Ibon Galparsoro Iza- PhD.
- Principal Investigator at AZTI
Ibon Galparsoro Iza
- PhD.
- Principal Investigator at AZTI
Marine Spatial Planning, Decision Support Tools, Environmental Risks of human activities, Ecosystem Services
About
213
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Introduction
Over 15 years of professional experience in different lines of marine research applied to Integrated Coastal Zone Management. My current research interests are focused on Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Strategy Framework Directive implementation together with seabed characterization, mapping and modelling of benthic habitats. Linking human activities, pressures, environmental status and ecosystem services.
Principal investigator in more than 30 projects.
I authored more than 40 publications.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
September 2000 - present
Education
January 2007 - September 2011
Publications
Publications (213)
Ecosystem-based marine spatial planning is an approach to managing maritime activities while ensuring human well-being and biodiversity conservation as key pillars for sustainable development. Here, we use a comprehensive literature review and a co-development process with experts to build an assessment framework and tool that integrates the fundam...
Offshore wind energy is widely regarded as one of the most credible sources for
increasing renewable energy production towards a resilient and decarbonised energy supply. However, current expectations for the expansion of energy production from offshore wind may lead to significant environmental impacts. Assessing ecological risks to marine ecosys...
Evidence-based decision making is an essential process for sustainable, effective, and efficient marine spatial planning (MSP). In that sense, decision support tools (DSTs) could be considered to be the primary assistant of planners. Although there are many DSTs listed in tool databases, most of them are conceptual and not used in real MSP implemen...
The production of energy from waves is gaining attention. In its expansion strategy, technical, environmental and socioeconomic aspects should be taken into account to identify suitable areas for development of wave energy projects. In this research we provide a novel approach for suitable site identification for wave energy farms. To achieve this...
Marine renewable energy has considerable potential for enhancing the diversity of renewable sources, to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and combat climate change. While the technological development of wave energy converters is progressing rapidly, their environmental impacts are still largely unknown, which is a barrier that could hinder their...
Marine Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) approaches are a well-established and fundamental component of international agreements and treaties, regional seas conventions, assessment strategies, European Directives and national and regional instruments. However, there is the need to interrogate and clarify the implementation of EBM approaches under cu...
Seagrasses have declined worldwide at accelerated rates mainly due to human pressures. Moreover, climate change (e.g. sea level rise) and consequent effects, increase uncertainty about the future evolution of seagrass spatial distribution and biomass. Among other adaptive measures, habitat conservation and restoration can help to adapt and mitigate...
Understanding the distribution of benthic habitats is of key relevance to inform management measures to protect this environment from ever-growing human activities. Broad-scale habitat mapping has been developed under several initiatives around the world, mostly relying on mapping environmental attributes that are vital to explain different benthic...
Systematic conservation planning (SCP) involves the cost-effective placement and application of management actions to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives. Given the political momentum for greater global nature protection, restoration, and improved management of natural resources articulated in the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framewo...
The development of an Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) sector is increasingly becoming one of the key low-carbon energy solutions for coastal nations in their drive to tackle both the impacts of a changing climate and to provide energy security in the face of these global challenges. While certainty about the impacts of the devices is some way off,...
International biodiversity agreements aim to expand protected areas by up to 30%, including areas beyond national jurisdiction. The high seas' extent, shared governance, and limited biodiversity data challenge the identification of large-scale protected areas. This study uses seascapes defined from satellite data as proxies for biodiversity in the...
INTRODUCTION
Ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (EB-MSP) is a holistic approach to MSP aiming at the management of sustainable human activities and preservation of environmental health by accounting for natural and anthropogenic processes.
Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (2014/89/EU), states that MSPs should promote sustainability by apply...
The effects on ecosystems of fishing gear with contact with the bottom are of high relevance for management. The severity of the impact depends on the type of fishing gear; as well as the seabed characteristics, the biological communities living on or on the seabed, and the intensity and frequency of fishing activity. Therefore, in order to make a...
Effective and sustainable management of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging. We describe a novel approach to identify important fishing grounds for SSF, by implementing a habitat modelling approach, using environmental predictors and Automatic Identification System (AIS)-B data coupled with logbook and First Sales Notes data, within the SE B...
This scoping review (ScR) protocol aims to establish the methodological approach for identifying and mapping the evidence regarding the actual contribution of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to spatial conservation targets. Emphasis will be placed on examining the research conducted, including the methodologies applied. OEC...
Human activities at sea have increased, causing subsequent degradation of ocean health and affecting ecosystem services and societal goods and benefits. Climate change further exacerbates the cumulative effects of these activities and their associated pressures. Hence, effective management of these multiple activities is imperative to ensure the su...
