Lead institution:
OSPAR Commission Secretariat – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)
The OSPAR Quality Status Report 2023 is an ambitious holistic assessment that covers the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic and the pressures from human activities impacting it, as well as the benefits which humans derive from a healthy and thriving ocean.
For the first time, OSPAR is applying a holistic conceptual framework (DAPSIR) for a certain category of assessments as a way to better understand the big picture, factor in socioeconomic aspects when assessing the state of the marine environment in the North East Atlantic and to avoid siloed assessments.
The OSPAR QSR process will bring together more than 400 scientists and experts who will deliver over 130 OSPAR assessments that address key marine species and the habitats they depend on, the intensity of human activities in the sea and pressures they result in, including radioactive substances, offshore oil and gas industries, renewable energy generation, tourism and many more. Pollution from nutrients and hazardous substances, and other pressures such as marine litter or underwater noise are also addressed. Finally, the QSR 2023 will consider the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on the North-East Atlantic.
Start Date: 01/01/2019
End Date: 31/12/2023
Lead Contact: Lucy Ritchie (Lucy.Ritchie@ospar.org)