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Environmental information systems
COASTAL AND MARINE HABITATS
Europe’s marine and coastal environments are remarkably varied. Along the EU’s coastlines alone, 39 different types of coastal habitats are protected, including stony beaches, estuaries, lagoons, salt marshes, sea cliffs and 17 kinds of dunes.
SAND DUNES
Sand dunes border long stretches of the EU’s coastline. They develop from sediments moved onshore by the tide to form beaches. Dunes form when sediment is far enough inland to be no longer moved by the tides; they are usually colonised and stabilised by vegetation.
Dunes are one of the coastal habitats most threatened by human development, and across the EU they are mostly in a poor state. Tourism-related activities, in particular, can result in the modification of natural coastlines and the degradation of dune habitats. Invasive species that are not native to European dunes can also damage dunes by dominating and displacing native flora and fauna.
MARINE HABITATS: SEAGRASSES, THE FORESTS OF THE SEA
Marine areas also contain a rich diversity of habitats, ranging from the stable environment of the deep sea to highly dynamic coastal waters. Marine habitats protected in EU seas include sandbanks, Posidonia seagrass beds, sea caves, reefs and deep-sea habitats such as submarine structures formed by leaking gases. Most of these habitats also host rich animal communities. Seagrass meadows for instance provide homes for many of them – but this habitat is also under threat.
MARINE MAMMALS
Thirty-four species of whales, dolphins and porpoises — collectively known as cetaceans — are found in European seas. These represent 42 percent of cetacean species known around the globe, and include the Common or Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), the common Bottle-nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Many cetacean species are deep divers. The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus), for example, can dive to depths of more than 2,000 metres in search of its preferred food, the giant squid.
All marine mammals across the EU are strictly protected under the EU Habitats Directive. EU Member States must take appropriate actions to avoid negative impacts on cetacean populations. In order to comply with EU law, many countries have regulated tourism activities to prevent disturbance to cetaceans. In addition, in a joint European effort coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Member States must regularly monitor and report on the status of marine mammal species. In addition, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive also addresses certain pressures on marine mammals, such as underwater noise.
MARINE TURTLES
Of the seven species of marine turtles that exist in the world, five are found in EU marine waters and they are all strictly protected by the Habitats Directive. The Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) are both nesting on Mediterranean beaches. A female turtle may travel up to 12,000 kilometres before nesting and will ussualy lay her own eggs on the very same beach where she hatched.
A further three species of turtles are visitors to the Mediterranean and the North-east Atlantic Seas, especially around Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Azores. These are the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles.
OTHER EU EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR COASTS AND SEAS
Many of the efforts and successes to safeguard Europe’s marine environment are coordinated at the European Union level. In addition to the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive is specifically devoted to addressing the main pressures on the marine environment, to ensure that the quality of our seas improves.
in 2020, the European Commission has also launched the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which aims to eliminate or reduce bycatch of threatened species to a level that allows species to recover.
Marine litter has become a serious problem for many coastal and marine habitats and species. In European marine waters, 80-85 percent of marine litter is plastic (of which single-use plastic products account for 50 percent) whereas fishing-related items account for 27 percent. The EU Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment introduces measures to ban single-use products made of plastic for which an alternative is available on the market, to reduce food containers and beverage cups made of plastic, and a separate collection target for plastic bottles. The positive impact of there measures on the marine environment should become significant in the near future.
The EU provides financial support for the conservation and improvement of marine biodiversity through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the EU LIFE programme. Many successful marine and coastal projects have been funded under these two programmes.
