iProject
iOracle
iLibrary
iCommunity
iScan
iBank
iDelphi
iNews
Login
Register to iKnow
Lost Password
Register for DELPHI Survey
WI-WE Bank
What is the WI-WE bank?
What is the WI-WE bank for?
Who can benefit from WI-WE bank?
Who can contribute to WI-WE bank?
Wild Cards
What is a Wild Card?
Scan for Wild Cards
Most popular Wild Card tags
Weak Signals
What is a Weak Signal?
Scan for Weak Signals
Most popular Weak Signal tags
WI-WE Scan
What is the scope of the scanning?
Scan for WI-WEs (advanced)
Scan for WI-WEs (simple)
Most popular WI-WE tags
quick scan
scan for
wiwe
wi
we
advanced
iKnow Project
learn about the iKnow project
description
objectives
workplan
methodology
team
activities
contact us
go community
WI-WE Progress
Progress:
100.00%
WWI-WE Version:
6
0
mandatory questions pending
19
questions total
19
questions answered
19
questions completed
0
questions pending
WI-WE Quick Navigation
nomination
Weak Signal project
Weak Signal theme
Weak Signal sub-theme
Weak Signal references
short name
abstract
description
manifestation
implications
importance
analysis
filters
main drivers
risks & opportunities
stakeholders' actions
interconnection
Grand Challenges
thematic relevance
ERA relevance
relevant research-friendly strategies
RTD & STI policy relevance
finalization
Wild Cards & Weak Signals Bank
learn about the WI-WE Bank
What is the WI-WE bank?
What is the WI-WE bank for?
What is a Wild Card?
What is a Weak Signal?
What is the scope of the scanning?
Who can benefit from WI-WE bank?
Who can contribute to WI-WE bank?
full screen tag cloud
general tag cloud
Wild Cards tag cloud
Weak Signals tag cloud
Popular WI-WE Tags
All Tags
Wild Cards
Weak Signals
Newsletter
Analysis
Back
Mapping Weak Signals
Inspired by:
FP7
» Emergence of Mediterranean Sea acidification studies
version
:
6
/ updated:
2011-02-09
id: #1645 / version id: #1382
mode:
VIEW
Originally submitted by:
Rafael Popper
List of all contributors by versions (
mouse over
)
Last changed by:
Rafael Popper
WI-WE status:
submitted
unpublished
Source of inspiration
European Commission Framework Programme for RTD
(FP7)
Theme/activity of inspiration
Theme 6 - Environment (including Climate Change)
Sub-theme/area of inspiration
Pressures on environment and climate
Optional reference/s to FP7 project/s
Use the following format: Project Acronym (Project Reference No.). Use commas if more than one project is associated to this Wild Card, for example: ALFA-BIRD (213266), SAFAR (213374), LAPCAT-II (211485)
MEDSEA: MEDiterranean Sea Acidification in a changing climate (265103) Touratier, F. and Goyet, C. (2011), Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, Volume 58, Issue 1, pp.1-15.
Signal's headline
(max. 9 words)
Emergence of Mediterranean Sea acidification studies
Signal's description
(approx. 150 words)
Please describe the Weak Signal (approx. 150 words)
Increases of atmospheric CO2 and associated decreases in seawater pH and carbonate ion concentration this century and beyond are likely to have wide impacts on marine ecosystems including those of the Mediterranean Sea. Consequences of this process, ocean acidification, threaten the health of the Mediterranean, adding to other anthropogenic pressures, including those from climate change. Current interdisciplinary approaches involving biologists, earth scientists, and economists, through observations, experiments, and modelling, will provide science-based projections of acidification under the influence of climate change as well as associated economic impacts. These scientific advances should provide the best advice to policymakers who must develop regional strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
Keywords
Mediterranean sea, climate change, acidification, environmental impact, economy, marine biology, industrial regulation
Mini-description
(max. 250 characters)
Estimations of the Mediterranean Sea acidification show that, since the industrial era until the 2000s, all waters (even the deepest) have been acidified by values (ranging from −0.14 to −0.05 pH unit) higher than elsewhere in the open ocean.
