The European Marine Board ivzw (EMB) is an independent and self-sustaining science policy interface organisation that currently represents 35 Member Organisations from 18 European countries. It was established in 1995 to facilitate enhanced cooperation between European marine science organisations towards the development of a common vision on the strategic research priorities for marine science in Europe. The EMB promotes and supports knowledge transfer for improved leadership in European marine research. Its membership includes major national marine or oceanographic institutes, research funding agencies and national consortia of universities with a strong marine research focus. 

Adopting a strategic role, the EMB serves its member organisations by providing a forum within which marine research policy advice is developed and conveyed to national agencies and to the European Commission, with the objective of promoting the need for, and quality of, European marine research. The EMB provide advice on future strategies, by identifying scientific challenges and opportunities through foresight activities, analysis, events and studies to provide high-level recommendations.

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European Marine Board IVZW

WP1 will create the necessary governance structure for effective, efficient and timely implementation and management of the EcoScope project by establishing the necessary procedures, facilitating the communication flow among partners and ensuring timely reporting to the European Commission (EC). The general aim is reached through specific objectives:
1. Ensuring that the project objectives and challenges are achieved, and deliverables/milestones are completed on time and within the proposed budget.
2. Facilitating communication among the Coordinator, the partners and the EC.
3. Ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to avoid or mitigate potential risks.
4. Identifying and resolving any potential conflicts among the partners and with external bodies.



Objectives

WP1 will create the necessary governance structure for effective, efficient and timely implementation and management of the EcoScope project by establishing the necessary procedures, facilitating the communication flow among partners and ensuring timely reporting to the European Commission (EC). The general aim is reached through specific objectives:
1. Ensuring that the project objectives and challenges are achieved, and deliverables/milestones are completed on time and within the proposed budget.
2. Facilitating communication among the Coordinator, the partners and the EC.
3. Ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to avoid or mitigate potential risks.
4. Identifying and resolving any potential conflicts among the partners and with external bodies.

All tasks in WP1 will be carried out during the entire EcoScope project 
Management Structure and procedures. The management of the project is structured in a way that scientific and technical issues are managed separately from finance and administration. Qualified personnel are assigned to the management tasks so that researchers can focus on the RTD and innovative activities. 

Task 1.1. Overall Co-ordination for achieving project objectives and deliverables on time

The administration team is composed of individuals with experience in project management. The Coordinator will be responsible for the ongoing management of the scientific and technical activities, including maintaining communication with WP Leaders and project partners and ensuring the delivery of high-quality work in accordance with the work plan. For this purpose, the Coordinator will be supported by a Research Manager, a Technical Manager, an Innovation Manager, and an Administrative Manager. Together they will form the Project Executive Board (PEB), which will be responsible for: the strategic and scientific leadership of the EcoScope project. WP and Task leaders will be responsible for the coordination of their WP and tasks respectively. The Coordinator will chair the General Assembly (GA) and the Project Executive Board. The Administrative Manager will be responsible for the daily financial and administrative management of the project. The Coordinator and Administrative Manager are also responsible for monitoring the progress of WPs, tasks, milestones and deliverables and providing this information to the PEB and the GA. 

Task 1.2. Governance structure, organisation and decision rules

The project will commence with a three-day kick-off meeting to discuss the foundations throughout its implementation, to provide a common language and terminology among the participants, to discuss the methodologies for analysing legislation, operation and human resources, time scheduling and requirements for the implementation of WPs. All the partners and members of the International Advisory Board (IAB) will participate in this meeting held within a month of the official start date of the project. The governance structure will be confirmed as explained in the structure, as well as the roles, responsibilities and activities of the different committees and boards and other decision rules. The Coordinator will formulate a Consortium Agreement with the assistance of the legal office of the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This Consortium Agreement will describe in detail the rights and obligations of all partners of the EcoScope project and will consider handling of intellectual property rights and managing of innovation issues. The Consortium Agreement will be signed by all partners before the start of the project. Different groups, committees and boards will operate with specific scope and will submit their ideas to the management team and the General Assembly. These include: An Innovation Board to discuss and push forward new ideas and innovative actions, a technical team for the implementation of the project, a communication team for the dissemination, communication and visibility, and an academy board for the online course material and webinars. 

