Protection and Restoration of natural reefs in northern Europe

Transcription

1 Protection and Restoration of natural reefs in northern Europe (with some examples from Germany) Int. Symp. on Marine Nature Restoration in Northern Europe - Restoration of Reefs March 2013, Copenhagen Dr. Henning von Nordheim Scientific director of "Marine and Coastal Nature Conservation & Dieter Boedeker

2 Content EU-reef definition and further provisions for protection Some reef types Threats to marine biodiversity of reefs Mapping of reefs Reef restoration (bad and good examples) Conclusions

3 Legal Provision to Protect Natural Habitat Types (EU - Habitats Directive) Article 3 1. A coherent European ecological network of special areas of conservation shall be set up under the title Natura This network, composed of sites hosting the natural habitat types listed in Annex I and habitats of the species listed in Annex II, shall enable the natural habitat types and the species' habitats concerned to be maintained or, where appropriate, restored at a favourable conservation status in their natural range.

4 EU-Reef Definition Reefs can be either biogenic concretions or of geogenic origin. They are hard compact substrata on solid and soft bottoms, which arise from the sea floor in the sublittoral and littoral zone. Reefs may support a zonation of benthic communities of algae and animal species as well as concretions and corallogenic concretions. Source: Eu Interpretation manual 2007

5 OSPAR and HELCOM: Extract from Lists of threatened & declining species and habitats OSPAR reefs Intertidal Mytilus edulis beds on mixed and sandy sediments Lophelia pertusa reefs Modiolus modiolus beds Ostrea edulis beds Sabellaria spinulosa reefs HELCOM reefs Reefs Submarine structures made by leaking gases (bubbling reefs)

6 Some Examples of natural reef types in northern Europe

7 Example: Lophelia reefs under threat and decline in the OSPAR maritime area OSPAR/JNCC

8 Example: Sabellaria reefs probably extirpated in the Wadden Sea Common Wadden Sea Secretariat

9 Adlergrund, Schwarzgrundel BfN-Krause & Hübner

10 Example: oyster beds

11 Example: bubbling reefs

12 Stone reefs: North Sea and Baltic Sea

13 Jasmund BfN

14 Mapping of natural reefs Assess existing maps Side scan sonar Underwater video systems ROV SCUBA divers Scientific sampling

15 Identification and mapping of reefs GIS-supported analysis of available data (sediment, geology, bathymetry) Sidescan sonar surveys of hard bottom subtrates Identification of potential reefs and ground trouthing reef: epibenthic hard bottom community Mapping of biological features drawing up final maps

16 Reefs (and Sandbanks) and their Protection through SCIs in the German EEZ

17 What are the typical threats to reefs in our waters?

18 Threats to marine biodiversity especially reefs Shipping incl. related infrastructure Offshore windenergy Cables and pipelines Gas- u. oil extraction Sand- and gravel extraction Bridges and tunnels Fisheries

19 Facts about stone extraction in the German Baltic Sea between 1850 and 1970 stone collection/ extraction for diverse building purposes in water depth from 2 to 8m nearly all big stones were taken away, at least 3.5 million tons along the coast of Schleswig-Holstein as one effect, Fucus vesiculosus in most of the historical reported locations between 2 to 8m has disappeared ice-age stones are the main hard substrata for macroalgae in the south-western Baltic Sea

20 Artificial reefs: a solution? Some examples of different understanding and misuses of the artificial reef concept

21 Waste disposal as a pretended measure for promoting nature In the early 1970s, more than 2,000,000 used vehicle tires were dumped off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida to form an artificial reef.

22 Sending ships to ground as a means for promoting biodiversity A large artificial reef is the MS Hoyt S. Vandenberg who was scuttled seven miles off Key West in 2009 in 140 feet of clear water. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/artificial_reef

23 Dumping subway cars as a pretended promotion for biodiversity 2011: For over a decade, the City of New York has dumped old subway cars into the Atlantic Ocean. The "Artificial Reefs Program," as it is known, is considered by the city as an environmentally friendly method of disposal.

24 OSPAR Guidelines: an appropriate way forward? 2009

25 Greenpeace action in the German SCI Sylt outer reef In 2008 Greenpeace illegally placed 320 stones in the SCI Sylt Outer Reef. Meanwhile, most of the stones are already covered with marine organisms

26 Artificial reef Nienhagen (German Baltic Sea) for fisheries and science purposes nienhagen.de/riff_nienhagen.shtml

27 Official restoration activities in German waters Only few cases but increasingly in focus as means of compensation for anthropogenic marine impacts: small bolder islands off Rügen/ Isle Ruden restoration of a seal haul out site/reef in Greifswalder lagoon potential program to restore historic oyster reefs in the German Bight provisions for protection and restoration of mussel beds in the Wadden Sea

28 Restoration activities in German waters Scematic concept for habitat restoration measure Großer Stubber - approx. 700 qm oval (erratic boulders in SW-NE direction) - filling of oval with corse gravel and stones - approx. 150 qm core area Site at extreme low water. Photograf: Dinter( ), 2006 Plateau min. 1,5 m above mean water line v v v v v v v

29 Restoration activities in German waters Little boulder reef off the Island Ruden Photograf: Maschner

30 Conclusions Our natural reefs can be very diverse structures and have to be considered as biodiversity key areas (not only) in European Seas according to the provisions of the EU-Habitats Directive they have to be protected in order to keep or restore a favourable conservation status all reefs should be mapped many of them and in particular biogenic reefs such as Sabellaria, Oyster, Mussel (blue, horse) are under threat and/or decline (see OSPAR& HELCOM activities)

31 Conclusions restoration measures of geogenic reefs should be carried out only with natural materials and are highly needed where destruction has occurred any restoration has to be accompanied by an appropriate before/after-monitoring program there is need for a good cook book (e.g.guideline) for natural reef restoration (geogenic AND biogenic); Current OSPAR guidelines are not well suited and designed for that

32 More information at:

33 Thank you for your interest! Dr. Henning von Nordheim & Dieter Boedeker Dept. Marine and Coastal Nature Conservation

34 Artificial reefs: a solution? Some examples of different understanding and misuses of the artificial reef concept