Report on the second workshop of the Network of Experts for ReDeveloping Models of the European Marine Environment

The second workshop of the ‘Network of Experts for ReDeveloping Models of the European Marine Environment’ was held on 22-23 March 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, jointly organized by DG Environment and DG JRC (Water and Marine Resources Unit) within the framework of the Administrative Arrangement (N110661/ENV.C.2/2016/733192) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MFSD). The aim of this workshop was to continue the information exchange between the Commission and marine modelling experts. Another important objective of this initiative is to narrow the gap between modellers and decision makers in order to better exploit the full utility of models. In this context, the workshop consisted of 17 presentations covering the wide use of marine ecosystem models to address several indicators of the MFSD in coastal zones and European regional seas, including assessment, indicator development and scenario building. The presentations dealt with (1) General lectures, (2) Eutrophication, (3) Hydrography, (4) Higher Trophic Levels and (5) Fish. The participants were invited to join the network informal ‘Network of experts on the Modelling of the European Marine Environment (MEME)’. DG Environment and DG JRC emphasized the added value of a joint effort to further develop modelling capabilities with the objective of providing useful advice for policy makers. This report summarizes the workshop and provides further detail on the presentations, discussion and conclusions.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource