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In 2050 moeten grote zeewierplantages op zee voorzien in onze behoefte aan voedsel en grondstoffen. In de Oosterschelde doen Wageningse onderzoekers nu experimenten met duurzame zeewierteelt.

Anno 2012 bestaan ze in de verbeelding, op papier en als experiment: Multifunctionele platforms op zee of Multi Use Platforms on Sea (MUPS), waarop maritieme activiteiten met elkaar zijn geclusterd. De kern van het concept is om op een locatie op zee meerdere economische activiteiten te combineren en wel zo dat het ecosysteem en de mens er optimaal van kunnen profiteren zonder elkaar wederzijds te belemmeren.

Dit rapport geeft een samenvatting van de ‘state of the art’ kennis met betrekking tot de impact van bodemberoerende vistuigen en bespreekt de te verwachte effecten van de flyshoot methode in vergelijking met de andere vismethoden.

In 2050 moeten grote zeewierplantages op zee voorzien in onze behoefte aan voedsel en grondstoffen. In de Oosterschelde doen Wageningse onderzoekers nu experimenten met duurzame zeewierteelt.

Dit rapport geeft een samenvatting van de ‘state of the art’ kennis met betrekking tot de impact van bodemberoerende vistuigen en bespreekt de te verwachte effecten van de flyshoot methode in vergelijking met de andere vismethoden.

In 2050 moeten grote zeewierplantages op zee voorzien in onze behoefte aan voedsel en grondstoffen. In de Oosterschelde doen Wageningse onderzoekers nu experimenten met duurzame zeewierteelt.

Dit document is een samenvatting, met daarbij de beleidsrelevantie, van de wetenschappelijke publicatie ‘When does fishing lead to more fish? Community consequences of bottom trawl fisheries in demersal food webs ’ geschreven door Daniel van Denderen, Tobias van Kooten en Adriaan Rijnsdorp, gepubliceerd in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, vol. 280, no. 20131883 op 4 september 2013. Het doel van deze Nederlandstalige samenvatting is het ontsluiten van de conclusies uit deze publicatie voor een breder publiek, en het schetsen van de consequenties daarvan voor het Nederlandse visserij- en natuurbeheer.

Dit document is een samenvatting, met daarbij de beleidsrelevantie, van de wetenschappelijke publicatie ‘When does fishing lead to more fish? Community consequences of bottom trawl fisheries in demersal food webs ’ geschreven door Daniel van Denderen, Tobias van Kooten en Adriaan Rijnsdorp, gepubliceerd in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, vol. 280, no. 20131883 op 4 september 2013. Het doel van deze Nederlandstalige samenvatting is het ontsluiten van de conclusies uit deze publicatie voor een breder publiek, en het schetsen van de consequenties daarvan voor het Nederlandse visserij- en natuurbeheer.

In december 2011 is door vertegenwoordigers van de visserijsector, de natuurorganisaties en het ministerie (momenteel: Economische Zaken) het ‘VIBEG-akkoord’ gesloten. In dit akkoord wordt een ruimtelijke zonering van visserij-activiteit gegeven en is een tijdschema aangegeven voor wanneer welke maatregelen in werking treden. Voor het evalueren van de effecten van de maatregelen is monitoring nodig. Dit monitoringplan beschrijft de nulmeting voor de benodigde monitoring. Het vormt een onderdeel van de T0 bemonstering van het benthische ecosysteem in de Noordzeekustzone en Vlakte van de Raan in het kader van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn. Het doel van specifiek dit onderdeel is het opstellen van een plan voor het verzamelen van een dataset waarmee later (in T1 en T2) de effecten van de ruimtelijke zonering van visserij in de Noordzeekustzone op het benthische ecosysteem in beeld kunnen worden gebracht.

In de Nederlandse kustwateren vindt mosselbroedvisserij en mosselkweek plaats. Deze wateren herbergen echter belangrijke natuurwaarden en de meeste wateren zijn derhalve aangewezen als natuurgebied, wat Nederland verplicht om er voor te zorgen dat de natuurwaarden in deze gebieden in stand blijven. Verbetering van de kwaliteit van de natuurwaarden is vooral mogelijk ten aanzien van bodemfauna en de vorming van biogene structuren met mossels (en de daaraan geassocieerde biodiversiteit). Het is in de Waddenzee echter niet goed bekend hoe gesloten (i.e. onbeviste) sublitorale mosselbroedbanken zich ontwikkelen in de tijd en welke specifieke natuurwaarden ze herbergen. Om hier inzicht in te verkrijgen is een monitorprogramma opgesteld waarin gesloten sublitorale mosselbanken gevolgd werden. In dit eindrapport worden de resultaten van dit programma beschreven.

In de Nederlandse Mariene Strategie zijn het Friese Front en de Centrale Oestergronden genoemd als zoekgebieden voor beschermingsmaatregelen voor de zeebodem en de fauna die daar leeft. In het proces omtrent het vaststellen van de maatregelen is in de laatste jaren veel onderzoek gedaan, en kennis ontwikkeld. Deze rapportage biedt toegankelijke samenvattingen van wetenschappelijke kennis die in de afgelopen jaren is opgedaan en eerder is beschreven in omvangrijke rapportages. Het Friese Front ligt zo’n 50 kilometer ten noordwesten van de Waddeneilanden Vlieland en Terschelling.

In de Nederlandse kustwateren vindt mosselbroedvisserij en mosselkweek plaats. Deze wateren herbergen echter belangrijke natuurwaarden en de meeste wateren zijn derhalve aangewezen als natuurgebied, wat Nederland verplicht om er voor te zorgen dat de natuurwaarden in deze gebieden in stand blijven. Verbetering van de kwaliteit van de natuurwaarden is vooral mogelijk ten aanzien van bodemfauna en de vorming van biogene structuren met mossels (en de daaraan geassocieerde biodiversiteit). Het is in de Waddenzee echter niet goed bekend hoe gesloten (i.e. onbeviste) sublitorale mosselbroedbanken zich ontwikkelen in de tijd en welke specifieke natuurwaarden ze herbergen. Om hier inzicht in te verkrijgen is een monitorprogramma opgesteld waarin gesloten sublitorale mosselbanken gevolgd werden. In dit eindrapport worden de resultaten van dit programma beschreven.

This manual is intended to assist operators on the Dutch Continental Shelf in the application of the Dutch implementation of the risk-based approach (RBA). In essence all oil and gas platforms on the Dutch Continental Shelf (DCS) have to go through the risk management cycle at least once, where the pre-screening determines in which order the platforms enter the cycle. The risk management cycle follows all steps required for the RBA, which are all individually addressed in the following chapters: chapter 3 (sampling); chapter 4 (whole effluent toxicity risk assessment, including ecotoxicological testing of the effluent and risk characterisation); chapter 5 (substance-based risk assessment, including chemical analysis and risk characterisation); chapter 6 (measures) and chapter 7 (reporting).

