EMECO

Ocean Threats

Europe's oceans are both environmentally and economically valuable. They are highly productive ecosystems that support an abundance of marine life. The seas around Europe also support valuable fishing, oil and gas, transport. leisure and tourism industries, making many people directly or indirectly dependent on the ocean's for their livelihoods.

However, these activities are placing unprecedented pressure on European marine ecosystems, with overfishing, excess nutrient inputs, and pollution having a detrimental effect on the ocean's health. These human-induced (anthropogenic) threats are exacerbated by climate change. 

Understanding and differentiating between the impacts of anthropogenic and natural threats is critical to sustainable development and an ecosystem approach to management. This requires an understanding of how the ecosystem responds to the various threats, which, in turn requires monitoring and regulating the level of the threat posed, as well as monitoring changes in the ecosystem. This information can be used to improve understanding the ocean's response to changes in the level of threat and, ultimately advise decision makers and managers.