This scoping review (ScR) protocol aims to establish the methodological approach for identifying and mapping the evidence regarding the actual contribution of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to spatial conservation targets. Emphasis will be placed on examining the research conducted, including the methodologies applied. OEC...
One of the objectives of the European Green Deal is to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the EU's energy mix. Among other energy resources, renewable energy from the seas is a cornerstone of the clean energy transition, especially offshore wind, and ocean energy.
Achieving the renewable energy production objectives will necessitat...
Background: Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) involves a series of steps to identify conservation areas and develop management strategies, incorporating feedbacks, revisions, and iterations at any stage. It is a valuable tool in facilitating the effective implementation of Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning (EB-MSP). However, few efforts...
The European Atlantic Ocean offers a high potential for marine renewable energy (MRE), which is targeted to be at least 32% of the EU’s gross final consumption by 2030. The European Commission is supporting the development of the ocean energy sector through an array of activities and policies: the Green Deal, the Energy Union, the Strategic Energy...
In 2022, the European Commission adopted the REPower EU package which proposes to further increase the 2030 target for renewables from 40 % to 45 % and revise the Renewable Energy Directive to accelerate permitting. Moreover, the European Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy estimates to have an installed capacity of at least 60 GW of offshore wind a...
Seagrass meadows provide a wide variety of ecosystem goods and services (biodiversity maintenance, carbon sequestration, sediment oxygenation and enrichment, filtering, coastal protection, and nursery area for other species). For this reason, they are areas of high economic development while historically highly impacted by human activity. Therefore...
This scoping review (ScR) protocol aims to establish the methodological approach for identifying and mapping the evidence regarding the actual contribution of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to spatial conservation targets. Emphasis will be placed on examining the research conducted, including the methodologies applied, and...
The development of a Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) sector is increasingly becoming one of the key low-carbon energy solutions for coastal nations in their drive both to tackle the impacts of a changing climate and to provide energy security in the face of this global challenge. While MRE development has led to significant growth in the design, test...
Funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and launched in November 2018, the WESE-Wave Energy in Southern Europe project aims to improve the current knowledge on environmental impacts of Wave Energy (WE projects) reducing uncertainty in modelling potential impacts of future wave energy large scale devices deployments to better infor...
The European Green Deal sets out the ambition to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, while addressing other environmental challenges, boosting the economy, improving people's health and quality of life, and ensuring an inclusive and just transition (European Commision, 2019). As part of the Green Deal, the Commission adopted th...
The present report describes the process undertaken during the development of a model for the identification of suitable areas for the development of wave energy projects in the European Atlantic in the context of maritime spatial planning and its implementation into a web-based Decision Support Tool.
The approach implemented is based on the previo...
The EMOD-PACE project, funded by the European Commission, aimed to promote international ocean governance between EU and China. One of the objectives of EMOD-PACE is to compare European and Chinese modelling approaches for ecosystem vulnerability assessment. In particular, our objective was to test the applicability of the Chinese evaluation approa...
Program of the GES4SEAS summer school 2022
In the context of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC), Member States are required to assess the environmental status of marine waters. With the aim to support practitioners in this effort, and guide them in the identification of management solutions, a team of researchers has brought together available information fo...
Ocean planning and management is often tasked with balancing multiple policy priorities, such as the growth of ocean-related sectors, conserving ecosystem health and biodiversity, and considerations of equity and inclusivity. Over the last two decades, aligning and operationalising such priorities has increasingly been addressed through Marine Spat...
Various studies have been carried out to the declaration of new marine protected areas for their importance for habitats, according to the Natura 2000 Network. One of these sites is a sector of the Capbreton Submarine Canyon System, located in front of the Basque Country coast, in the Bay of Biscay (North Atlantic). During the Intemares_CapBreton 0...
The emerging marine renewable energy (MRE) industry, also known as ocean energy (mostly wave and tidal energy), yields many unknowns about its potential environmental pressures and impacts. Wave energy converters (WECs) are still perceived by regulators and other stakeholders as risky, particularly for some groups of species and habitats. In many c...
Ocean decision-makers are tasked with balancing social, economic, and environmental considerations when addressing complex policy challenges and achieving strategic objectives, such as conservation targets, or sustainable and ocean-based economic development agendas. Like many common environmental assets, oceans have been impacted by a history of i...
of the consenting process for ocean energy projects in Spain (left) and Portugal (right). Taken from Simas et al., 2015. Review of consenting processes for ocean energy in selected European Union Member States. International Journal of Marine Energy, 9: (0): 41-59. Wave Energy in the Southern Europe (WESE) Funded by the European Maritime and Fisher...
