AUTHORS: Saskia Richartz-Niki Sporrong

The Health Check report was written by IEEP, on behalf of the WWF North East Atlantic Programme, to mark the first joint OSPAR and HELCOM conferences on the protection of the North-East Atlantic and Baltic Sea. It provides an overview of the threats and conservation status of the North-East Atlantic and Baltic Sea ecosystems, as well as summarising in more detail the key threats, status and management needs of 22 habitats and species/groups of species. The results of the Health Check show considerable consistency in the threats identified. They can be broadly categorised as: over exploitation, in particular of fish species; pollution from a variety of sources both onshore and offshore; coastal development and damaging activities causing degradation and loss of habitats.