Table 2 Primary and secondary criteria for Descriptor 5 2010/477/EU Primary criteria Secondary criteria criteria and Comments relating to: relating to: indicators D5C1 Nutrient 5.1.1 concentrations Pressure Pressure 5.1 D5C2 Chlorophyll a 5.2.1 D5C3 Water clarity 5.2.2 D5C4 Nuisance or 5.2.4 pelagic toxic algal blooms impacts on D5C5 Phytoplankton 5.2.4 habitats composition Direct D5C6 (coastal D5C6 (beyond coastal 5.2.3 5.2 Impacts waters) Macroalgae waters) Macroalgae D5C7 (coastal D5C7 (beyond coastal 5.3.1 May be relevant beyond waters) Seaweeds waters) Seaweeds and coastal waters and seagrasses seagrasses D5C8 Dissolved D5C9 5.3.2 D5C9 may substitute habitats oxygen macrozoobenthos D5C8. impacts composition benthic (substituting D5C8) on D5C9 (coastal D5C9 (beyond coastal -- May be relevant beyond Indirect waters) waters) coastal waters 5.3 macrozoobenthos macrozoobenthos Impacts composition composition Level of integration Each assessed criterion should be within threshold values. The envisaged level of integration across criteria is as follows: Pressure: C1 (primary) – no integration; Impacts on pelagic habitats: C2 (primary), C3, C4, C5 (secondary) – integrated; Impacts on benthic habitats: C6 and C7 (primary in coastal waters), C8 (primary, but may be substituted by) C9 (primary in coastal waters) – integrated. Assessment flow The assessment flow for Descriptor 5 is shown in Figure 10. Further detail on these steps is provided below. Figure 7 Assessment flow for Descriptor 5 Step 1 – Determine elements for assessment The revised Commission Decisions defines the elements for assessment through:
Table 2 Primary and secondary criteria for Descriptor 5 Primary criteria relating to: Secondary criteria relating to: 2010/477/EU criteria and indicators Comments Pressure D5C1 Nutrient concentrations 5.1 Pressure 5.1.1 Impacts on pelagic habitats D5C2 Chlorophyll a 5.2 Direct impacts 5.2.1 D5C3 Water clarity 5.2.2 D5C4 Nuisance or toxic algal blooms 5.2.4 D5C5 Phytoplankton composition 5.2.4 D5C6 (coastal waters) Macroalgae D5C6 (beyond coastal waters) Macroalgae 5.2.3 Impacts on benthic habitats D5C7 (coastal waters) Seaweeds and seagrasses D5C7 (beyond coastal waters) Seaweeds and seagrasses 5.3 Indirect impacts 5.3.1 May be relevant beyond coastal waters D5C8 Dissolved oxygen D5C9 macrozoobenthos composition (substituting D5C8) 5.3.2 D5C9 may substitute D5C8. D5C9 (coastal waters) macrozoobenthos composition D5C9 (beyond coastal waters) macrozoobenthos composition -- May be relevant beyond coastal waters Level of integration Each assessed criterion should be within threshold values. The envisaged level of integration across criteria is as follows: Pressure: C1 (primary) – no integration; Impacts on pelagic habitats: C2 (primary), C3, C4, C5 (secondary) – integrated; Impacts on benthic habitats: C6 and C7 (primary in coastal waters), C8 (primary, but may be substituted by) C9 (primary in coastal waters) – integrated. Assessment flow The assessment flow for Descriptor 5 is shown in Figure 10. Further detail on these steps is provided below. Figure 7 Assessment flow for Descriptor 5 Step 1 – Determine elements for assessment The revised Commission Decisions defines the elements for assessment through:
2016-04-11_Guidance_Art8_v0-9.docx