In the Netherlands, the greatest numbers of grey and harbour seals are observed hauling out in the Wadden Sea but both species also haul out in the Delta region. Previous studies suggest there could be considerable movement of seals along the Dutch North Sea coastal zone between the two regions. Next to providing feeding opportunities for the seals, this movement may be particularly important for the maintenance of seal numbers in the Delta, and could be affected by anthropogenic developments in the coastal zone, such as wind farms. Determining when to attach devices to seals must take into account the seals’ annual cycles; in the Netherlands, grey seals give birth in winter and moult in spring, while harbour seals give birth in early summer and moult in late summer. Capturing and tracking of seals is limited by both the pupping period and the moulting period.

De ambitie is om van het Nederlands Continentaal Plat (NCP) 10-15% van de bodem te beschermen tegen bodemberoering. Een belangrijk uitgangspunt in de Mariene Strategie is dat de genoemde maatregel voor de visserijsector tot een minimumlast beperkt dient te worden. Daartoe wordt in deze studie het model Marxan toegepast. De geanalyseerde scenario’s resulteren in ruimtelijke uitwerkingen waarbij de te sluiten zone en een schets van de visserijkosten worden gepresenteerd, en ook welke ecologische winst worden behaald.

In de Nederlandse Mariene Strategie zijn het Friese Front en de Centrale Oestergronden genoemd als zoekgebieden voor beschermingsmaatregelen voor de zeebodem en de fauna die daar leeft. In het proces omtrent het vaststellen van de maatregelen is in de laatste jaren veel onderzoek gedaan, en kennis ontwikkeld. Deze rapportage biedt toegankelijke samenvattingen van wetenschappelijke kennis die in de afgelopen jaren is opgedaan en eerder is beschreven in omvangrijke rapportages. Het Friese Front ligt zo’n 50 kilometer ten noordwesten van de Waddeneilanden Vlieland en Terschelling.

In the Netherlands, the greatest numbers of grey and harbour seals are observed hauling out in the Wadden Sea but both species also haul out in the Delta region. Previous studies suggest there could be considerable movement of seals along the Dutch North Sea coastal zone between the two regions. Next to providing feeding opportunities for the seals, this movement may be particularly important for the maintenance of seal numbers in the Delta, and could be affected by anthropogenic developments in the coastal zone, such as wind farms. Determining when to attach devices to seals must take into account the seals’ annual cycles; in the Netherlands, grey seals give birth in winter and moult in spring, while harbour seals give birth in early summer and moult in late summer. Capturing and tracking of seals is limited by both the pupping period and the moulting period.

This manual is intended to assist operators on the Dutch Continental Shelf in the application of the Dutch implementation of the risk-based approach (RBA). In essence all oil and gas platforms on the Dutch Continental Shelf (DCS) have to go through the risk management cycle at least once, where the pre-screening determines in which order the platforms enter the cycle. The risk management cycle follows all steps required for the RBA, which are all individually addressed in the following chapters: chapter 3 (sampling); chapter 4 (whole effluent toxicity risk assessment, including ecotoxicological testing of the effluent and risk characterisation); chapter 5 (substance-based risk assessment, including chemical analysis and risk characterisation); chapter 6 (measures) and chapter 7 (reporting).

Natura 2000 in de Noordzeekustzone: prioriteiten voor beheerplan; Reden voor bescherming: waardevolle habitattypen en soorten; belangrijkste opgaven voor de natuurbescherming. Habitattypen in de Noordzeekustzone. Beschermde vissen en zeezoogdieren in de Noordzeekustzone. Beschermde vogels in de Noordzeekustzone

In december 2011 is door vertegenwoordigers van de visserijsector, de natuurorganisaties en het ministerie (momenteel: Economische Zaken) het ‘VIBEG-akkoord’ gesloten. In dit akkoord wordt een ruimtelijke zonering van visserij-activiteit gegeven en is een tijdschema aangegeven voor wanneer welke maatregelen in werking treden. Voor het evalueren van de effecten van de maatregelen is monitoring nodig. Dit monitoringplan beschrijft de nulmeting voor de benodigde monitoring. Het vormt een onderdeel van de T0 bemonstering van het benthische ecosysteem in de Noordzeekustzone en Vlakte van de Raan in het kader van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn. Het doel van specifiek dit onderdeel is het opstellen van een plan voor het verzamelen van een dataset waarmee later (in T1 en T2) de effecten van de ruimtelijke zonering van visserij in de Noordzeekustzone op het benthische ecosysteem in beeld kunnen worden gebracht.

Doel van deze monitoring tweeledig: bepaling van de toestand van het habitattype binnen 1) het Natura 2000 gebied en 2) de open en gesloten gebieden binnen het N2000 gebied. Voor doel 1 wordt gebruik gemaakt van een combinatie van twee monstertechnieken: boxcorer en bodemschaaf (op de Klaverbank resp. bodemhapper en onderwatervideo). Voor deze afzonderlijke technieken hebben Wijnhoven et al. (2103) aantallen locaties voorgesteld. Voor de Bruine Bank, Centrale Oestergronden en het Friese Front zijn nieuwe monitoringslocaties vastgesteld met als doel de toestand van de gebieden te monitoren.

Doel van deze monitoring tweeledig: bepaling van de toestand van het habitattype binnen 1) het Natura 2000 gebied en 2) de open en gesloten gebieden binnen het N2000 gebied. Voor doel 1 wordt gebruik gemaakt van een combinatie van twee monstertechnieken: boxcorer en bodemschaaf (op de Klaverbank resp. bodemhapper en onderwatervideo). Voor deze afzonderlijke technieken hebben Wijnhoven et al. (2103) aantallen locaties voorgesteld. Voor de Bruine Bank, Centrale Oestergronden en het Friese Front zijn nieuwe monitoringslocaties vastgesteld met als doel de toestand van de gebieden te monitoren.

This report presents the results of the marine litter monitoring on the IBTS survey of 2014 and the BTS survey of 2013. Since 2013 marine litter is collected during the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS) and Dutch Beam Trawl Survey (BTS) following a protocol developed by ICES. The composition and the distribution of the sea floor marine litter from the catch is analysed and the results are compared with the results from the IBTS and BTS surveys of last year.

In het N2000 gebied Vlakte van de Raan is in 2013 een nulmeting uitgevoerd naar het voorkomen van bodemdieren, middels een bodemschaaf en zuigkor. In voorliggend datarapport wordt een overzicht gegeven van de aangetroffen soorten in de voorgestelde gesloten gebieden en daarbuiten.

De ambitie is om van het Nederlands Continentaal Plat (NCP) 10-15% van de bodem te beschermen tegen bodemberoering. Een belangrijk uitgangspunt in de Mariene Strategie is dat de genoemde maatregel voor de visserijsector tot een minimumlast beperkt dient te worden. Daartoe wordt in deze studie het model Marxan toegepast. De geanalyseerde scenario’s resulteren in ruimtelijke uitwerkingen waarbij de te sluiten zone en een schets van de visserijkosten worden gepresenteerd, en ook welke ecologische winst worden behaald.

Natura 2000 in de Noordzeekustzone: prioriteiten voor beheerplan; Reden voor bescherming: waardevolle habitattypen en soorten; belangrijkste opgaven voor de natuurbescherming. Habitattypen in de Noordzeekustzone. Beschermde vissen en zeezoogdieren in de Noordzeekustzone. Beschermde vogels in de Noordzeekustzone

Slijkerman et al. (2013) onderzocht eerder welke instrumenten ingezet kunnen worden om een oordeel te vellen over effecten van ruimtelijke beschermingsmaatregelen op de zeebodemintegriteit van het Friese Front. Een van de onderzochte instrumenten is het CUMULEO-RAM model. Deze studie is bedoeld om een beter inzicht te krijgen in de gevoeligheid van verschillende typen bodemorganismen voor effecten van menselijk handelen.

