Societal basic needs from the natural and built environment for health and well-being. E.g.: food, water, clean air, shelter, energy, enjoyment, education, mental and physical health, etc.

Actions we do in the natural and built environment to give us the Drivers; actions throughout all stages including creating and operating infrastructures, creating energy supplies, obtaining food and water, being cognitive, etc.

The area, and/or time, based on the duration, intensity, and frequency of an activity which ideally has been legally sanctioned by a regulator, and which should be so clearly defined in order to be legally defendable; it should be both easily observed, monitored, and attributable to the proponent of the activity.

Resulting from human activities, these are defined as the mechanisms of change, in which an activity will change the natural and societal systems by modifying their structure and functioning. Relates to the direct physical, chemical, and biological consequences of human activities which can lead to adverse environmental impacts.

Pressures can be considered:

1. At source, i.e., close to the activity generating the pressure. These are pressures on the marine environment.
2. At sea, i.e., the level of the pressure in the marine environment to which the different elements of the ecosystem are subjected.

Aggregated, collective, accruing, and/or combined pressures acting at the same space and/or time.

A type of direct or indirect, natural or human-related driver that causes undesired change in an ecosystem, to any physical, chemical, or biological entity that can induce adverse effects on ecosystems or human health. Can be a combination of activity/development and pressure, acting in a potentially negative manner on an ecosystem component. Often used interchangeably for pressure.

Anthropogenic pressures which originate within the management system, where the causes of change can be controlled and their consequences addressed.

Causes of change which have their origin outside of a management system and thus cannot be controlled by local measures.

The area and time covered by the mechanism(s) of change resulting from a given activity in an area once avoidance and mitigation measures have been employed. Includes the influence and consequences of pressures emanating from outside the management area; given that these are caused by widescale events, then these are likely to have larger scale consequences.

The magnitude of a pressure, resulting effect or impact; can have both spatial and temporal dimensions.

The period over which a pressure continues to cause impact following cessation of the activity introducing that pressure.

Defined as a permanent change of one of the following types:

1. Sealing of natural substrate by an artificial structure or other allochthonous material.

• Loss of biogenic substrate
• Seabed change at EUNIS level 2 (e.g., from sand to mud), or morphology or sediment changes at a more detailed level if significant and documented

2. A permanent change is defined if one of the following conditions is true:

• When reversal is only possible by active human intervention (e.g., by coral, seagrass, and kelp transplantations, by removal of artificial structures, by sand capping, etc.)
• When natural recovery rates exceed 12 years (e.g., some coral reefs, seagrass beds, the long-lasting effect of hydrographical or substrate change)
• When natural recovery rates are unknown or undocumented but suspected to exceed 12 years

Abrasion, removal, and deposition result in physical disturbances and may lead to physical loss, depending on the intensity and/or persistence of the pressure. Sealing automatically implies physical loss. Any other physical pressures on the seabed that do not correspond to physical loss should be classified as physical disturbance. Such pressures do not induce permanent change since natural recovery, once the pressure has ceased, may be expected without human intervention.

HABs refer to a rapid proliferation of phytoplankton species in aquatic ecosystems posing serious risks to human health, environmental sustainability, and aquatic life due to the production of toxins or the accumulated biomass. May also refer to macroalgae and colourless heterotrophic protists.

Any live specimen of a species, subspecies, or lower taxon of animals, plants, fungi, or micro-organisms introduced outside its natural range. This includes any part, gametes, seeds, eggs, or propagules of such species, as well as any hybrids, varieties or breeds that might survive and subsequently reproduce. [Alien species is not synonymous with invasive species; see Invasive alien species definition]

An alien species whose introduction or spread has been found to threaten or adversely impact upon biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

Cnidaria, Ctenophora, and Tunicata are the bulk of gelatinous macrozooplankton and what we commonly call “jellyfish”.

The term ‘state’ refers to the quality/condition of species/habitat/ecosystem elements. This can be determined through measurements in the environment of relevant parameters for such elements; such measurements, by definition, will reflect any impacts to which the element has been subjected.

A classification of state among several well-defined categories. It is usually measured against time and compared to an agreed target in EU environmental directives or reference condition.

The environmental status of marine waters where these provide ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy, and productive within their intrinsic conditions, and also where the use of the marine environment is at a sustainable level, safeguarding the potential for uses and activities by current and future generations.

Constituent elements of an ecosystem, particularly its biological elements (species, habitats and their communities), or of marine waters.

Change on the natural system; the resultant spatial and temporal changes in the environmental and ecological structure and functioning, and the changes in the natural aspects of the supporting and regulating ecosystem services.

Provision of information for an assessment of the environmental status and for an estimate of the distance from, and progress towards, GES.

In general, an indicator consists of one or several parameters chosen to represent a certain situation or aspect, and to simplify a complex reality. Indicators are also used to track change.

Reference condition describes the state of the environment (or a component) in which there is no, or very minor, disturbance from the pressures of human activities. This is sometimes referred to as an unimpacted, pristine, or natural state, although it is widely acknowledged that no part of the marine environment is likely to be completely free of such influences.

A qualitative or quantitative statement on the desired condition of the different components of, and pressures and impacts on, marine waters in respect of each marine region or subregion.

As a process, an assessment is a procedure by which information is collected and evaluated following agreed methods, rules, and guidance. As a product, an assessment is a report that synthesizes and documents this information, presenting the findings of the assessment process, typically according to a defined methodology, and leading to a classification of environmental status in relation to the determination of GES.