Human activities exert significant impacts on marine ecosystems, which entails the need for management measures to ensure the conservation and restoration of ocean biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. One of the most effective management measures is the declaration of marine protected areas.
The main objective of the LIFE IP INTEMA...
The main objective of WP5 is the identification of the most suitable areas for the development and deploying of wave energy projects in the Portuguese and Spanish Atlantic area. Suitability maps contribute to a more efficient planning of future wave energy deployments. For that purpose, in a first phase publicly available information that could be...
WESE is a project funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund focusing on how to overcome the non-technological barriers related with Wave Energy projects, specifically by carrying out environmental monitoring activities around wave energy converters (WECs) operating at sea, to improve knowledge on environmental pressures and impacts and...
The present deliverable identifies the information and data sources of relevance for the identification of suitable areas for the establishment of WE projects in the European Atlantic region, which considers the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Portugal, Spain, Ireland and UK. The aim of the present deliverable is the collation of the most relevan...
Route optimization methods offer an opportunity to the fisheries industry to enhance their efficiency, sustainability, and safety. However, the use of route optimization Decision Support Systems (DSS), which have been widely used in the shipping industry, is limited in the case of fisheries. In the first part, this work describes the fishing routin...
This dataset presents the macrobenthic species abundance and biomass in soft bottom areas located at southeastern Bay of Biscay. Data on organic matter content and grain-size distribution in surficial seafloor sediments is also provided. Samples were obtained with Shipek and Smith-McIntyre type grabs in several surveys carried out between 2010 and...
A global review of the growing intersection of Marine Spatial Planning and Ocean Accounting activities globally. Currently under review.
Exploring the theoretical links between marine spatial planning and ocean accounting. In press - Marine Policy.
In the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD 2008/56/EC), a multidisciplinary study was carried out, with researchers from different disciplines, bringing together solutions for management practitioners in the Basque coastal zone (SE part of the Bay of Biscay). This area was selected as case-study and divided into Marine Reportin...
Maritime activities included as Blue Economy sectors should be performed in a sustainable way.
Marine (or Maritime) Spatial Planning (MSP) approach intends to facilitate space for new activities overcoming the potential competition and conflicts between ocean energy sector and other marine users.
The objectives of the research were:
Provide a nove...
The environmental impacts of wave energy converters are still largely unknown, being a barrier that could hinder their deployment.
The objective of the present work was the development of a framework and a tool for quantifying and analysing the ecological risks of three technologies: oscillating water columns, oscillating wave surge converters, an...
Marine or maritime spatial planning (MSP) works across borders and sectors to ensure human activities at sea take place in an efficient and sustainable way. The ecosystem service (ES) concept links ecosystem functioning to human well-being and has emerged as a potential framework supporting MSP, as it can be used to link different sectorial and env...
Located in the southeastern Bay of Biscay, the eastern Cantabrian Sea is characterized by the presence of the Capbreton Canyon and a highly diverse and complex geomorphology. The sedimentary seafloor is dominant and biota inhabiting it has been widely studied. The objective of the present research is to contribute to the knowledge of the spatial va...
Route optimization methods offer an opportunity to the fisheries industry to enhance their efficiency, sustainability, and safety. However, the use of route optimization Decision Support Systems (DSS), which have been widely used in the shipping industry, is limited in the case of fisheries. In the first part, this work describes the fishing routin...
Environmental conservation is currently one of the main objectives of marine management. It is agreed that effective management requires evaluating the tradeoffs between protection and economic costs for negatively impacted maritime activities. For these reasons, integrated approaches combining ecological and socioeconomic aspects are needed to ach...
Galparsoro, I., Á. Borja, I. Menchaca, J. Franco, M. C. Uyarra, A. Uriarte, G. Chust y J. Bald, 2020. Elaboración del diagnóstico sobre el medio marino e identificación de líneas de trabajo futuras para la Estrategia de Biodiversidad de la CAPV 2030. Informe elaborado por AZTI para Ihobe. 96 pp + Anexos.
The INTEMARES-CapBreton 0619 and 0620 surveys have been developed for
fifteen days of June 2019 and 2020, on board the research vessel R/V Ramón Margalef.
These oceanographic expeditions were carried out in the context of the LIFE-IP- INTEMARES project "Integrated, innovative and participatory management of the Natura 2000 Network in the Spanish ma...
Within the framework of several projects a total of 68 soft-bottom samples were
acquired in front of the Basque coast (south-eastern Bay of Biscay) at 97-1476 m water
depth. Sediment samples were taken with a 0.1 m2 Smith-McIntyre grab and sieved
through a 1 mm mesh. This study is focused on increasing the regional knowledge of the
spatial variabil...
