Press releases/news articles

Jellyfish numbers are increasing worldwide for several reasons. These include overfishing of their predators, declining populations of other fish that compete with jellyfish for food, warmer ocean temperatures that help jellyfish thrive, and pollution from fertilizers that boost plankton growth, a key part of jellyfish diets. Check out the map to see how sea surface temperatures have changed globally over 25 years (data provided by the Copernicus Marine Service).

Explore the Map of the Month to learn about maritime traffic in the European seas for fishing ships in 2021. The map shows vessel density in each square kilometre, calculated from a dataset of Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages. Understanding vessel traffic is important for marine planning and assessing human impact on ecosystems. Use the Zoom tool (+ and – signs) to see details at different scales.

Check out the Map of the month to see where macroalgae-producing facilities are located in Europe. This map is based on data from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and shows facilities by production methods.

Discover the total annual catches of fishery products by country. The data provided by Eurostat shows the weight of the catches as they are taken from the water, excluding any products that are not landed. Explore how annual catches have changed over the years (2000-2019) by clicking on a country.

There are many different types of seabed habitats in Europe's seas, from coral reefs in the North-east Atlantic Ocean to seagrass meadows in coastal waters. Protecting the seabed is important for preserving marine biodiversity. The map of the month shows the classified biological zones used in the EUSeaMap model, which helps determine habitat types. Biological zones are determined based on physical variables and proxies.

Check out our Map of the Month to learn more about Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) which manage highly migratory fish stocks by geographical area as well as the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP).

Europe's marine regions offer vast renewable energy resources, which can be harvested through a number of different technologies. Most notable are offshore wind farms. Energy can also be harvested from the waves, tides and salinity and temperature differences (gradients) throughout the seawater. Learn about wind farms, ocean energy projects and test sites in European waters.

The recently released Guidance on Monitoring Marine Litter in European Seas establishes harmonised methods for monitoring marine litter based on developments in research and Member States' efforts to improve data and assessment comparability.

The European Commission has adopted the 12th edition of the European List of ship recycling facilities. The updated list renews the inclusion of two yards located in Türkiye and one yard located in the USA, after 5 years on the list.

EU Fisheries Ministers have agreed fishing opportunities for 2024 for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The EU and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on the fishing opportunities for 2024 for more than 85 total allowable catches (TACs) in the Northeast Atlantic.

The Natura 2000 network is made up of protected areas in all 27 EU member states. These sites, designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives, represent diverse wildlife and habitats in Europe. They cover about 20% of land and 10% of surrounding seas. The EU Nature Directives safeguard various species, including marine birds, cetaceans, seals, sea turtles, fish, and different marine habitats. The map of the month displays the network of marine Natura 2000 sites in Europe.

Because of their extent, biodiversity and production, coralligenous and mäerl habitats rank among the most important ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea, and they are considered of great significance both for fisheries and natural carbon sequestration. The map shows modelled spatial distributions of coralligenous outcrops and mäerl beds across the Mediterranean Sea.

Rivers in Europe are heavily fragmented. There are thousands of unused and unwanted dams and artificial barriers around Europe, vestiges of human activities of the past century. They are destroying the health of rivers, impacting freshwater biodiversity, posing increasing risk to communities and undermining climate resilience.

Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) manage fish stocks by geographical area. They are international organisations establishing binding measures for conservation and sustainable management of highly migratory or straddling fish species. The European Union, represented by the Commission, plays an active role 10 non-tuna organisations. Click on the RFMOs on the map to access their websites.

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