Assessment of Bottom Trawl Impacts on the Status of Seabed Communities in European Seas

ABSTRACT Bottom trawling affects seabed habitats, but its large‐scale impacts remain poorly quantified. Assessment of trawling impacts is essential to support monitoring and achieving sustainability objectives under international conventions, sustainable development goals, and seafood certification programs. We present a Europe‐wide quantitative assessment of bottom trawling impacts, accounting for regional seabed‐community sensitivity drivers, across the Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea continental shelves. Using two risk‐based indicators of seabed status—Relative Benthic Status determined as benthic community biomass relative to seabed fauna carrying capacity (RBS tot ) and RBS sen (biomass of…

• VF
  Villum Fonden
• EC
  European Commission

  Awards: 101000318, H2020, 835589, CN_00000033, 101059823, LA/P/0094/2020, 101059877
• MO
  Ministry of Environment
• MD
  Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior

  Award: LA/P/0094/2020
• H2
  Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

  Awards: 835589, LA/P/0094/2020, 101000318, 101059823, 101059877
• CD
  Centro de Estudos Ambientais e Marinhos, Universidade de Aveiro

  Awards: UID/50017/2025, 50017, LA/P/0094/2020
• HE
  HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme

  Awards: CN_00000033, 101059877, 101000318
• EA
  Economic and Social Research Council
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Award: NE/V016725/1
• FP
  Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

  Awards: LA/P/0094/2020, H2020, /2017, UID/50017/2025, UID/50017
• ER
  European Regional Development Fund

  Awards: H2020, LA/P/0094/2020
• I
  Interreg

  Awards: C1-3.1-31, Italy‐Malta HARMONY 01/2017 (C1‐3.1‐31), SenHAR (C.2‐3.1)
• HE
  HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions

  Awards: 835589, H2020