In 2009, following approval of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD,
2008/56/EC), the European Commission (EC) created task groups to develop guidance for …

Microalgae are one of the most important components of estuarine ecosystems, providing
the fuel required to sustain higher trophic levels. Being at the base of aquatic food webs …

Biotic indices have become key assessment tools in most recent national and trans-national
policies aimed at improving the quality of coastal waters and the integrity of their associated …

Increasing direct human pressures on the marine environment, coupled with climate‐driven
changes, is a concern to marine ecosystems globally. This requires the development and …

The coastal environment of the Yucatan Peninsula (SE, Mexico) includes a wide variety of
ecosystems ranging from mangroves to coral reefs, resulting in a heterogeneous landscape …

During the last decade, there have been substantial scientific advances in the development
of indices that measure the condition of biological ecosystem elements in coastal and …

Several legislations worldwide require assessing the health status of marine ecosystems. In
Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive …

Plankton are sensitive indicators of change and, at the base of marine food webs, they
underpin important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and fisheries …

The European Water Framework and Marine Strategy Directives relate to the assessment of
ecological quality, within estuarine and coastal systems. This legislation requires quality to …

Structural changes of phytoplankton communities, often expressed through ecological
indices, constitute one of the metrics for the implementation of the European Water …