Symposium Cumulative Effects in Marine Ecosystems

The Waddenacademie organised this symposium in co-operation with the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment, NIOZ, the Waddenvereniging and the Province of Groningen.

Most coastal marine ecosystems, including the Wadden Sea, experience multiple environmental stressors simultaneously that can differ widely in their pathways and strengths of impact. An understanding of all relevant stressors is critical to prioritize conservation actions, including restoration, protection, and management. Yet, scientific concepts and empirical evidence on the separate and cumulative impacts of all relevant stressors is often insufficient to guide such decisions.

During this symposium, scientists adressed concerns from NGOs and governmental licensing authorities on how to properly assess combined effects of successive human activities on the environment.  The aim of this symposium is to jointly come forward with feasible options to deal with the complexity of cumulative effects inherent to the suite of activities, scales and uncertainties.

You can view a short report of the symposium, all presentations (pdf and video) and a photo-impression of both days.