The spatial resolution at which environmental status is assessed for the different ecosystem and pressure elements. The GES’ decision allows for different scales to be used depending on the descriptor and elements being assessed. These scales can differ to the scale for determination of GES, which is required to be at regional or subregional level.

Susceptibility of an ecosystem component to a specific pressure. The concept of sensitivity accounts for the ecosystem components recovery potential, resistance, and resilience with respect to a certain pressure and related effects. The likelihood of change when a pressure is applied to a species or habitat. It is a function of the ability of the habitat or species to tolerate or resist change and the rate for it to recover from impact.

The ability of an ecosystem or component, such as a habitat, to return to its original state after being disturbed. The recovery period is used to assess sensitivity for management purposes. The degree to which an ecosystem or a part/component of it is able to recover from disturbance without major persistent change.

A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. The recovery of populations or ecosystems can be as simple increase, standardized or scaled increase, increase towards a specified target, increase to historical or pristine level, or recovery of former structure or function.

The ability of an organism to endure unfavourable environmental conditions.

Ability of a receptor to absorb disturbance or stress without changing character. Can be a synonym of intolerance.

The action of a pressure on a receptor, with regard to the extent, magnitude and duration of the pressure.

A measure of the degree to which a receptor is subjected to a pressure to which it is sensitive.

An n-hypervolume, with climate and human impacts (e.g., fisheries) as axes or dimensions, where natural ecosystems should be retained to maintain a desirable state of conservation. The concept is applied to guide management actions for example reducing local stressors (i.e., fishing pressure) in highly impacted areas may contribute to maintain communities within a “safe operating space” (SOS), where they remain resilient to climate change.

Adverse effects on the environment caused by pressures from human activities. A possible adverse change, influencing or affecting an environmental component, caused by a pressure related to one or more anthropogenic activities.

Human activities exert pressures which have effects which may lead to impacts on receptors. So pressure and effect are always coupled so that every pressure has an effect, but not every pressure necessarily leads to an impact. The change in an ecosystem

receptor resulting from the application of a pressure.

Environmental impacts that need to be avoided or reduced in order to achieve or maintain GES. Synonym of (environmental) impact.

Alteration from natural conditions in a physical, chemical, or biological aspect of environment state that is considered undesirable (an adverse effect).

Aggregated, collective, accruing, and (or) combined ecosystem changes that result from a combination of human activities and natural processes. They can be antagonistic, synergistic, and additive.

Assessment of ecosystem changes that accumulate from multiple stressors, both natural and manmade. Holistic evaluations of the combined effects of human activities and natural processes on the environment, and constitute a specific form of environmental impact assessments.

The spatial, temporal, intensity, persistence, and frequency characteristics resulting from (a) a single pressure from a marine activity, (b) all the pressures from that activity, (c) all the pressures from all activities in an area, or (d) all pressures from all activities in an area or emanating from outside the management area. The spatial and temporal extent of the effects of pressures arising from an activity

A value or range of values that allows for an assessment of the quality level achieved for a particular criterion, thereby contributing to the assessment of the extent to which GES is being achieved. Acceptable limits determined by society, applied to pressures, effects or impacts and used as a trigger for management measures.

Zones of rapid change in a nonlinear relationship between the state of an ecosystem or ecosystem component and intensity of a driver, human activity, or pressure. This leads to abrupt transitions beyond a critical level, in which the system is unable to return to the precedent stable stage.

Changes affecting wealth creation, quality of life required to satisfy the Drivers; changes in the results of the provisioning ecosystem services and cultural benefits; positive and negative influences on the human complementary assets/capital to extract societal goods and benefits from ecosystem services.

Final outputs or products from ecosystems that are directly consumed, used, or enjoyed by people. Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) separates ecosystem services (e.g. fish biomass) from the benefits they can provide to people (e.g. the nutritional value of the fish biomass). Supporting services or ecological functions are the underpinning structures and processes that ultimately give rise to ecosystem services.

All materials and biota constituting tangible outputs from marine ecosystems. They can be exchanged or traded as well as consumed or used by people (in, e.g., manufacturing).

All the ways in which marine biota and ecosystems control or modify the biotic and abiotic parameters defining the environment of people (i.e., all aspects of the ‘ambient’ environment). These marine ecosystem outputs are not consumed, but they affect the performance of individuals, communities, and populations.

All the ways in which marine biota and ecosystems control or modify the biotic and abiotic parameters defining the environment of people (i.e., all aspects of the ‘ambient’ environment). These marine ecosystem outputs are not consumed, but they affect the performance of individuals, communities, and populations.

Using management measures as ways of influencing the drivers and controlling the activities and pressures as the causes of change in order to prevent the consequences of state changes and impacts on welfare; to respond to both the exogenic and endogenic causes and consequences.

The area and time covered by the governance means of monitoring, assessing, and controlling the causes and consequences involved in the use of the marine environment through public policy-making, marine planning, and regulatory processes. The policies, marine plans, and technical measures produced by these processes indicate the means of determining if legal controls are satisfied, and of providing information and data to national and supra-national bodies.

An integrated approach to management of human activities that considers the entire ecosystem including humans. The goal is to maintain ecosystems in a healthy, clean, productive, and resilient condition, so that they can provide humans with the services and goods upon which we depend. It is a spatial approach that builds around a) acknowledging connections, b) cumulative impacts, and c) multiple objectives.

Measures which need to be taken by Member States in order to achieve or maintain GES. These include input controls, output controls, spatial and distribution controls, measures to improve traceability, economic incentives, mitigation, and remediation tool, communication, stakeholder involvement, and raising public awareness.