De implementatie van de Europese Kaderrichtlijn Mariene strategie (KRM) is in Nederland in volle gang. Onderdeel van de implementatie is het definieren van ruimtelijke beschermingsmaatregelen. Hierbij worden in de Mariene Strategie als randvoorwaarden meegegeven de ambitie om 10 tot 15 procent van het Nederlandse deel van de Noordzee (NCP) te vrijwaren van bodemberoering; en het tot een minimu beperken van de last voor de visserijsector.

Het Friese Front en de Centrale Oestergronden zijn in de Nederlandse Mariene Strategie genoemd als zoekgebieden voor beschermingsmaatregelen voor de bodemfauna. Om de ecologische waarde van deze gebieden en de indicatorsoorten die zijn aangewezen voor het monitoringprogramma voor een breed publiek inzichtelijk te maken, worden de belangrijkste kenmerken en waarden van deze gebieden en soorten in deze rapportage kort en bondig beschreven. Het gaat hierbij om de soorten: Callianassa subterranea, Upogebia stellata, Upogebia deltaura, Brissopsis lyrifera, Corbula gibba, Acanthocardia echinata, Turritella communis, Amphiura filiformis, Thracia convexa, Goneplax rhomboides, Corystes cassivelaunus, Nephtys incisa.

Buiten de 12-mijlszone van de Nederlandse Noordzeekust vindt momenteel geen monitoring plaats van stoffen in biota, zoals vis en schelpdieren, ten behoeve van descriptor 8 (Concentraties van vervuilende stoffen) van de Kaderrichtlijn Mariene Strategie (KRM). In opdracht van het Ministerie van Economische Zaken heeft IMARES een desk-study uitgevoerd waarbij de stoffen, die in het kader van de KRM moeten worden gemeten, in kaart worden gebracht. Gebruik makend van de in dit rapport verstrekte informatie kunnen keuzes worden gemaakt voor een meetstrategie, waarbij de monitoring voor de milieutoestand kan worden gecombineerd met de analyses voor humane voedselkwaliteit, ten behoeve van descriptor 9 (Concentraties van vervuilende stoffen in visproducten voor menselijke consumptie) van de KRM

Binnen de 12-mijlszone komen diverse biota in relatief hoge dichtheden voor. Toch is er diversiteit binnen deze zone, met de hoogste natuurwaarden op relatief geringe afstand tot de kust (

Bij calamiteiten op zee kan vrijkomende olie leiden tot ernstige ecologische effecten. De Landelijke Coördinatiecommissie Milieu (LCM) maakt bij de 24/7 advisering voor Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta gebruik van ecologische kwetsbaarheidskaarten bij het besluit om detergenten bij een olieverontreiniging in te zetten. De kaarten maken gebruik van verspreidingsgegevens van zeevogels en aanwezigheid van vissen (viseieren en -larven, en paaigebieden) en zijn bedoeld om direct, in het eerste uur na een olieverontreiniging, informatie te geven over wat te verwachten valt aan ecologische kwetsbaarheid op de locatie van het incident. Onderhavig rapport beschrijft de update van deze kaarten voor drijvende olie en het ontwikkelen van vergelijkbare kaarten voor gedispergeerde olie. Oil spills at sea can cause serious ecological effects. The National Coordination Committee on the Environment (LCM) uses ecological vulnerability maps in its 24/7 advice for Rijkswaterstaat Sea and Delta. These maps are used in the decision whether or not to deploy detergents. The maps use monitoring data of seabirds and fish (abundance of fish eggs and larvae and presence of spawning grounds) and are intended to provide information on the ecological vulnerability at the location of the incident. The present report describes the update of these maps for oil slicks, and the development of similar maps for dispersed oil.

In een studie naar gebieden met bijzondere ecologische waarden zijn in 2005 een aantal gebieden in de Noordzee geïdentificeerd die aan criteria van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn of aan ecologische criteria voldeden. Meer dan twintig jaar geleden stelde de auteur voor om de zee ruimtelijk beter te verdelen. Is het niet zinvol om op een beperkt aantal plaatsen aan natuurbescherming te doen. In Australië lukte dat in elk geval.

Bij calamiteiten op zee kan vrijkomende olie leiden tot ernstige ecologische effecten. De Landelijke Coördinatiecommissie Milieu (LCM) maakt bij de 24/7 advisering voor Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta gebruik van ecologische kwetsbaarheidskaarten bij het besluit om detergenten bij een olieverontreiniging in te zetten. De kaarten maken gebruik van verspreidingsgegevens van zeevogels en aanwezigheid van vissen (viseieren en -larven, en paaigebieden) en zijn bedoeld om direct, in het eerste uur na een olieverontreiniging, informatie te geven over wat te verwachten valt aan ecologische kwetsbaarheid op de locatie van het incident. Onderhavig rapport beschrijft de update van deze kaarten voor drijvende olie en het ontwikkelen van vergelijkbare kaarten voor gedispergeerde olie. Oil spills at sea can cause serious ecological effects. The National Coordination Committee on the Environment (LCM) uses ecological vulnerability maps in its 24/7 advice for Rijkswaterstaat Sea and Delta. These maps are used in the decision whether or not to deploy detergents. The maps use monitoring data of seabirds and fish (abundance of fish eggs and larvae and presence of spawning grounds) and are intended to provide information on the ecological vulnerability at the location of the incident. The present report describes the update of these maps for oil slicks, and the development of similar maps for dispersed oil.

Binnen de 12-mijlszone komen diverse biota in relatief hoge dichtheden voor. Toch is er diversiteit binnen deze zone, met de hoogste natuurwaarden op relatief geringe afstand tot de kust (

In een studie naar gebieden met bijzondere ecologische waarden zijn in 2005 een aantal gebieden in de Noordzee geïdentificeerd die aan criteria van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn of aan ecologische criteria voldeden. Meer dan twintig jaar geleden stelde de auteur voor om de zee ruimtelijk beter te verdelen. Is het niet zinvol om op een beperkt aantal plaatsen aan natuurbescherming te doen. In Australië lukte dat in elk geval.

De belangrijkste randvoorwaarde om de onderzoeksvraag (wat is het effect...) te kunnen onderzoeken door middel van sluiting van de voorgestelde 3 gebieden is dat de gebieden voldoende representatief zijn voor het gehele N2000 gebied ‘Vlakte van de Raan’. Deze representativiteit moet tot uiting komen in: 1. De mate waarin de gebieden bevist worden 2. De samenstelling van de benthosgemeenschap 3. De abiotische condities

Voor de bemonstering van benthos op het NCP is de bodemschaaf een adequaat monstertuig dat relatief snel bemonstert en de ruimtelijke variatie in het benthos goed integreert. Dit monstertuig heeft echter als nadeel dat er met een relatief grote maaswijdte van 5 mm wordt gewerkt, waardoor veel benthos-soorten en kleinere individuen gemist worden. Om ook dit kleinere benthos te kunnen bemonsteren is een zeefbakje ontwikkeld met een maaswijdte van 1 mm voor in de bodemschaaf. In het in dit rapport beschreven onderzoek is deze aanpassing op de bodemschaaf gevalideerd door middel van een vergelijking met de vangst-efficiëntie van de reguliere steekbuis op dezelfde monsterlocaties.

