Harbours & Biodiversity Piraeus, Corfu, Ag. Saranda, Igoumenitsa - a Comparison? Vassilis Tselentis & Kostas Kyriakopoulos, Prof. of University of Piraeus
Port operations and environment All transport modes have environmental impacts. Port infrastructure projects can have a wide range of impacts, notably on Natura 2000 sites, (not all port developments) Potential impacts on biodiversity from land intake for port infrastructure and physicochemical contamination of ports : degradation, fragmentation or loss of ecosystems and their services intrusion of invasive species, Direct spatial impacts from infrastructure developments and dredging activities : loss of habitats Indirect impacts : disturbances due to maritime transport operations. PORTS MUST : Project planning fully integrate Natura 2000 considerations Be transparent with society about projects and the environmental impacts & communicate their efforts to mitigate negative impacts
Integrating biodiversity and nature protection into port development Port sector working for reconciling port development with nature protection The port sector has been demonstrating its active commitment to sustainable operations. Stronger integration of biodiversity and Natura 2000 requirements into port activities and planning is required. Ports have planned integrated projects that reconcile port development with nature protection and also enhance the sustainability of the transport sector ESPO Code of Practice on the Birds and Habitats Directives (2007)
Water Framework Directive Ports belong to Coastal waters, which are defined as sea waters are limited to the sea extending to one mile from the land boundary. Towards the mainland they end at the outer limit of transitional waters (Article 2.1 of 2000/60/EC). According to the principles of the Directive 2000/60/EC, it is desirable to check the appropriateness and effectiveness of biotic indices, depending on the study area..
The Water Framework Directive Establish a mechanism of environmental monitoring and the assessment of biological quality of the major biological groups [plankton, macrophytes (algae, sea weeds ), benthic invertebrates (starfish, crabs, shrimp, sponges ) and fish, Work on the identification of coastal ecosystems, The objectives of the Directive 2000/60/EC, include the application of management measures in the study area to further improve ecological status (within the time limits set by the Directive - 2015).
The Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus Class Phaeophyceae Group Algae (Φαιοφύκη) Chlorophyceae Group Algae (Χλωροφύκη) Patella sp. Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) (Πεταλίδες) Mytilus sp. Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) (Μύδι) Class Cephalopoda Cattle fish (Σουπιές) Phylum Cnidaria (Κνιδόζωα) Hydrozoa Hydroids - Υδρόζωα Sponges Class Ascidiacea - sea squirts (Ασκίδια) Mugil cephalus - Grey mullet (Κέφαλος) Atherina hepsetus (Αθερίνα) Phylum Annelida, Class Polychaeta (Πολύχαιτοι Δακτυλιοσκώληκες)
The Port of Corfu
The Port of Corfu C. Antoniadou & C. Chintiroglou, Biodiversity of zoobenthic hardsubstrate sublittoral communities in the E. Mediterannean (N. Aegean Sea), Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 62, (2005), 637-653.
The Port of Corfu Udotea petiolata Chlorophyceae (Χλωροφύκη) Group Algae Class Phaeophyceae (Φαιοφύκη) Group Algae Peyssonnelia rubra Class Rhodophyceae (Ροδοφύκη) Group Algae Jania rubens Chondrosia reniformis (σπόγγος) Phylum Porifera Ircinia dendroides Aplysina (Verongia) aerophoba Cladocora caespitosa (κοράλι) Phylum Cnidaria (Κνιδόζωα) Actinia equina (θαλάσσια ανεμώνη - «η κόκκινη»!!) Phylum Cnidaria (Κνιδόζωα) Sabella (Spirographis) spallanzanii (Σπειρογράφος) Phylum Annelida, Class Polychaeta (Πολύχαιτοι Δακτυλιοσκώληκες) Patella sp. (πεταλίδες) Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) Mytilus sp. (μύδι) Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) - Ostrea edulis (στρείδι) Pachygrapsus marmoratus (καβούρι) Phylum Arthropoda Balanus sp. (βάλανος) Phylum Arthropoda Arbacia lixula (αχινός) Phylum Echinodermata (Εχινόδερμα) Class Osteichthyes (ψάρια) - Chromis chromis (καλογριά) Serranus scriba (πέρκα),scorpaena porcus (σκορπιός), Diplodus annularis (Σπάρος) Mugil cephalus Grey mullet (κέφαλος), Atherina hepsetus (Αθερίνα)
The Ag. Saranda Port
The Ag. Saranda Port Class Chlorophyceae (Χλωροφύκη) Group Algae Padina pavonica (pavonia) Class Phaeophyceae (Φαιοφύκη) Group Algae Angiosperms (Posidonia oceanica), Ircinia dendroides (σπόγγος) Phylum Porifera - Haliclona mediterranea Patella sp. (πεταλίδες) Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) Mytilus sp. (μύδι) Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια) Monodonta sp. Phylum Mollusca (Μαλάκια), Class Gastropoda Actinia equina (θαλάσσια ανεμώνη) Phylum Cnidaria (Κνιδόζωα) Anemonia sulcata (sea anemone) θαλασσια ανεμώνη (τρώγεται!) Class Hydrozoa (Υδρόζωα) Phylum Cnidaria (Κνιδόζωα) Balanus sp. (βάλανος) Phylum Arthropoda Pachygrapsus marmoratus (καβούρι) Phylum Arthropoda Arbacia lixula (αχινός) Phylum Echinodermata (Εχινόδερμα) Halocynthia papillosa Phylum Chordata / Class Ascidiacea (Ασκίδια) Class Osteichthyes (ψάρια) - Chromis chromis (καλογριά) Tripterygion tripteronotus - Scorpaena porcus (σκορπιός) - Family Blenniidae (σαλιάρες)
Beadlet sea anemony Anemonia sulcata
Feather duster worm Ascidiacea
Cladocora caespitosa
Igoumenitsa Port
CONCLUSIONS/ PROPOSALS Measuring & monitoring Biodiversity is complicated Small ports are the best case to start implementing biodiversity monitoring Ports create many different environments and habitats Start by first identifying the ecosystems within a port (they are many!!) Older ports seem to have less biodiversity physicochemical history? Comparisons with other ports and the environment prior to the creation of the port, are not valid Look for trends and long term impacts What methodology (ies) for biological monitoring can we propose to ports - established methods or modern ecotoxicological tests The port sector must take the initiative, as it did with EMS