US EPA

3293567 

Journal Article 

Loss, status and trends for coastal marine habitats of Europe 

Airoldi, L; Beck, MW 

2007 

0 

Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review
ISSN: 0078-3218 

CRC PRESS-TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP 

BOCA RATON 

Oceanography and Marine Biology 

45 

345-405 

WOS:000252476600007 

Over the centuries, land reclamation, coastal development,
overfishing and pollution have nearly eliminated European wetlands, seagrass meadows, shellfish
beds, biogenic reefs and other productive and diverse coastal habitats. It is estimated that
every day between 1960 and 1995, a kilometre of European coastline was developed. Most countries
have estimated losses of coastal wetlands and seagrasses exceeding 50% of the original area with
peaks above 80% for many regions. Conspicuous declines, sometimes to virtual local disappearance
of kelps and other complex macroalgae, have been observed in several countries. A few dominant
threats have led to these losses over time. The greatest impacts to wetlands have consistently
been land claim and coastal development. The greatest impacts to seagrasses and macroalgae are
presently associated with degraded water quality while in the past there have been more effects
from destructive fishing and diseases. Coastal development remains an important threat to
seagrasses. For biogenic habitats, such as oyster reefs and maerls, some of the greatest impacts
have been from destructive fishing and overexploitation with additional impacts of disease,
particularly to native oysters. Coastal development and defence have had the greatest known
impacts on soft-sediment habitats with a high likelihood that trawling has affected vast areas.
The concept of 'shifting baselines', which has been applied mostly to the inadequate historical
perspective of fishery losses, is extremely relevant for habitat loss more generally. Most
habitat loss estimates refer to a relatively short time span primarily within the last century.
However, in some regions, most estuarine and near-shore coastal habitats were already severely
degraded or driven to virtual extinction well before 1900. Native oyster reefs were ecologically
extinct by the 1950s along most European coastlines and in many bays well before that. These
shellfish reefs are among the most endangered coastal habitats, but they receive some of the
least protection. Nowadays less than 15% of the European coastline is considered in 'good'
condition. Those fragments of native habitats that remain are under continued threat, and their
management is not generally informed by adequate knowledge of their distribution and status.
There are many policies and directives aimed at reducing and reversing these losses but their
overall positive benefits have been low. Further neglecting this long history of habitat loss and
transformation may ultimately compromise the successful management and future sustainability of
those few fragments of native and semi-native coastal habitats that remain in Europe. 

Gibson, RN; Atkinson, RJA; Gordon, JDM; 

978-1-4200-5093-6