Zwerfvuil op zee veroorzaakt ernstige economische en ecologische schade. De economische gevolgen zijn het grootst voor kustgemeentes, toerisme, scheepvaart en visserij. Dieren komen om of lijden door verstrikking in, of het opeten van afval, waarbij microscopisch kleine stukjes mogelijk gevolgen hebben voor hele voedselketens tot het niveau van de menselijke consument. In het Noordzeegebied werd het probleem van zwerfvuil duidelijk erkend toen de aangrenzende landen in 2002 besloten om OSPAR de opdracht te geven zwerfafval op te nemen in het systeem van ‘Ecologische Kwaliteits Doelstellingen (EcoQOs). In die periode werd in Nederland al graadmeter onderzoek verricht om zwerfvuil op zee te monitoren aan de hand van de hoeveelheid plastic afval in magen van een zeevogel, de Noordse Stormvogel (Fulmarus glacialis). Stormvogels fourageren alleen op open zee, en eten allerlei soorten afval van het zeeoppervlak en spugen onverteerbare delen zoals plastic niet uit in de vorm van braakballen.

Oceans and seas seem to be an empty space and untouched wilderness, but are in fact heavily used and exploited by different economic activities which have, to greater or lesser extent, environmental impacts. Attention for marine environmental challenges has grown, and is nowadays captured by views on ecosystem-based management. This builds on the notion that the way forward in marine ecosystem protection is an integrated approach that is place- or area-based (so-called spatial turn) and should use the best available scientific information. This research focuses on this spatial turn in marine governance at the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. More specifically, the emphasis on the informational governance of spatial tensions between nature conservation and economic activities at the North Sea. Informational governance points to the growing centrality of informational processes in decision-making around environmental challenges. Information is seen as an indispensable resource to use in resolving such challenges and serves as steering tool in governing sustainability. Information provision through all kind of (online) media means is deliberately aimed at influencing decision-making and fostering change of behaviour. In the marine context, informational governance seems to be a new and promising mode of governance. Facilitated by information and communication technologies, information can connect spatially distant environmental issues to people’s daily lives. However, information is not seen as an unproblematic and neutral object, it is at the centre of struggles and debates in decision-making on resolving spatial and environmental challenges at sea. This study analyzes how public and private actors through informational governance (try to) resolve spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea, in order to better understand the centripetal force of information in marine governance. Three research questions are guiding the research: How can the centrality of information in the spatial turn in marine governance be conceptualized and analyzed? Which actors are involved in informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use at the North Sea, and how do they (inter-) act in informational processes? How does informational governance contribute to the solving of spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea? Chapter 2 gives an account of the research methodology that underpins the research. It explains that the study draws on a non-radical constructivist and critical realist perspective, and presents the research design used in the study: a qualitative case study approach. The selection of the cases has been based on two different rationales. Two cases were selected as they highlight the role of three main actor groups in informational governance at sea. Two other cases explore informational processes in governance arrangements with regard to a specific spatial conflict between marine ecosystem conservation and use(fisheries and offshore wind power development) . In the study, triangulated data gathering served to strengthen the validity and reliability of the research. The mix of methods employed included document review of research reports, policy documents and online information; semi-structured interviews; and participatory observation in several meetings and conferences. In data analysis, an iterative approach following the theoretical propositions of the research was used. In Chapter 3, the marine scaping framework is presented to analyse informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use. Marine scaping through information follows the morphogenetic approach and combines a focus on conditions structuring informational processes with an agency-based approach. The framework distinguishes three scapes that together form the structure-side: seascape, humanscape and mindscape. Seascape represents the connection between the biophysical specifics of the marine ecosystem and the material features of economic activities that are emplaced in this ecosystem. Humanscape points to human organization in social, political and economic terms. Mindscape brings in the ideational dimension, and refers to discourses, ideas, norms, values and perceptions. In the interplay of humanscape with seascape and mindscape, the connection with agency is made, pointing to the initiatives and interactions between actors who, by means of information, strive for sustainability at the North Sea. To assess whether conditions have changed over time, so- called elaboration is added to the framework. In marine governance, the explicit aim is to strive for a balance between ecosystem protection and use, hence to foster elaboration. Chapter 3 illustrates the application of the marine scaping framework by a case study about informational initiatives of eNGO officials who want to push the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at the North Sea forward, in order to achieve “ecological coherence” in marine conservation on the North Sea. It is indicated how and why officials from environmental non-gouvernmental organizations (eNGOs) carried out extensive science-based studies to inform policy-making. This information remains however footloose, because there was no institutional setting where the specific need for a MPA network was (high) on the agenda, and as such, eNGOs had no opportunity to tap their reports into existing informational processes. At the same time, this case study shows how eNGOs build up their so-called “informational capital”. The case study presented in Chapter 4 provides a historical understanding of informational interactions between science and policy in the Dutch MPA site selection. By establishing MPAs, nature conservation gains literally a place on the North Sea map. Following international regulations and treaties, North Sea countries are obliged to take the leading role in the designation process, and to use scientific criteria only, based on biological and ecological information. The chapter shows that information about vulnerable and pristine habitats and sea life that needs to be protected was merely lacking or contested. It becomes evident that ecological , socio-economic and political considerations cannot be easily separated. Scientists and policy-makers dealt with the entanglement of interests by sharing tasks in the informational processes, being both information providers and users. It is found that especially in cases of uncertainties and data gaps, judgment by scientists is best characterized as expert judgment and sometimes even gut feeling. However, it is also highlighted that it is necessary to keep science as impartial as possible, and to overtly communicate what and whose information is used. Chapter 5 analyses the role of information in incorporating the habitat impact of bottom touching gear in the certification scheme of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This represents a spatial conflict between one of the oldest maritime activities at the North Sea, (plaice) fisheries, and marine conservation. The global MSC labeling program is probably the most famous example of informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use, as it is almost 20 years old. It fits in neatly with the ideas of informational governance: scientific information to assess the environmental performance of a fishery clash with information derived from the fishery itself and stakeholders. And at the same time, information about the fisheries' performance (through the logo on a fish product) is brought to consumers who in turn can reward sustainable fisheries through their buying power. This case study indicates how eNGOs use informational capital in the informational struggles . This role became especially evident during the assessment of the first North Sea plaice fishery, when WWF started to negotiate information with fishermen beyond the formal MSC assessment procedure in order to creating so-called ‘no take-zones’. The eNGO made sure that informal interactions were not totally disconnected from the assessment process. According to this case study, the two fisheries who agreed on the spatial measure also tried to get most out of the additional spatial measure that became part of their certification. They took the spatial measure up in their message towards (potential) clients, stating their fisheries go even beyond the high sustainability standards of MSC. The case study in Chapter 6 concerns informational processes related to the ecological impacts of an economic newcomer at the North Sea, that is offshore wind energy. The chapter highlights how the sustainability promise of this renewable source appears to be ‘dark green’: offshore wind farms (OWFs) contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and to the protection of certain marine life (benthos, fish and some bird species). Remarkably, the ecological differentiation towards offshore wind power remains unexploited. Powerful actors related to this pro-wind discourse, such as the wind sector and large eNGOs, are hesitant to use the dark green message of offshore wind power. In onshore wind debates, their emphasis is on the dominant ‘pro-wind’ discourse about combating climate change which leaves no room for (nuanced) spatial and ecological concerns. It is however stated that including the ecological merits of OWFs in an (existing) informational governance design would not be very complicated, and allows actors to commonly strive for further differentiation in the European electricity market. The last chapter recapitulates the general findings of the research. The conclusions suggest that a broad array of actors is involved in informational processes that relate to marine governance and push for more sustainability at the North Sea. These actors can take up five distinctive roles in informational processes, that of information negotiator, information authority, information manager, information verifier and information mediator. This role division might be established in a formal way, although often there is room for actors to take up different roles, sometimes only temporally or informally. The conclusions also point to the theoretical contribution of this research to the theoretical development of informational governance, most notably the lessons learnt from its application