Task 1.3. Establishment of communication flow and methods

Communication will flow from the bottom-up and from the top-down through typical communication methods such as: in person and remote meetings, e-mail, phone, etc. In particular, a cooperative working method using the EcoScope website will be established. The system will be structured in a way that all participants can upload and download information to and from the WPs and tasks according to their role and responsibilities. Passwords will be distributed to all partners as well as to the EC officials. The Coordinator will act as the sole communication point between the EcoScope Project and the EC; the Project Officer will be invited to attend annual meetings and activities. The Coordinator assisted by the Administrative Manager will provide periodic and final reporting to the EC in accordance with the work plan and the Grant Agreement. 

Task 1.4. Data management plan

A data management plan will be developed for the entire project and specifically for the WPs that are dealing with data. This will require the participants of these WPs to document: (i) the precise nature of the data to be gathered, (ii) the ethical issues associated with these data and their storage, i.e. compliant to GDPR Directive 95/46/EC and taking into consideration issues related to the transfer of data from and to the EU, and (iii) the procedures that will be adopted to ensure that the data are recorded in a systematic and safe manner. Discussions on these issues will not only take place within each WP but will also involve the Research Manager who will ensure that the deposition of data to the website archive complies with best practices in data management. These materials will then be uploaded to a secure website (WP10) where each WP will maintain its own page. Access to the EcoScope website will be strictly limited and controlled for confidentiality purposes. 

Task 1.5. Addressing conflicts and project risk management

The Coordinator will address all potential conflicts related to contractual obligations of the partners and delivery of scientific output. Conflicts will be addressed by the Coordinator immediately on a bilateral basis and if any conflict persist, it will be dealt with by the Project Executive Board (PEB). The PEB will be responsible for continuous risk management (i.e. technical, financial and administrative risk) and for an effective implementation of the contingency plan, which will be periodically reviewed. After each major stage of the project, the PEB will conduct a risk assessment of the achieved results and determine in advance if a correction action should be carried out in the next stages. This includes:
(i) Reporting any minor deviations from the project plan to the General Assembly (GA).
(ii) Implementing the GA recommendations in the contingency plan associated with the specific work package in question.
(iii) Drafting additional or alternative contingency plans, if needed, together with other relevant persons (e.g. the WP Leader in question).
(iv) Communicating the conclusions from the GA, regarding the revised strategies, to all project members, and include them in the project plan.
 (v) In the event of more serious problems, convene with the GA the best route forward; the Coordinator will then advise the Project Officer of the problem and seek the EC’s approval for the proposed solution.

Project management

The overall objective of WP7 is to present the most#up#to#date knowledge on the societal expectations and preferences of citizens and stakeholders, and to assess the economic and governance implications of current management and ecosystem-based fisheries management in Europe. Specifically, the WP7 will:

1. Assess the societal expectations and preferences of current management and ecosystem-based fisheries management
2. Develop fisheries economics indicators by analysing fishers income, human consumption and governmental subsidies
3. Develop an integrated framework (bioeconomic modelling) to assess effects of future changes in the marine ecosystem including biological interactions, habitats, climate change and fisheries
4. Evaluate the management and governance implications of using indicators that link economy to ecology in ecosystem- based fisheries management.

The overall objective of **WP7** is to present the most up to date knowledge on the societal expectations and preferences of citizens and stakeholders, and to assess the economic and governance implications of current management and ecocentric fisheries management in Europe. Specifically, the **WP7** will:

1. Assess the societal expectations and preferences of current management and ecosystem-based fisheries management
2. Develop fisheries economics indicators by analysing fishers income, human consumption and governmental subsidies
3. Develop an integrated framework (bioeconomic modelling) to assess effects of future changes in the marine ecosystem
4. Evaluate the management and governance implications of using indicators that link economy to ecology in ecocentric fisheries management.

**WP7** will assess the needs and expectations of ecocentric fisheries management among the public in selected European countries and will provide some quantitative estimates of trade-offs for ecocentric fisheries management of selected important fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The assessment of needs and expectations for ecocentric fisheries management will examine the social and economic factors that may affect ecosystem management and explore the implications for policies. The quantitative estimation of trade-offs will build on a bioeconomic modelling framework based on the results of stock assessments (**WP5**). It will examine how management decisions affect human well-being, societies and economies through bioeconomic models integrating fisheries and ecosystems services, taking into account the effects of climate change (link to **WP3** and **WP4**).

