WP6: Monitoring

The project is reviewing the monitoring systems that already exist across the Baltic Sea’s MPAs. This includes looking at what is measured, how often, and with what methods. 

A structured database is being developed to bring together national programmes, capturing information on MPAs, environmental variables, ecosystem elements, human pressures and activities, management measures, and socio-economic factors. 

You can see an outline of the potential structure for the database in the graphic below:

The ultimate goal is to move beyond a patchwork of national approaches and establish a comprehensive monitoring framework for the entire Baltic Sea MPA network. This will set out what needs to be measured, how it can be harmonized across countries, and how results should feed directly back into management decisions. 

The guidelines developed will ensure that monitoring is consistent, comparable, and practical—capable of informing both local site management and broader regional assessments. 

To reach this point, data from national monitoring programmes are being systematically collected and entered into a shared database. For countries not directly represented in the work package, interviews with designated contact persons will fill in the gaps. 

Over the next years, this growing body of information will be carefully analyzed, culminating in a comprehensive report on existing monitoring and available techniques, followed by the development of region-wide guidelines for harmonized monitoring.