1. Marine Reporting Units: Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean Sea
Towards a set of
Marine Reporting Units:
Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean Sea
2nd workshop on subdivisions of the Mediterranean Sea
20 February 2018, Athens

2. Following maps and table provide a basis for workshop discussions
Map shows:
Boundary of MSFD subregion
Possible subdivisions – main basins with indicative boundaries (based on June 2017 meeting in Rome)
WFD coastal and territorial waters (transitional waters also shown for information – not part of MSFD marine waters) (2016)
MS marine waters (2012 reporting)
Table shows:
Indicative allocation of descriptors and criteria to each of the MRU scales (based on Decision (EU) 2017/848)
To be discussed at workshop:
Possible specific boundaries of subdivisions (including most appropriate aggregations of WFD water bodies for D5 & D8)
Allocation of descriptors/criteria to each MRU scale
Identify issues needing further consideration (e.g. specific descriptors/criteria)
Distinguish what could be used for 2018 (e.g. WFD aggregations) and what is for later (e.g. joint assessments)

3. WFD territorial waters to 12nm Strait of Sicilia/ Tunisian Plateau
For Greece, only to 6nm
Version Jan.2018
To be updated
Subdivision
Strait of Sicilia/ Tunisian Plateau
Subdivision
Ionian Sea
Subdivision
Gulf of Sidra
MS waters data as reported by EU Member States Illustrative map for purposes of MRU workshop only

4. Indicative allocation to areas
Scale
Areas (MRUs)
Descriptors
Region
Mediterranean
D1* deep-diving toothed cetaceans, baleen whales, deep-sea fish
Subregion
Ionian Sea & Central Mediterranean Sea
D1* birds; mammals (small toothed cetaceans, seals), turtles, pelagic & demersal fish, cephalopods
D3 commercial fish & shellfish
D4 food webs
D8 Acute pollution (C3)
D9 Contaminants in seafood (??)
D11 Underwater noise (C1-C2)
Subdivision
Ionian Sea
Strait of Sicilia/Tunisian Plateau
Gulf of Sidra
D1* Coastal fish
D1 Pelagic habitats
D2 NIS (C1-C2)
D5 Eutrophication (beyond coastal) (C1-C8)
D6 Benthic habitats (C1-C6)
D7 Hydrography (C1-C2)
D8 Contaminants (beyond territorial) (C1-C2)
D10 Litter (C1-C2-C3)
WFD territorial waters
Aggregated to subdivisions
D8 Contaminants (territorial)
WFD coastal waters
D5 Eutrophication (coastal) (C1-C8)
D8 Contaminants (coastal - ? separate from territorial)
To be filled by MS
* Also impacts of NIS (D2C3), acute pollution (D8C4), litter (D10C4) on species in these species groups

5. Feedback:
Subdivisions will be 3 or 4, limits unclear between IT (following adapted GFCM blocks) and MT (following bathymetry).
MT: one unit of CW, TeW, Fisheries management zone (25 nm), and continental shelf divided into 2 subdivisions: Central Med Sea + Ionian Sea (including the Sirte Rise).
IT: CW (one type around Sicily, issue in Gulf of Taranto), TeW, 3 subdivisions: GFCM sub-areas no. 19, 15 and 16 with small adjustments.
EL: CW, TeW?, only Ionian subdivision. MRUs are the same as in 2012, maybe with small internal adjustments (?).
Common scales per descriptor/criteria: unclear, to be further discussed with a common table.
Ex. MT: D5 D8 in CW and TeW. Most other criteria in the Fisheries Manag Zone (=monitoring). D11 probably subregion.
Ex. IT: D5 at subdivision level, D8 TeW (issues of industrial inputs), D3 and D1 fish at subdivision. D6 at CW, TeW, beyond.
Ex. EL: everything at subdivision level (to be checked).
Further issues to be discussed: a) specific boundaries; b) how to translate the CDF and data on pressures into MSFD assessments.