**Task 7.1.** Assessment of societal expectations and value of ecosystem-based fisheries management

This task will conduct large-scale socio-economic surveys in Europe comprising detailed socio-economic questions on perceptions, preferences and expectations of the public for current and ecocentric fisheries management in Europe (Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea). The survey will take place online and will generate panel data in at least one context aiming to assess causal effects. The surveys will include food security, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), life satisfaction questions, and state-of-the-art stated preference modules to gauge the effects of ecosystem services on wellbeing and to estimate values of ecocentric fisheries management among the public.
 
**Task 7.2.** Fisheries economics indicators

*Sub-Task 7.2.1. Index of fisheries profitability*

With known fishing effort, profitability and status of current fisheries, a simple comparison between the profitability of any fisheries management scenario can be obtained from the equilibrium curve of yield over effort. The mean net profit margin, which is net profit as a percentage of fishing income, will be estimated for all case studies and ecoregion based on official economic fisheries data and for all fisheries management scenarios that will be examined with the ecosystem models. Given the status of the stocks and fisheries exploitation pattern in each area, the future profit of the fleets in any stock rebuilding or management scenario will then be estimated and included in the EcoScope Toolbox.

*Sub-Task 7.2.2. Human consumption and government subsidies*

Based on the Sea Around Us catch and effort data, we will calculate the average value of catch that goes into human consumption, as well as the fate of the remaining catch per case study area and ecoregion. We will examine whether the legislation may work differently among European countries and if the harvest control rules may apply horizontally in European Seas. Within this framework, we will evaluate the quality of the official reporting data per case study and ecoregion in terms of species aggregation. Finally, we will calculate the landed value by flag state, fishing sector and catch type for European fisheries and we will contrast these data with the historical subsidies per country and fleet.

**Task 7.3.** An integrated framework of future economic changes in marine ecosystems

The aim of task 7.2 is to provide quantitative estimates of future changes in marine ecosystems. The task will develop a theoretical bioeconomic model to assess implications of selected future changes (including fishing pressure and climate change) to be predicted in WP4 and WP6 based on the IPCC scenarios and datasets assembled in WP3. The theoretical model will use dynamic optimisation to identify optimal ecocentric management requirements. The model will also be customised for selected fisheries from the case study areas to provide quantitative estimations of economic and ecological consequences and the implications of future changes in marine ecosystems from various driving forces including fisheries and climate change. 

**Task 7.4.** An assessment of challenges of implementing ecology to economy indicators

The main objective of Task 7.4 is to assess the challenges of implementing EcoScope indicators that link economy to ecology and suggest measures to address these challenges. Specifically, we will compile all indicators related to economy and ecology to be used in the EcoScope Toolbox. Task 7.4 will team up with WP8 to discuss the challenges of implementing these indicators with stakeholder in a stakeholder workshop. Finally, we will adopt the framework and application in task 7.3 to estimate economic trade-offs in an ecosystem-based fisheries management context.





Assessing societal expectations and economic values

The EcoScope project results will be presented at major events, conferences and workshops with the participation of end-users and stakeholder groups. The project results will be available through a website, social media, press releases, newsletters, games, simulators, dashboards and a smartphone EcoScope App to engage with communities about illegal fishing activities, which will provide valuable feedback to the EcoScopium public portal and the communities themselves.

The general output will be presented with news, articles, a short documentary film and the scientific output will be published in scientific journals and conference proceedings. The primary objectives are to:

1. Increase the profile of the project to the various stakeholder groups and society;
2. Achieve maximum impact and visibility of the services, products, tasks and results produced in the EcoScope project;
3. Produce materials to support the actions within other WP’s and to present their results; and
4. Develop a mobile application (EcoScope App) for promoting user engagement to marine ecosystem protection



The EcoScope project results will be presented at major events, conferences and workshops with the participation of end-users and stakeholder groups. The project results will be available through a website, social media, press releases, newsletters, games, simulators, dashboards and a smartphone EcoScope App to engage with communities about illegal fishing activities, which will provide valuable feedback to the EcoScopium public portal and the communities themselves.
The general output will be presented with news, articles, a short documentary film and the scientific output will be published in scientific journals and conference proceedings. The primary objectives are to:
1. Increase the profile of the project to the various stakeholder groups and society;
2. Achieve maximum impact and visibility of the services, products, tasks and results produced in the EcoScope project;
3. Produce materials to support the actions within other WP’s and to present their results; and
4. Develop a mobile application (EcoScope App) for promoting user engagement to marine ecosystem protection


**Task 10.1.** Communication and dissemination plan

A Communication and Dissemination Plan will be developed outlining the various methods for communicating the project activities and outputs. The target audiences will be identified in collaboration with WP8. The Plan will include a schedule of activities to complete during the first 12 months of the project, whilst also including an outline of the expected actions throughout the duration of the project. The plan will be reviewed annually to evaluate the activities and their impact. The plan and schedule will then be updated to reflect the activities of the next period.

