CEDA Working Group on Seafloor Integrity (WGSI)
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) establishes a framework within which member states shall take the necessary measures to achieve, or maintain, good environmental status (GES) in the marine environment by the year 2020 at the latest. GES is determined on the basis of a set of 11 qualitative descriptors. Descriptor 6 is sea-floor integrity, for which the requirement is that: ‘Sea-floor integrity is at a level that ensures that the structure and functions of the ecosystems are safeguarded and benthic ecosystems, in particular, are not adversely affected.’
The dredging community is familiar with the other qualitative descriptors of importance for dredging works and marine construction (such as D7 Hydrographic conditions and D11 Underwater sound and other forms of energy) but there is more uncertainty around the descriptor sea-floor integrity.
The Working Group is under the remit of the CEDA Environment Commission. The WG had their first meeting on 18 May 2017.
- They will produce an information paper on this MSFD Descriptor and its related criteria and methodological standards. They plan to address general questions including what seafloor integrity is and how dredging and marine works will affect it. They will also cover impacts and risks, and effects and opportunities, as part of the scheduled assessments and further management tools. The paper was published in February 2023 and can be found under CEDA online publications.
Terms of Reference
Please see below.
Members
Chair: Anne Lise Middelboe, DHI, Denmark
Secretary: Ine Moulaert, Jan De Nul, Belgium
Mentor: Marc Huygens, DEME, Belgium
Andrew Costen, Cardno, Australia
Annelotte Baas, Boskalis, The Netherlands
Annemiek Hermans, Boskalis, The Netherlands
Arjen Boon, Deltares, The Netherlands
Jannes Kamphuis, IHC, The Netherlands (until March 2018)
Kirsten Wolfstein, Hamburg Port Authority AoR, Germany
Luisa Nocoletti, ISPRA, Italy (corresponding member)
Remment ter Hoofstede, Van Oord, The Netherlands
Tim Yzewyn, DEME, Belgium
Participants of the third face-to-face meeting at the CEDA HQ, in Delft, the Netherlands (l to r): Ine Moulaert (Jan De Nul – Belgium), Kirsten Wolfstein (Hamburg Port Authority AoR – Germany), Marc Huygens (DEME – Belgium), Remment ter Hoofstede (Van Oord – The Netherlands), Anne-Lise Middelboe (DHI – Denmark), Annelotte Baas (Boskalis – The Netherlands)
Presentation
View the latest presentation about the working group’s progress by Kirsten Wolfstein, Hamburg Port Authority Germany at the symposium co-organised by the CEDA Environment Commission in Gdansk, Poland on 10 October 2018 here.
News
CEDA’s latest Working Group gets ready to unravel seafloor integrity - 6 June 2017