Objectives

The objectives of EMBOS are:

• to install a permanent international pan-European large-scale network of marine biodiversity observatories with an optimized and standardized methodology,
• to assess long-term changes in marine biodiversity and their possible causes taking into account natural and anthropogenic gradients, and
• to optimize novel interdisciplinary approaches for research, and to facilitate knowledge-based environmental management.

The Action enables an integrated approach to document the status of marine biodiversity at European, regional and sub-regional scales, and shall provide:

• Assessment of the impact of biodiversity change on marine ecosystems and the services they provide
• An early warning system for biodiversity changes
• Quantification of long-term changes in marine biodiversity Understanding of natural and anthropogenic drivers responsible for changes.