Integrated ecosystem assessments of seven Baltic Sea areas covering the last three decades

Key elements in supporting the ecosystem approach to management (EAM) of marine resources are assessment, monitoring, and scientific research. These elements provide a sound basis for identifying ecological and associated operational objectives, selecting indicators, and identifying reference points (ICES, 2005a). Furthermore, “Evaluating the Ecosystem Status“ is one of the preconditions of the EAM and requires a description of the ecosystem, based on knowledge of ecosystem structure, function, and environmental quality (ICES, 2005a).