to the marine context. The methodological reflections indicate the generalizability of the findings, which are in this research linked to the development of the marine scaping framework and the empirically informed distinction between the five roles of actors in informational governance. Finally, the concluding chapter highlights opportunities for future research, such as studies of informational governance related to other economic activities at the North Sea or in other parts of the world. Oceans and seas seem to be an empty space and untouched wilderness, but are in fact heavily used and exploited by different economic activities which have, to greater or lesser extent, environmental impacts. Attention for marine environmental challenges has grown, and is nowadays captured by views on ecosystem-based management. This builds on the notion that the way forward in marine ecosystem protection is an integrated approach that is place- or area-based (so-called spatial turn) and should use the best available scientific information. This research focuses on this spatial turn in marine governance at the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. More specifically, the emphasis on the informational governance of spatial tensions between nature conservation and economic activities at the North Sea. Informational governance points to the growing centrality of informational processes in decision-making around environmental challenges. Information is seen as an indispensable resource to use in resolving such challenges and serves as steering tool in governing sustainability. Information provision through all kind of (online) media means is deliberately aimed at influencing decision-making and fostering change of behaviour. In the marine context, informational governance seems to be a new and promising mode of governance. Facilitated by information and communication technologies, information can connect spatially distant environmental issues to people’s daily lives. However, information is not seen as an unproblematic and neutral object, it is at the centre of struggles and debates in decision-making on resolving spatial and environmental challenges at sea. This study analyzes how public and private actors through informational governance (try to) resolve spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea, in order to better understand the centripetal force of information in marine governance. Three research questions are guiding the research: How can the centrality of information in the spatial turn in marine governance be conceptualized and analyzed? Which actors are involved in informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use at the North Sea, and how do they (inter-) act in informational processes? How does informational governance contribute to the solving of spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea? Chapter 2 gives an account of the research methodology that underpins the research. It explains that the study draws on a non-radical constructivist and critical realist perspective, and presents the research design used in the study: a qualitative case study approach. The selection of the cases has been based on two different rationales. Two cases were selected as they highlight the role of three main actor groups in informational governance at sea. Two other cases explore informational processes in governance arrangements with regard to a specific spatial conflict between marine ecosystem conservation and use(fisheries and offshore wind power development) . In the study, triangulated data gathering served to strengthen the validity and reliability of the research. The mix of methods employed included document review of research reports, policy documents and online information; semi-structured interviews; and participatory observation in several meetings and conferences. In data analysis, an iterative approach following the theoretical propositions of the research was used. In Chapter 3, the marine scaping framework is presented to analyse informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use. Marine scaping through information follows the morphogenetic approach and combines a focus on conditions structuring informational processes with an agency-based approach. The framework distinguishes three scapes that together form the structure-side: seascape, humanscape and mindscape. Seascape represents the connection between the biophysical specifics of the marine ecosystem and the material features of economic activities that are emplaced in this ecosystem. Humanscape points to human organization in social, political and economic terms. Mindscape brings in the ideational dimension, and refers to discourses, ideas, norms, values and perceptions. In the interplay of humanscape with seascape and mindscape, the connection with agency is made, pointing to the initiatives and interactions between actors who, by means of information, strive for sustainability at the North Sea. To assess whether conditions have changed over time, so- called elaboration is added to the framework. In marine governance, the explicit aim is to strive for a balance between ecosystem protection and use, hence to foster elaboration. Chapter 3 illustrates the application of the marine scaping framework by a case study about informational initiatives of eNGO officials who want to push the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at the North Sea forward, in order to achieve “ecological coherence” in marine conservation on the North Sea. It is indicated how and why officials from environmental non-gouvernmental organizations (eNGOs) carried out extensive science-based studies to inform policy-making. This information remains however footloose, because there was no institutional setting where the specific need for a MPA network was (high) on the agenda, and as such, eNGOs had no opportunity to tap their reports into existing informational processes. At the same time, this case study shows how eNGOs build up their so-called “informational capital”. The case study presented in Chapter 4 provides a historical understanding of informational interactions between science and policy in the Dutch MPA site selection. By establishing MPAs, nature conservation gains literally a place on the North Sea map. Following international regulations and treaties, North Sea countries are obliged to take the leading role in the designation process, and to use scientific criteria only, based on biological and ecological information. The chapter shows that information about vulnerable and pristine habitats and sea life that needs to be protected was merely lacking or contested. It becomes evident that ecological , socio-economic and political considerations cannot be easily separated. Scientists and policy-makers dealt with the entanglement of interests by sharing tasks in the informational processes, being both information providers and users. It is found that especially in cases of uncertainties and data gaps, judgment by scientists is best characterized as expert judgment and sometimes even gut feeling. However, it is also highlighted that it is necessary to keep science as impartial as possible, and to overtly communicate what and whose information is used. Chapter 5 analyses the role of information in incorporating the habitat impact of bottom touching gear in the certification scheme of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This represents a spatial conflict between one of the oldest maritime activities at the North Sea, (plaice) fisheries, and marine conservation. The global MSC labeling program is probably the most famous example of informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use, as it is almost 20 years old. It fits in neatly with the ideas of informational governance: scientific information to assess the environmental performance of a fishery clash with information derived from the fishery itself and stakeholders. And at the same time, information about the fisheries' performance (through the logo on a fish product) is brought to consumers who in turn can reward sustainable fisheries through their buying power. This case study indicates how eNGOs use informational capital in the informational struggles . This role became especially evident during the assessment of the first North Sea plaice fishery, when WWF started to negotiate information with fishermen beyond the formal MSC assessment procedure in order to creating so-called ‘no take-zones’. The eNGO made sure that informal interactions were not totally disconnected from the assessment process. According to this case study, the two fisheries who agreed on the spatial measure also tried to get most out of the additional spatial measure that became part of their certification. They took the spatial measure up in their message towards (potential) clients, stating their fisheries go even beyond the high sustainability standards of MSC. The case study in Chapter 6 concerns informational processes related to the ecological impacts of an economic newcomer at the North Sea, that is offshore wind energy. The chapter highlights how the sustainability promise of this renewable source appears to be ‘dark green’: offshore wind farms (OWFs) contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and to the protection of certain marine life (benthos, fish and some bird species). Remarkably, the ecological differentiation towards offshore wind power remains unexploited. Powerful actors related to this pro-wind discourse, such as the wind sector and large eNGOs, are hesitant to use the dark green message of offshore wind power. In onshore wind debates, their emphasis is on the dominant ‘pro-wind’ discourse about combating climate change which leaves no room for (nuanced) spatial and ecological concerns. It is however stated that including the ecological merits of OWFs in an (existing) informational governance design would not be very complicated, and allows actors to commonly strive for further differentiation in the European electricity market. The last chapter recapitulates the general findings of the research. The conclusions suggest that a broad array of actors is involved in informational processes that relate to marine governance and push for more sustainability at the North Sea. These actors can take up five distinctive roles in informational processes, that of information negotiator, information authority, information manager, information verifier and information mediator. This role division might be established in a formal way, although often there is room for actors to take up different roles, sometimes only temporally or informally. The conclusions also point to the theoretical contribution of this research to the theoretical development of informational governance, most notably the lessons learnt from its application to the marine context. The methodological reflections indicate the generalizability of the findings, which are in this research linked to the development of the marine scaping framework and the empirically informed distinction between the five roles of actors in informational governance. Finally, the concluding chapter highlights opportunities for future research, such as studies of informational governance related to other economic activities at the North Sea or in other parts of the world.