Signal's first apperance
2005-now
Signal's potential evolution
It could lead to...
issue
type of issue/development
potential impact on society
timeframe for the issue to become at least 50% probable
#1
Acidification is not new itself, but so far the problems have not been on the scale of oceans and large seas.
new/emerging
very harmful
now-2015
#2
The environmental impact of industry & agriculture will need new methods with a focus on the international and trans-boundary scale.
re-emerging
beneficial
now-2025
#3
This shows the continuation of attempts towards integrated governance across mega-regions
continuation
beneficial
now-2025
#4
Threats to wildlife and fishing activities
continuation
very harmful
now-2015
#5
Improved environmental monitoring.
continuation
very beneficial
now-2015
#6
The acidification may bring a rapid end to the southern EU fishing industry.
discontinuation
very harmful
now-2025
Under what assumption the Weak Signal might evolve.
Business as usual: political uncertainty and instability with focus on economic growth.
Importance
please specify
please select
Level 1: important for a particular
country
Countries with Mediterranean coast
Level 2: important for a particular
world region
Mediterranean basin
Level 3: important for the
European Union
Filters preventing the signal's monitoring
information/communicational filters
(media/editorial interests, language, reasoning)
scientific
filters (knowledge/technology access)
political
filters (party or ideological interests)
Comments on selection:
there will be strong economic & political pressures to avoid public access to information, or for strong & transparent regulation of industry, agriculture & urban infrastructure
Key driving forces of this signal
Please use these boxes to provide up to 2 drivers of HIGH importance. Click on HELP to see examples:
Driver 1
Driver 2
Economic
economic development & industrialization
Environmental
advances in environmental monitoring, modelling & regulation
Major risks & opportunities associated to the signal
Please choose the most appropriate timeframe option(s) to which you would like to provide inputs.
Risks
Opportunities
before 2015
the southern EU fishing industry may suddenly collapse
between 2015-2025
new forms of cross-boundary governance
between 2025-2050
marine ecosystems may die off
Potential stakeholders' actions
short-term actions
(now-2015)
longer-term
(after 2015)
Policy actors (at the international, European and national levels)
develop new forms of cross-boundary governance & regulation
Business actors (incl. SMEs)
identify risk management & total asset valuation in the light of risk
Academic/Research sector
set up continuous monitoring & modelling framework
Signal's relevance for European Grand Challenges
where?
please justify:
particularly relevant
Europe
world
Coexistence and conflicts
Crime and terrorism
Diseases, health and well-being
Food security and diet
Sustainability and climate change
Water security/vulnerability
Signal's relevance for thematic research areas
please justify:
particularly relevant
Health
Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology
Environment (including Climate Change)
Social Sciences and Humanities
Regional development
Pan-European strategies influencing the signal
please justify:
particularly relevant
Facilitating and promoting knowledge sharing and transfer
Fostering and facilitating coherent international cooperation in science and technology
Research-friendly strategies
potentially improving understanding of the signal
For further information about 'research-friendly strategies'
click here
please justify:
particularly relevant
Overcoming sub-criticality and systemic failures
To be subcritical means that the effort in a particular field or subfield lacks resources, equipment or a sufficient number of researchers to achieve a desired goal
Creating a closer link between researchers & policy-makers
(e.g. supporting both thematic and cross-cutting policies, highlighting the strategic purpose of the European Research Area, etc.
Signal's relevance for future R&D and STI policies
Note: RTD = research and technology development; STI = science, technology and innovation
Environmental research is ongoing and could be enhanced, through techniques such as remote sensing, climate modelling, trade assessment, agricultural modelling, and economic development scenarios. However it is not enough to deliver the scientific results to ‘policy-makers’: the socio-political challenges are huge, particularly for a community with many problems, which is only partly in the EU. Real progress is likely to be through participatory foresight methods which reach beyond the pure science towards a more integrated approach to policy and society.
This site requires enabled JavaScript to work correctly. Please contact your administrator and ask him to enable JavaScript in your web browser, otherwise many features will be unavailable.