essential for the favourable status of the Baltic Sea biodiversity. Changes in the structure of communities have cascading effects on their associated species and the ecological function of the ecosystem.
Both natural ecosystems and balanced communities are reliant on viable populations of species.
All Objectives under the other three Goals, pertaining to eutrophication, hazardous substances and maritime activities, are also relevant to biodiversity.
Natural landscapes and seascapes
Thriving and balances communities of plants and animals
Viable populations of species

13. To illustrate the three levels
Natural landscapes and seascapes protect both terrestrial and submerged ecosystems, processes and cultural values.
One land- or seascape contains variety of habitats/biotopes, like this one rocky shores, sandy bottoms and algal “forests”.
Thriving and balanced communities of plants and animals are essential for the favourable status of the Baltic Sea biodiversity. Changes in the structure of communities have cascading effects on their associated species and the ecological function of the ecosystem.
Both natural ecosystems and balanced communities are reliant on viable populations of species.
All Objectives under the other three Goals, pertaining to eutrophication, hazardous substances and maritime activities, are also relevant to biodiversity.

14. Potential indicators Landscape and seascape level
Coherence of the network of protected areas
Naturalness of shoreline
Off-shore construction
It is simply not possible to assess the status of all the thousands of species. Therefore the indicators have to be selected to reflect important features.
Top predators are in the end of the food chain thus accumulating toxic substances and vulnerable to their hazards.
The key species have an important functional role in the ecosystem.

15. Potential indicators Community level Species level
Habitat building key species
Plankton and benthic communities
Species level
Top predators
Threatened species
Alien species
It is simply not possible to assess the status of all the thousands of species. Therefore the indicators have to be selected to reflect important features.
Top predators are in the end of the food chain thus accumulating toxic substances and vulnerable to their hazards.
The key species have an important functional role in the ecosystem.

16. Conceptual model for viability of a species
Carrying
capacity
One method to assess the viability of a species is the population size. The abundance of individuals in a population grows until the population size reaches the carrying capacity of the environment.
The safe biologic level determined the level when the population below needs all possible protection measures. The target for a viable population on a favourable conservation status of a species is not however that level, but the target must be higher in order to guarantee the long-term viability. It should be somewhere close to the point where the growth curve starts to approach the carrying capacity.
TRL = Target Reference Level,
PBR = Potential Biological Removal,
SBL = Safe Biological Level.
Target
Population size
Safe biological
level
Time

17. Challenges and future recommendations
Further development of ecologically coherent and well-managed network of marine protected areas
Red lists of species and habitats
Targeted activities to protect redlisted species and habitats
Integrated management
Co-operation with fisheries
Coastal development
Off-shore installations
EIA in planning
Development of assessment tools
Indicators
Criteria for the conservation status
Marine habitat mapping
Habitat classification system to meet the European standards
Monitoring
There are a number of challenges to protect the Baltic Sea nature and biodiversity
Development of the ecologically coherent and well managed BSPA Network to protect species, habitats and ecological processes
Finalising and regularly updating the Baltic regional redlist of species and habitats/habitat complexes
Targeting activities to protect redlisted species and habitats/biotope complexes
Contribute to further development and implementation of targets with CBD and EU
Mitigate environmental impacts of fisheries
Co-operation with the Baltic RAC and ICES
Development of guidance for national management plans for seals
Implementation of IMO BWC
Promoting ICZM and EIA in planning coastal and offshore activities and structures
Development of the HELCOM GIS

18. Integrated approach Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication
Baltic Sea life undisturbed by hazardous substances
Maritime activities carried out in an environmentally friendly way