Voor de bemonstering van benthos op het NCP is de bodemschaaf een adequaat monstertuig dat relatief snel bemonstert en de ruimtelijke variatie in het benthos goed integreert. Dit monstertuig heeft echter als nadeel dat er met een relatief grote maaswijdte van 5 mm wordt gewerkt, waardoor veel benthos-soorten en kleinere individuen gemist worden. Om ook dit kleinere benthos te kunnen bemonsteren is een zeefbakje ontwikkeld met een maaswijdte van 1 mm voor in de bodemschaaf. In het in dit rapport beschreven onderzoek is deze aanpassing op de bodemschaaf gevalideerd door middel van een vergelijking met de vangst-efficiëntie van de reguliere steekbuis op dezelfde monsterlocaties.

Jaarlijks spoelen in Nederland honderden bruinvissen dood aan op de kust. Onderzoek heeft laten zien dat “scherp trauma" (snij- en rijtwonden, amputaties) veelvuldig voorkomt. Vanaf 2005 hadden gemiddeld 14.4% van de gestrande bruinvissen scherp trauma, met uitschieters tot 20.5% in 2012 en 21.4% in 2010. Veel gevallen van scherp trauma worden gemeld van de kop van Goeree, in de eerste maanden van het jaar. Dieren worden hier vaak ernstig verminkt, maar in verse toestand gevonden. Dit doet vermoeden dat deze dieren vlak onder de kust gewond zijn geraakt. De eerste verminkte bruinvissen werden rond Ouddorp opgemerkt in 2006 (Leopold & Camphuysen 2006) en zijn sindsdien jaarlijks gevonden, al waren er in 2011 opvallend weinig in vergelijking met andere jaren. De aantallen lagen in 2012 en 2013 fors hoger dan in eerdere jaren.

De belangrijkste randvoorwaarde om de onderzoeksvraag (wat is het effect...) te kunnen onderzoeken door middel van sluiting van de voorgestelde 3 gebieden is dat de gebieden voldoende representatief zijn voor het gehele N2000 gebied ‘Vlakte van de Raan’. Deze representativiteit moet tot uiting komen in: 1. De mate waarin de gebieden bevist worden 2. De samenstelling van de benthosgemeenschap 3. De abiotische condities

