Maps developed through BioProtect are part of the updated Icelandic Waters Ecoregion Ecosystem Overview, published by our project partner, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Their inclusion shows how research from BioProtect is being used in official scientific advice.
What’s changing in Icelandic waters?
Fishing, warming seas and shifts in marine populations are among the key developments highlighted in the overview. The report brings these changes into one picture, describing the state of the region’s marine ecosystem and explaining how pressures from human activities affect it.
This wider view matters for marine management. Looking at individual species or activities tells us part of the story. An ecosystem overview brings that evidence together so that people making decisions about marine areas can consider how different pressures affect the same ecosystem.
From project research to official advice
Iceland is one of BioProtect’s five demonstration sites, where the project is advancing tools to support the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity. Through its collaboration with ICES, BioProtect has contributed maps to a public assessment that marine planners and managers can consult when making decisions about Icelandic waters.
Read or download the ICES Icelandic Waters Ecoregion Ecosystem Overview.
For more on the science behind the regional assessment, see the report of the ICES Working Group on the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of Icelandic Waters (WGICE).