**Task 10.2.** Communications toolbox

A toolbox will be created early in the project to include the design of the EcoScope project brand, logo, website, social media profile and initial publicity materials. Throughout the project, design assets will be created as required to support conferences, capacity building actions etc. All design assets will be available via the project website for partners (internal and external) and media organisations to use.

**Task 10.3.** Project website

A project website will be created to showcase the activities of the EcoScope project and also form the hub of the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum and Stakeholder Surveys. The initial website components will include general project information, partner information, news, events, communications materials. The website theme will be carried through the social media accounts and other related services. The website will be continually maintained throughout the project and form the central hub for activities. The website will provide seamless access to the projects products and services, including the EcoScopium public portal.

**Task 10.4.** Content production

An important part of any communications strategy is content production which will include scientific output published in journals and conference proceedings, press releases, news, a short documentary film, social media content, images and presentations etc. All content will be available through the project website and disseminated via social media, email and other communications methods identified in the Communication and Dissemination plan to ensure maximum impact. As many scientists from the Consortium serve as senior editorial board members in many leading international journals, the results of EcoScope project will be published as a special issue in a leading journal.

**Task 10.5.** Communication of the EcoScope Platform, EcoScope Toolbox and MSP Challenge simulation platform

To support the maximum uptake of the EcoScopium portal, a separate communications strategy is needed to that of the project Communication and Dissemination Plan. A review of the target audiences and products and services to be offered will be carried out and then an appropriate marketing strategy developed and executed. Dissemination and user support of the EcoScope Platform (WP3), EcoScope Toolbox (WP5) and MSP Challenge simulation platform EM edition (WP6) will make them available, through community wiki with installers, support, manuals, tutorials making them available for stakeholder integration workshops and to users outside the project (seminars, workshops, education and training).

**Task 10.6.** Community engagement mobile application for reporting bad practices

The establishment of ecosystem-based fisheries management is vital for the recovery of ecosystems and fish stocks and can benefit from public awareness and active participation of citizens. This task will develop a mobile application (EcoScope App), which will enable citizens to report on marine hazards, pollution and stranding of protected species. The report will be transferred online to local authorities and will potentially improve compliance. This community-based tool will enhance community involvement and will provide important information for the EcoScope project. We will develop the application to be suited for the partner's specific needs and unique local language, regulations and culture, based on an interactive workshop with local authorities and further support in the capacity building and marketing to increase the use of the application. 



Dissemination and visibility

WP8 on stakeholder engagement and capacity building aims to ensure that the interoperable EcoScope Platform and decision-making EcoScope Toolbox developed within the EcoScope project will be co-designed with the users and stakeholders, and to ensure that these tools are taken up through capacity development. The objectives of the task are to: 

1. Create the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum by identifying and mapping the stakeholders and managing the interaction with them
2. Hold stakeholder co-design meetings to identify their needs, understand their requirements, and feed back the results of the project
3.  Undertake stakeholder surveys
4. Build capacity through the creation of online courses and seminars, i.e. the EcoScope Academy


**WP8** on stakeholder engagement and capacity building aims to ensure that the interoperable EcoScope Platform and decision-making EcoScope Toolbox developed within the EcoScope project will be co-designed with the users and stakeholders, and to ensure that these tools are taken up through capacity development. The objectives of the task are to:
1. Create the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum and manage the interaction with them;
2. Hold stakeholder co-design meetings to identify their needs and requirements, and feed back the results of the project;
3. Undertake stakeholder surveys; and
4. Build capacity through the creation of online courses and seminars (EcoScope Academy)