Oceans and seas seem to be an empty space and untouched wilderness, but are in fact heavily used and exploited by different economic activities which have, to greater or lesser extent, environmental impacts. Attention for marine environmental challenges has grown, and is nowadays captured by views on ecosystem-based management. This builds on the notion that the way forward in marine ecosystem protection is an integrated approach that is place- or area-based (so-called spatial turn) and should use the best available scientific information. This research focuses on this spatial turn in marine governance at the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. More specifically, the emphasis on the informational governance of spatial tensions between nature conservation and economic activities at the North Sea. Informational governance points to the growing centrality of informational processes in decision-making around environmental challenges. Information is seen as an indispensable resource to use in resolving such challenges and serves as steering tool in governing sustainability. Information provision through all kind of (online) media means is deliberately aimed at influencing decision-making and fostering change of behaviour. In the marine context, informational governance seems to be a new and promising mode of governance. Facilitated by information and communication technologies, information can connect spatially distant environmental issues to people’s daily lives. However, information is not seen as an unproblematic and neutral object, it is at the centre of struggles and debates in decision-making on resolving spatial and environmental challenges at sea. This study analyzes how public and private actors through informational governance (try to) resolve spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea, in order to better understand the centripetal force of information in marine governance. Three research questions are guiding the research: How can the centrality of information in the spatial turn in marine governance be conceptualized and analyzed? Which actors are involved in informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use at the North Sea, and how do they (inter-) act in informational processes? How does informational governance contribute to the solving of spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea? Chapter 2 gives an account of the research methodology that underpins the research. It explains that the study draws on a non-radical constructivist and critical realist perspective, and presents the research design used in the study: a qualitative case study approach. The selection of the cases has been based on two different rationales. Two cases were selected as they highlight the role of three main actor groups in informational governance at sea. Two other cases explore informational processes in governance arrangements with regard to a specific spatial conflict between marine ecosystem conservation and use(fisheries and offshore wind power development) . In the study, triangulated data gathering served to strengthen the validity and reliability of the research. The mix of methods employed included document review of research reports, policy documents and online information; semi-structured interviews; and participatory observation in several meetings and conferences. In data analysis, an iterative approach following the theoretical propositions of the research was used. In Chapter 3, the marine scaping framework is presented to analyse informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use. Marine scaping through information follows the morphogenetic approach and combines a focus on conditions structuring informational processes with an agency-based approach. The framework distinguishes three scapes that together form the structure-side: seascape, humanscape and mindscape. Seascape represents the connection between the biophysical specifics of the marine ecosystem and the material features of economic activities that are emplaced in this ecosystem. Humanscape points to human organization in social, political and economic terms. Mindscape brings in the ideational dimension, and refers to discourses, ideas, norms, values and perceptions. In the interplay of humanscape with seascape and mindscape, the connection with agency is made, pointing to the initiatives and interactions between actors who, by means of information, strive for sustainability at the North Sea. To assess whether conditions have changed over time, so- called elaboration is added to the framework. In marine governance, the explicit aim is to strive for a balance between ecosystem protection and use, hence to foster elaboration. Chapter 3 illustrates the application of the marine scaping framework by a case study about informational initiatives of eNGO officials who want to push the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at the North Sea forward, in order to achieve “ecological coherence” in marine conservation on the North Sea. It is indicated how and why officials from environmental non-gouvernmental organizations (eNGOs) carried out extensive science-based studies to inform policy-making. This information remains however footloose, because there was no institutional setting where the specific need for a MPA network was (high) on the agenda, and as such, eNGOs had no opportunity to tap their reports into existing informational processes. At the same time, this case study shows how eNGOs build up their so-called “informational capital”. The case study presented in Chapter 4 provides a historical understanding of informational interactions between science and policy in the Dutch MPA site selection. By establishing MPAs, nature conservation gains literally a place on the North Sea map. Following international regulations and treaties, North Sea countries are obliged to take the leading role in the designation process, and to use scientific criteria only, based on biological and ecological information. The chapter shows that information about vulnerable and pristine habitats and sea life that needs to be protected was merely lacking or contested. It becomes evident that ecological , socio-economic and political considerations cannot be easily separated. Scientists and policy-makers dealt with the entanglement of interests by sharing tasks in the informational processes, being both information providers and users. It is found that especially in cases of uncertainties and data gaps, judgment by scientists is best characterized as expert judgment and sometimes even gut feeling. However, it is also highlighted that it is necessary to keep science as impartial as possible, and to overtly communicate what and whose information is used. Chapter 5 analyses the role of information in incorporating the habitat impact of bottom touching gear in the certification scheme of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This represents a spatial conflict between one of the oldest maritime activities at the North Sea, (plaice) fisheries, and marine conservation. The global MSC labeling program is probably the most famous example of informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use, as it is almost 20 years old. It fits in neatly with the ideas of informational governance: scientific information to assess the environmental performance of a fishery clash with information derived from the fishery itself and stakeholders. And at the same time, information about the fisheries' performance (through the logo on a fish product) is brought to consumers who in turn can reward sustainable fisheries through their buying power. This case study indicates how eNGOs use informational capital in the informational struggles . This role became especially evident during the assessment of the first North Sea plaice fishery, when WWF started to negotiate information with fishermen beyond the formal MSC assessment procedure in order to creating so-called ‘no take-zones’. The eNGO made sure that informal interactions were not totally disconnected from the assessment process. According to this case study, the two fisheries who agreed on the spatial measure also tried to get most out of the additional spatial measure that became part of their certification. They took the spatial measure up in their message towards (potential) clients, stating their fisheries go even beyond the high sustainability standards of MSC. The case study in Chapter 6 concerns informational processes related to the ecological impacts of an economic newcomer at the North Sea, that is offshore wind energy. The chapter highlights how the sustainability promise of this renewable source appears to be ‘dark green’: offshore wind farms (OWFs) contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and to the protection of certain marine life (benthos, fish and some bird species). Remarkably, the ecological differentiation towards offshore wind power remains unexploited. Powerful actors related to this pro-wind discourse, such as the wind sector and large eNGOs, are hesitant to use the dark green message of offshore wind power. In onshore wind debates, their emphasis is on the dominant ‘pro-wind’ discourse about combating climate change which leaves no room for (nuanced) spatial and ecological concerns. It is however stated that including the ecological merits of OWFs in an (existing) informational governance design would not be very complicated, and allows actors to commonly strive for further differentiation in the European electricity market. The last chapter recapitulates the general findings of the research. The conclusions suggest that a broad array of actors is involved in informational processes that relate to marine governance and push for more sustainability at the North Sea. These actors can take up five distinctive roles in informational processes, that of information negotiator, information authority, information manager, information verifier and information mediator. This role division might be established in a formal way, although often there is room for actors to take up different roles, sometimes only temporally or informally. The conclusions also point to the theoretical contribution of this research to the theoretical development of informational governance, most notably the lessons learnt from its application to the marine context. The methodological reflections indicate the generalizability of the findings, which are in this research linked to the development of the marine scaping framework and the empirically informed distinction between the five roles of actors in informational governance. Finally, the concluding chapter highlights opportunities for future research, such as studies of informational governance related to other economic activities at the North Sea or in other parts of the world. Oceans and seas seem to be an empty space and untouched wilderness, but are in fact heavily used and exploited by different economic activities which have, to greater or lesser extent, environmental impacts. Attention for marine environmental challenges has grown, and is nowadays captured by views on ecosystem-based management. This builds on the notion that the way forward in marine ecosystem protection is an integrated approach that is place- or area-based (so-called spatial turn) and should use the best available scientific information. This research focuses on this spatial turn in marine governance at the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. More specifically, the emphasis on the informational governance of spatial tensions between nature conservation and economic activities at the North Sea. Informational governance points to the growing centrality of informational processes in decision-making around environmental challenges. Information is seen as an indispensable resource to use in resolving such challenges and serves as steering tool in governing sustainability. Information provision through all kind of (online) media means is deliberately aimed at influencing decision-making and fostering change of behaviour. In the marine context, informational governance seems to be a new and promising mode of governance. Facilitated by information and communication technologies, information can connect spatially distant environmental issues to people’s daily lives. However, information is not seen as an unproblematic and neutral object, it is at the centre of struggles and debates in decision-making on resolving spatial and environmental challenges at sea. This study analyzes how public and private actors through informational governance (try to) resolve spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea, in order to better understand the centripetal force of information in marine governance. Three research questions are guiding the research: How can the centrality of information in the spatial turn in marine governance be conceptualized and analyzed? Which actors are involved in informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use at the North Sea, and how do they (inter-) act in informational processes? How does informational governance contribute to the solving of spatial conflicts between economic activities and nature conservation at the North Sea? Chapter 2 gives an account of the research methodology that underpins the research. It explains that the study draws on a non-radical constructivist and critical realist perspective, and presents the research design used in the study: a qualitative case study approach. The selection of the cases has been based on two different rationales. Two cases were selected as they highlight the role of three main actor groups in informational governance at sea. Two other cases explore informational processes in governance arrangements with regard to a specific spatial conflict between marine ecosystem conservation and use(fisheries and offshore wind power development) . In the study, triangulated data gathering served to strengthen the validity and reliability of the research. The mix of methods employed included document review of research reports, policy documents and online information; semi-structured interviews; and participatory observation in several meetings and conferences. In data analysis, an iterative approach following the theoretical propositions of the research was used. In Chapter 3, the marine scaping framework is presented to analyse informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use. Marine scaping through information follows the morphogenetic approach and combines a focus on conditions structuring informational processes with an agency-based approach. The framework distinguishes three scapes that together form the structure-side: seascape, humanscape and mindscape. Seascape represents the connection between the biophysical specifics of the marine ecosystem and the material features of economic activities that are emplaced in this ecosystem. Humanscape points to human organization in social, political and economic terms. Mindscape brings in the ideational dimension, and refers to discourses, ideas, norms, values and perceptions. In the interplay of humanscape with seascape and mindscape, the connection with agency is made, pointing to the initiatives and interactions between actors who, by means of information, strive for sustainability at the North Sea. To assess whether conditions have changed over time, so- called elaboration is added to the framework. In marine governance, the explicit aim is to strive for a balance between ecosystem protection and use, hence to foster elaboration. Chapter 3 illustrates the application of the marine scaping framework by a case study about informational initiatives of eNGO officials who want to push the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at the North Sea forward, in order to achieve “ecological coherence” in marine conservation on the North Sea. It is indicated how and why officials from environmental non-gouvernmental organizations (eNGOs) carried out extensive science-based studies to inform policy-making. This information remains however footloose, because there was no institutional setting where the specific need for a MPA network was (high) on the agenda, and as such, eNGOs had no opportunity to tap their reports into existing informational processes. At the same time, this case study shows how eNGOs build up their so-called “informational capital”. The case study presented in Chapter 4 provides a historical understanding of informational interactions between science and policy in the Dutch MPA site selection. By establishing MPAs, nature conservation gains literally a place on the North Sea map. Following international regulations and treaties, North Sea countries are obliged to take the leading role in the designation process, and to use scientific criteria only, based on biological and ecological information. The chapter shows that information about vulnerable and pristine habitats and sea life that needs to be protected was merely lacking or contested. It becomes evident that ecological , socio-economic and political considerations cannot be easily separated. Scientists and policy-makers dealt with the entanglement of interests by sharing tasks in the informational processes, being both information providers and users. It is found that especially in cases of uncertainties and data gaps, judgment by scientists is best characterized as expert judgment and sometimes even gut feeling. However, it is also highlighted that it is necessary to keep science as impartial as possible, and to overtly communicate what and whose information is used. Chapter 5 analyses the role of information in incorporating the habitat impact of bottom touching gear in the certification scheme of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This represents a spatial conflict between one of the oldest maritime activities at the North Sea, (plaice) fisheries, and marine conservation. The global MSC labeling program is probably the most famous example of informational governance on marine ecosystem protection and use, as it is almost 20 years old. It fits in neatly with the ideas of informational governance: scientific information to assess the environmental performance of a fishery clash with information derived from the fishery itself and stakeholders. And at the same time, information about the fisheries' performance (through the logo on a fish product) is brought to consumers who in turn can reward sustainable fisheries through their buying power. This case study indicates how eNGOs use informational capital in the informational struggles . This role became especially evident during the assessment of the first North Sea plaice fishery, when WWF started to negotiate information with fishermen beyond the formal MSC assessment procedure in order to creating so-called ‘no take-zones’. The eNGO made sure that informal interactions were not totally disconnected from the assessment process. According to this case study, the two fisheries who agreed on the spatial measure also tried to get most out of the additional spatial measure that became part of their certification. They took the spatial measure up in their message towards (potential) clients, stating their fisheries go even beyond the high sustainability standards of MSC. The case study in Chapter 6 concerns informational processes related to the ecological impacts of an economic newcomer at the North Sea, that is offshore wind energy. The chapter highlights how the sustainability promise of this renewable source appears to be ‘dark green’: offshore wind farms (OWFs) contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and to the protection of certain marine life (benthos, fish and some bird species). Remarkably, the ecological differentiation towards offshore wind power remains unexploited. Powerful actors related to this pro-wind discourse, such as the wind sector and large eNGOs, are hesitant to use the dark green message of offshore wind power. In onshore wind debates, their emphasis is on the dominant ‘pro-wind’ discourse about combating climate change which leaves no room for (nuanced) spatial and ecological concerns. It is however stated that including the ecological merits of OWFs in an (existing) informational governance design would not be very complicated, and allows actors to commonly strive for further differentiation in the European electricity market. The last chapter recapitulates the general findings of the research. The conclusions suggest that a broad array of actors is involved in informational processes that relate to marine governance and push for more sustainability at the North Sea. These actors can take up five distinctive roles in informational processes, that of information negotiator, information authority, information manager, information verifier and information mediator. This role division might be established in a formal way, although often there is room for actors to take up different roles, sometimes only temporally or informally. The conclusions also point to the theoretical contribution of this research to the theoretical development of informational governance, most notably the lessons learnt from its application to the marine context. The methodological reflections indicate the generalizability of the findings, which are in this research linked to the development of the marine scaping framework and the empirically informed distinction between the five roles of actors in informational governance. Finally, the concluding chapter highlights opportunities for future research, such as studies of informational governance related to other economic activities at the North Sea or in other parts of the world.