A critical prerequisite for the assessment and management of human activities and natural ecosystem components , is the availability of data and information on their spatial and temporal distribution. Based on European seabed habitats and human activities datasets publicly available in EMODnet portal, and adopting the Marine Reporting Units (MRUs)...
Note: this dataset is avalilable at http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/hvnzwfvsm7.1
This dataset presents the macrobenthic species abundance and biomass in soft bottom areas located at southeastern Bay of Biscay. Data on organic matter content and grain-size distribution in surficial seafloor sediments is also provided. Samples were obtained with Shipek a...
The concept of coastal and marine ecosystem services (CMES) is getting increased momentum in the support of ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) across world’s oceans (Ivarsson et al., 2017; Martin et al., 2016; Galparsoro et al., 2014). While many countries have established or are in progress to develop their national maritime plans, a gr...
A Decision Support Tool (DST) for the identification of the most feasible areas for wave energy projects in the context of maritime spatial planning (MSP), has been developed and implemented.
The DST is based on a conceptual model which considers the main environmental, technical, and socio-economic factors that could influence the suitability for...
Diversification and intensification of maritime activities can create competition for marine space and can derive stress and environmental pressures. Therefore, all dynamics of marine environment should be considered in transboundary planning in line with an ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning (EB-MSP). Mobility of human activities across bor...
Submerged sequences of marine terraces potentially provide crucial information of past sea-level positions. However, the distribution and characteristics of drowned marine terrace sequences are poorly known at a global scale. Using bathymetric data and novel mapping and modeling techniques, we studied a submerged sequence of marine terraces in the...
Marine aquaculture is the most promising industry for ensuring future provision of seafood. Yet, the worldwide growth and expansion of this industry have been slower than expected, calling for the identification of environmentally suitable sites while accounting for all factors that could constrain or benefit its establishment. Here, we determine t...
Aiming the protection and conservation of the marine environment, the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Directive 2008/56/EC) requires the implementation of all measures necessary to achieve the good environmental status by 2020. For that, 11 descriptors are identified: (i) biodiversity, (ii) non-native species, (iii) commercial species...
The seafloor morphology of southeastern Bay of Biscay (Basque coast) consists of a narrow continental shelf and the Capbreton Canyon running almost parallel to the coastline and reaching up to 3060 m in depth. The south flank of the canyon is steep, and it is incised by northward trending canyons and gullies. Pockmark fields are observed in the int...
This comparison highlights that Automatic Identification System (AIS)-based methods to
estimate fishing effort such as the Global Fishing Watch (GFW) methodology can provide the general pattern of relative distribution of fishing effort intensity. These results were obtained in an area where coverage is quite good in general and with good vessels r...
The present deliverable describes the information that could be of relevance for the assessment of suitable areas for the establishment of wave energy convertors facilities in Portugal and Spain. The aim of the identification of such information is to contribute as background information to the identification of the most suitable areas for the deve...
Economic activities are reliant on natural capital (NC), which are responsible for the provision of ‘Ecosystem Services’ (ES). Understanding the dependency of activities to specific NC provides insight into the capacity of an ecosystem to maintain and develop such activities. To determine NC dependencies, we link NC to maritime activities via ES, u...
Economic activities are dependent upon natural capital (NC), which are responsible for 'Ecosystem Services' (ES). Understanding dependencies on NC provides insight into the ecosystem's capacity to maintain and develop activities into the future. To determine 'NC dependencies', we present a framework linking maritime activities (bottom trawling, art...
Effective marine spatial planning (MSP) requires evidence-based decision-making processes in order to achieve sustainable use of marine resources and ecosystem services. In accordance with this purpose, decision support tools (DSTs) were used as the primary assistant of planners and managers. As a further step of existing review efforts on DSTs, th...
The present deliverable analyses the list of national Spanish and Portuguese key stakeholders contacts that has been identified and classified. The stakeholders’ database includes project developers and promoters (license applicants and specialist consultants), policy makers and regulators, consenting and surveying service providers (including tech...
Demand for renewable energy is increasing steadily and regulated by national and international policies. Offshore wind energy sector has been clearly the fastest in its development among other options, and development of new wind farms requires large ocean space. Therefore, there is a need of efficient spatial planning process, including the site s...
The production of marine habitat maps typically relies on the use of habitat classification schemes (HCSs). The choice of which HCS to use for a mapping study is often related to familiarity, established practice, and national desires. Despite a superficial similarity, HCSs differ greatly across six key properties, namely, purpose, environmental an...
