Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment

(GRAME)

Aspects of the physical environment relevant to the workshop and drafting the first integrated

Report of the Regular Process

Introduction

Planet, oceans and life – review of relevant aspects of physical oceanography, ocean basin geomorphology

Ecosystem ServicesHydrological cycle - sea level, salinity, nutrients, heat

transport (Humbolt current); El Nino

Sea/air interaction- air quality, meteorological events, acidification, El Nino

Ocean-sourced carbonate production – sediment supply to atolls

Fisheries – El Nino; Larvae dispersal; upwelling zones; associations with water masses; acoustic mapping of seafloor disturbance

Shipping - noiseSolid waste disposal – dispersal by waves and currentsPorts – disposal of dredge spoil, hydraulic effects of channel dredgingMarine debris – dispersal by waves and currentsSubmarine cables & pipelines - hydraulic effects Physical changes – changed sediment transport patterns, hydraulic effects, erosion-

deposition patterns Land-based inputs – changes to river discharge resulting from land-clearing/dam-building;

changes to estuarine circulation; habitat loss from coastal developmentTourism & recreation – changes to surfing wavesOffshore hydrocarbon industries – PFW plume dispersal; oil spill dispersal; cuttings/drilling

mud dispersal

Other marine-based energy – optimise locations for tide, wave and wind power installations

Defence – noiseOffshore mining – quantify habitat disturbance/loss,

dispersal of sedimentDesalinization – T and S of discharge water; modelling

of plume dispersal

Habitats

Coral reefs – cold-water coral association with seamounts and submarine canyons

Mangroves – land clearingSeagrass and Kelp – substrate typeHydrothermal vents – seafloor mappingSeamounts, plateaus, banks – seafloor mapping

1. Useful existing assessments and techniques

2. Important unassessed data

3. Data gaps that need to be addressed

4. Valuable existing assessment capabilities

5. Important needs for capacity building