Building on the EMB Future Science Brief on ecosystem modelling and an understanding of what is needed worldwide, **WP8** will assess the current needs and requirements of policy makers from the tools proposed in EcoScope through the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum (Task 8.1). It will conduct foresight exercises on thematic areas to explore emerging opportunities, capabilities and potential for the future EcoScope Toolbox (Task 8.2), test the impact of the toolbox, workshops and capacity building, and establish a baseline for comparison of economic preferences with those of the wider European population (Task 8.3). A survey of stakeholders and policy makers on what would be needed in a fully comprehensive toolbox will complement the workshops. The knowledge created in the platform (WP3), toolbox (WP5) and ecosystem models (WP6) will also be shared through stakeholder workshops during yearly consortium and Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum regular meetings and through capacity building in the EcoScope Academy (Task 8.4): the educational pillar of the project, that will promote cross community education and knowledge sharing.

**Task 8.1.** Assessment of societal expectations and value of ecosystem-based fisheries management

A Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum will enable the EcoScope team to co-design their tools with stakeholders and receive feedback on their implementation and effectiveness. At the end of the project, the performance of the forum and stakeholder involvement will be evaluated.

*Sub-task 8.1.1. Stakeholder management planning*

The Task leaders will develop a stakeholder management plan linked to the Communications Plan developed in WP10.
The stakeholder management plan will include:
• Identification of communication methods (for different stakeholders),
• Schedule and responsibility of actions,
• Success criteria,
• Post project planning (what happens to the forum at the end? What will be the legacy?),
• Connection with WP10 Communication and Outreach, and
• Planning of events, social media, stakeholder recruitment and management

*Sub-task 8.1.2. Stakeholder mapping*

In this task the stakeholders of the project will be identified and mapped following the identification and review of existing stakeholder mapping initiatives from the project and external community. The stakeholders will be categorised by type, and contact details and they will form the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum. 

**Task 8.2.** Stakeholder co-design meetings 

*Sub-task 8.2.1. Identifying the needs of policy makers and stakeholders*

This task will map/scope the policy needs and emerging tools, strategies and/or roadmaps for ecosystem modelling. These include, but are not limited to the Oceans and Human Health strategic research agenda developed by H2020 SOPHIE, the Planning documents for the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, new EU policy document such as the European Green Deal and the Digital Twin Ocean, and EMB foresight publications on Ecosystem Modelling, Navigating the Future V, and Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services. This task will also include the design and analysis of a survey of policy makers in Europe, on their requirements for the EcoScope Toolbox. 

*Sub-task 8.2.2. Foresight workshop 1: Policy Maker and Stakeholder requirements workshop*

During this workshop the team will bring together the policy makers and stakeholders that will use the EcoScope Toolbox as well as experts in the field of toolbox development from the consortium, to co-design a toolbox that can deliver what is required by policy makers and other stakeholders. In addition, the workshop will include the ocean observation and ocean database community, to ensure that all possible data are used to enhance the EcoScope Toolbox and be included in the EcoScope Platform that will cover all European Seas. 

*Sub-task 8.2.3. EcoScope indicator implementation workshop*

The vulnerability and risk assessments undertaken of WP4, the ecosystem assessments of WP5 and MSP Challenge games of WP6 will be presented to relevant stakeholders such as the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO), ICES and FAO in a workshop, which will aim to stimulate debate on the necessity of including climate change in fisheries management and the importance of ecosystem based fisheries management. The MSP Challenge simulation platform -EM fishing edition that will be created in WP6 will be tested and validated based on time-line analysis and user/expert participation in the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum meeting during the last year of the project where the MSP Challenge-EM Fishing Edition will be assessed. This interactive simulation platform will then be incorporated into the EcoScope Academy (Task 8.4). This stakeholder workshop will build on the outcomes of WPs 4, 5, 6 and 7 and will discuss the challenges of implementing and linking economic and ecological indicators. 

*Sub-task 8.2.4. Foresight workshop 2: Future requirements for ecosystem based sustainable management*

Toward the latter stages of the project, when the EcoScope toolbox is delivered, we will consider the future needs. We therefore propose a foresight workshop toward the end of the project, to highlight the achievements of the project, to launch the EcoScope Toolbox, and to address these unknown challenges. For sustainable ecocentric management we will need to bring together the ocean observation and modelling communities, as well as users and National and International Funders. This will need the help of funders such as JPI-Oceans in terms of links with funders at National level but also the European Commission, UNESCO and the World Bank and these stakeholders will also be invited to this workshop. 

