MSFD (1º cycle assessment) - Descriptor 6: Seabed integrity
Under the Marine Directive 2008/56/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 June 2008, article 8 - assessment. D6 : Sea-floor integrity is at a level that ensures that the structure and functions of the ecosystems are safeguarded and benthic ecosystems, in particular, are not adversely affected. The seabed provides the foundation of a healthy marine environment. Home to millions of marine species and habitats, it generates food and oxygen in our seas and ocean and contributes to regulating the climate. Many human activities affect the quality of the seabed, particularly through physical disturbance and pollution. The most harmful are bottom-trawl commercial fishing, which has led to a significant loss of sensitive seabed habitats, and eutrophication, which causes long-lasting widespread damage to seabed habitats. Other potentially harmful activities and pressures include marine mining of sand and gravel, chemical and plastic waste, renewable energy operations, land claim, port operations, and the laying of submarine cables and pipelines. This dataset is part of the High Value/HVD Datasets identified in accordance with Implementing Regulation No. 2023/138 of Directive (EU) 2019/1024 on open data and the reuse of public sector information.
Area management/restriction/regulation zones and reporting units
Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, I.P. (IPMA, I.P.)
Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM)
Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM)
Use License - CC-BY-4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)