Appendix D.1: Economic (Impact) Analysis input for a planned aquaculture with European seabass in Germany. Details specified as followed: 1 Investment on equipment (per cage/trestle/longline); 2 Other investments (excl. Equipment, land facilities and properties); 3 Investment on land facilities; 4 Investment on properties; 5 Market value culture sp...
The visualisation of the AquaSpace tool outputs is ensured on the basis of a pdf-formatted report, generated for each tool run, provided with charts (Appendix E.2) and a map (Fig. 4). Shown is an extract of the AquaSpace Assessment Report, exemplifying the first blue mussel scenario (Fig. 4, scenario 16).
AquaSpace tool indicators reflecting the economic, environmental, inter-sectorial and socio-cultural risk and opportunities for proposed aquaculture systems.
AquaSpace tool metadata overview (following the structure of the AquaSpace tool report; Appendix E.1). The source of the information indicated with “AquaSpace tool function” are further explained in Appendix A.
:The visualisation of the AquaSpace tool outputs is ensured on the basis of a pdf-formatted report, generated for each tool run (Appendix E.1), provided with charts and a map (Fig. 4). Shown is a comparative summary chart of assessed environmental indicators for aquaculture with blue mussel (Fig. 4, compared are scenarios 16, 19, 24, 25 and 26).
The competition for marine space is a recognized challenge, and the implementation of new activities, such as those emerging from Blue Growth initiatives, may amplify this competition. The marine spatial planning (MSP) framework requires decision makers to analyse spatially explicit environmental and socio-economic data to determine where user conf...
This report is Aquaspace Deliverable 5.1, a synthesis of the key project results and outcomes from four project work packages:
1. The identification of industry-wide issues and options presented as the key points constraining or strengthening the growth of aquaculture in Europe (WP2).
2. Mapping a wide variety of tools and methods against the const...
Presentation held at the final event of the UE H2020 BlueBRIDGE project.
Presentation name : Fostering global data management with public tuna fisheries data
The increasing demand for protein from aquaculture will trigger a global expansion of the sector in coastal and offshore waters. While contributing to food security, potential conflicts with other traditional activities such as fisheries or tourism are inevitable, thus calling for decision-support tools to assess aquaculture planning scenarios in a...
With the global population estimated to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, food security and nutrition are critical issues. Seafood is especially important, where it makes up a larger portion of the diet than elsewhere. Half of the seafood eaten on the planet comes from aquaculture and that share continues to grow. As it does, care must be taken to ensure...
Actualmente existe un gran interés por el estudio de zonas costeras sumergidas con objeto de localizar áreas de ocupación humana durante el Paleolítico. La región Cantábrica muestra una importante red de asentamientos en el interior del territorio, lo que permite deducir que la densidad de ocupación paleolítica y mesolítica cerca de la costa fue pr...
This report is part of the Deliverable 4.2 of AquaSpace Project (Ecosystem approach to making space for aquaculture (EU Horizon 2020 project grant no 633476), corresponding to the outcomes from local stakeholders vision and the implementation and testing of tools supporting ecosystem-based spatial management to aquaculture.
Elaborado por AZTI para Eusko Jaurlaritza - Gobierno Vasco. 126 pp.
Questions
Questions (2)
Dear colleague,
We are inviting you to participate in a questionnaire for the identification of research priorities for the deep-sea ecology of the Bay of Biscay with the final aim of the definition of a research roadmap, based upon the scientific community and managers, in support of sustainable management.
We are aware of the number of invitations of this kind, but we would be very grateful if you could invest 15-20 minutes of your time to fill in this questionnaire. The outcomes of this consultation depend on the number and representativity of the respondents.
Access to the questionnaire here:
The results will be analysed and enforced with a workshop that will be held on the 9-10th of May 2023 in our AZTI premises in Pasaia (Spain), for which you are invited to participate in person or online. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for a limited number of those attending in person.
Those contributing actively to the process will be also invited to co-author "a forward-looking research scope" scientific manuscript.
Hopefully, the roadmap will end up in collaboration and funding mechanisms.
Deadline for submitting your responses: 16th of April.
Thank you in advance!
Note: we would be very grateful if you forward this invitation to other colleagues you consider interested in participating.
This initiative is framed within the EPROCAN project supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
As a further step in our research, now we would like to get new perspectives on this topic from users and stakeholders involved in Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) processes. We will appreciate very much if you fill in the questionnaire which will take you 10 minutes. You can reach to the survey here http://dst.azti.es Or alternatively, going directly to the survey https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/dst_quest. Please, do not hesitate to contact us by mailing to dst@azti.es, if you have any feedback, comments or questions. Thank you for your contribution! Best regards
