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What does 'good ecological potential' mean, within the European Water Framework Directive?
Marine Pollution Bulletin
|October 2, 2007
Summary
The European Water Framework Directive aims for good ecological status in all waters. This study defines and guides the assessment of Good Ecological Potential for heavily modified water bodies, like harbours.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Water Management
Background:
- The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) mandates achieving 'good ecological status' (GES) for all water bodies.
- Methodologies for assessing GES exist for natural water bodies, focusing on deviations from a reference condition.
- Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWB) present unique challenges due to significant human-induced hydrogeomorphological alterations.
Discussion:
- This work defines and investigates 'Good Ecological Potential' (GEP) as the WFD's metric for HMWBs.
- Ecological restoration principles are integrated into the GEP assessment framework.
- The study provides practical guidance for establishing GEP, using a North East Atlantic harbour as a case study.
Key Insights:
- GEP is a distinct ecological concept tailored for HMWBs, differing from GES in natural systems.
- Incorporating restoration principles is crucial for realistic GEP assessments.
- The proposed guidance offers a structured approach for environmental managers implementing the WFD.
Outlook:
- Further research can refine GEP assessment tools for diverse HMWB types.
- Application of this framework can improve the ecological management of European waters.
- Successful implementation of GEP will contribute to the WFD's overarching environmental objectives.
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