Buiten de 12-mijlszone van de Nederlandse Noordzeekust vindt momenteel geen monitoring plaats van stoffen in biota, zoals vis en schelpdieren, ten behoeve van descriptor 8 (Concentraties van vervuilende stoffen) van de Kaderrichtlijn Mariene Strategie (KRM). In opdracht van het Ministerie van Economische Zaken heeft IMARES een desk-study uitgevoerd waarbij de stoffen, die in het kader van de KRM moeten worden gemeten, in kaart worden gebracht. Gebruik makend van de in dit rapport verstrekte informatie kunnen keuzes worden gemaakt voor een meetstrategie, waarbij de monitoring voor de milieutoestand kan worden gecombineerd met de analyses voor humane voedselkwaliteit, ten behoeve van descriptor 9 (Concentraties van vervuilende stoffen in visproducten voor menselijke consumptie) van de KRM

Zwerfvuil op zee veroorzaakt ernstige economische en ecologische schade. De economische gevolgen zijn het grootst voor kustgemeentes, toerisme, scheepvaart en visserij. Dieren komen om of lijden door verstrikking in, of het opeten van afval, waarbij microscopisch kleine stukjes mogelijk gevolgen hebben voor hele voedselketens tot het niveau van de menselijke consument. In het Noordzeegebied werd het probleem van zwerfvuil duidelijk erkend toen de aangrenzende landen in 2002 besloten om OSPAR de opdracht te geven zwerfafval op te nemen in het systeem van ‘Ecologische Kwaliteits Doelstellingen (EcoQOs). In die periode werd in Nederland al graadmeter onderzoek verricht om zwerfvuil op zee te monitoren aan de hand van de hoeveelheid plastic afval in magen van een zeevogel, de Noordse Stormvogel (Fulmarus glacialis). Stormvogels fourageren alleen op open zee, en eten allerlei soorten afval van het zeeoppervlak en spugen onverteerbare delen zoals plastic niet uit in de vorm van braakballen.

Jaarlijks spoelen in Nederland honderden bruinvissen dood aan op de kust. Onderzoek heeft laten zien dat “scherp trauma" (snij- en rijtwonden, amputaties) veelvuldig voorkomt. Vanaf 2005 hadden gemiddeld 14.4% van de gestrande bruinvissen scherp trauma, met uitschieters tot 20.5% in 2012 en 21.4% in 2010. Veel gevallen van scherp trauma worden gemeld van de kop van Goeree, in de eerste maanden van het jaar. Dieren worden hier vaak ernstig verminkt, maar in verse toestand gevonden. Dit doet vermoeden dat deze dieren vlak onder de kust gewond zijn geraakt. De eerste verminkte bruinvissen werden rond Ouddorp opgemerkt in 2006 (Leopold & Camphuysen 2006) en zijn sindsdien jaarlijks gevonden, al waren er in 2011 opvallend weinig in vergelijking met andere jaren. De aantallen lagen in 2012 en 2013 fors hoger dan in eerdere jaren.

IMARES heeft een monitoringsplan opgesteld voor de begintoestand bepaling (T0) van bodemdieren kenmerkend voor de habitattypen H1110 (subtypen A-C) en H1170 binnen de Natura 2000 gebieden Noordzeekustzone, Voordelta, Vlakte van de Raan, Doggersbank en Klaverbank op het Nederlandse deel van de Noordzee. Statistisch is berekend hoeveel stations er in de verschillende gebieden nodig zijn om met 95% zekerheid te kunnen concluderen of ‘typische’ soorten aan- of afwezig zijn.