**Task 8.3.** Stakeholder surveys to co-design management tools

This task will involve data collection and analysis of surveys conducted among diverse stakeholders with the intent of answering questions, such as: What do stakeholders want from the EcoScope Τoolbox? How appropriate is the EcoScope survey (Task 8.3.2)? and What constitutes EcoScope’s stakeholders’ socio-economic preferences?

*Sub-task 8.3.1. Ecoscope toolbox survey*

This survey will be conducted among European Commission policy makers (DG MARE, DG RTD, DG Grow, and others) in M4 to gauge their specific requirements for the EcoScope Toolbox. The data will therefore yield insights early on in the project to assist in the design of the toolbox useful for Task 8.2

*Sub-task 8.3.2. Ecoscope survey pilot & ongoing stakeholder responses*

Early piloting of the survey will be conducted among 20-30 key stakeholders participating in the workshops, at the same time yielding baseline data for comparison with the results of the main surveys. Once designed (as part of WP7), the survey will be available online to collect data throughout the project lifetime (and beyond) among stakeholders, workshop attendees and participants in capacity building exercises. These data will allow us to gauge the profile of our stakeholders and sub-samples thereof, in contrast with the specific populations we target in WP8 

**Task 8.4.** Capacity building 

The aim of this task is to share the knowledge and methodologies created in EcoScope in the form of an online academy that will become the educational pillar of the project and will promote cross community education and knowledge sharing. The EcoScope Academy will offer a website explaining the scope, the processes and the products of the EcoScope project and will offer a variety of online courses, webinars, digital games and other digital material that will serve different learning audiences (scientists, fishers, policy makers, students, public) and goals.




Interaction with stakeholders and capacity building

WP5 aims to assess the status of the ecosystem across all case studies (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Black Sea, Levantine Sea, North Sea) and the status of ecosystem components including commercial and non-commercial fish and shellfish, communities, habitats and megafauna (marine mammals, reptiles seabirds, large sharks and rays) through a series of indicators that will be available on the EcoScopium public portal. The ultimate objective of WP5 is to develop a scoring system, the EcoScope Toolbox, comprised of several metrics from different WPs that will be used for management and policy purposes as well as for comparisons among areas and management scenarios. The specific objectives of WP5 that will be applied to all case studies (and to larger regions if data availability permits) are to:

1. Assess commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks using novel methods
2. Evaluate anthropogenic and climate induced changes in marine communities
3. Assess the status of protected megafauna groups and habitats
4. Determine overall ecosystem fisheries exploitation and potential profitability
5. Perform a marine ecosystem assessment and develop a scoring system based on various metrics, indices and indicators

**WP5** aims to assess the status of the ecosystem across all case studies (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Black Sea, Levantine Sea, North Sea) and the status of ecosystem components including commercial and non-commercial fish and shellfish, communities, habitats and megafauna (marine mammals, reptiles, seabirds, large sharks and rays) through a series of indicators. The ultimate objective of **WP5** is to develop a scoring system, the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a>, comprised of several metrics from different WPs that will be used for management and policy purposes as well as for comparisons among areas and management scenarios. 

**WP5** is structured from stock to ecosystem level and organised at an increasing level of biological (and modelling) complexity. The WP will assess the status of all ecosystem components ranging from habitats, non-commercial fish and shellfish (by-catch and discarded species or those collected only during scientific surveys) to commercial stocks as well as megafauna that are vulnerable or protected by national and international legislation and conventions). As this field of science is dynamic, any novel methods that will be developed by consortium members will be used to assess populations/stocks, species and ecosystems and will be incorporated into the WP and included in the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a>. 

**Task 5.1.** Multi-assessment of commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks 

Commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks will be assessed based on a string of new tools that have been designed for application in data-poor situations but will also work in data rich fisheries as they are often more robust compared to complex assessment models that are data-hungry. These tools, that have varying data requirements and can be extremely useful for un-assessed stocks, rely on catch (CMSY), abundance/biomass (AMSY) and length frequency distribution (LBB) to derive fisheries reference points in the context of MSY and for stocks that are at risk (SAR). The assessments will be performed per case study, but larger ecoregions will also be assessed based on FAO/GFCM/ICES and Sea Around Us catch data and other sources of information. This will be the first massive assessment of previously un assessed non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks and will allow the assessment of many stocks in data-poor areas as these methods have been specifically designed for data deficiencies. 

**Task 5.2.** Evaluating change in marine communities

A series of community indicators will be examined to assess ecosystem health and anthropogenic effects (climate and fisheries) on marine communities. Besides the classic biodiversity indices that are available through PRIMER software, several other community indices will be calculated directly for each case study, ecoregion or map cell to examine the impact of fishing on marine communities, while others that are related to climate change and variability (e.g. mean temperature of the catch, MTC) will also be determined at the same scales. The mTLc (mean trophic level of the catch) has been extensively used to assess the effect of biomass removal by fisheries on marine communities and ecosystems, while the MTC (mean temperature of the catch) evaluates the effect of sea temperature increase and the impact of climate change on community level building on species distributions and niche modelling of **WP4**. 

**Task 5.3.** Evaluation of habitats, assessment of protected megafaunal groups and energyscapes

The habitats in each case study will be evaluated based on the preference of each species and the conservation status of a large number of protected megafauna groups will be assessed using novel methods along with the energy requirements of some megafauna groups. Particular reference will be made to essential fish habitats because of their importance in overall ecosystem health. The task is divided in three (3) sub-tasks that will run in parallel.

*Sub-Task 5.3.1. Habitat mapping and evaluation*

Existing habitat maps available on the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-platform" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Platform</a> will be evaluated with respect to the preference of each species, and especially with respect to essential fish habitats. These habitats include the waters necessary to fish for spawning, feeding or growth to maturity, i.e. for completing a full life cycle to support a sustainable fishery and contribute to ecosystem health. The output of this evaluation will be done for each case study/ecosystem or ecoregion.

*Sub-Task 5.3.2. Assessment of protected megafauna* 

The decision support tool **JARA** (Just Another Red-List Assessment) is a Bayesian state-space framework that allows both process error and uncertainty to be incorporated into IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List assessments under criterion A of IUCN. The output of JARA, which will be determined for all megafauna species per case study/ecosystem or ecoregion for which information exists, shows the probability of a population decline displayed against the IUCN Red List categories, and assigns each category a probability with uncertainty. 

*Sub-Task 5.3.3. Energyscapes of marine megafauna*

In order to identify critically important habitats for marine megafauna, and better inform species distribution models, we will calculate animal energyscapes (defined as variations in the energy requirements of an organism across geographical space as a function of biotic and abiotic environmental conditions) across their year cycle. This approach will notably test the impact of climate change on the energy requirements and the distribution patterns of marine megafauna, in the context of concurrent use of these spaces for human activities. All megafauna species for which biological information are available to parameterise the energetics models will be included (several species of seabirds and marine mammals, marine reptiles and a few large sharks), and the climatic data will be derived from **WP3** and **WP4.** 

**Task 5.4.** Ecosystem fisheries exploitation indicators 

Within Task 5.4, three ecosystem overfishing indices will be calculated and compared with the biomass-based, catch-based, trophic-based and species-based indicators that will be calculated in the ecosystem models of **WP6**, while the index of fisheries profitability per case study/ecosystem or ecoregion will be calculated based on the current sustainability level (**WP7**). Based on the fisheries exploitation indicators, the fisheries profitability index will be determined for any fisheries management scenario and will be closely connected to the economic analyses that will be performed in **WP7**. Three novel indicators and accompanying thresholds that have been proposed to detect and delineate ecosystem fisheries exploitation or ecosystem overfishing (EOF) will be applied per case study or ecoregion. 

**Task 5.5.** Marine ecosystem assessment and the EcoScope Toolbox development

A marine ecosystem assessment will be conducted in each case study to provide an overarching and integrated assessment adapted to the needs of various end-users. One of the main products of the project the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a> will be developed within this WP, which will consist of metrics and tools that will produce a total and comparable score for each ecosystem, case study or ecoregion and will be co-designed and evaluated by stakeholders (feedback from **WP8**). Each metric will be measured using a single variable or a combination of various variables, based on the status and trends, environmental or anthropogenic pressure, economic indicators and resilience to change. The overall concept is to develop a universal Toolbox that can be applied anywhere in the world at various scales depending on the data and boundaries and to have a specific set of metrics that can be used independently in each case study and in other areas of the world to support international and local policies and directives.

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