Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO)

An Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO) is an OSPAR target stating the desired state of a marine ecosystem component, set as a level to reach or a limit not to breach. OSPAR developed the EcoQO system for the Greater North Sea with ICES, structured around five ecosystem properties: resilience, stability, productivity, diversity, and trophic structure. Indicators run along the cause-effect chain from nutrient enrichment to chlorophyll-a, nuisance phytoplankton, oxygen deficiency, and benthos kills. The plastic-particles-in-fulmar-stomachs EcoQO sets a target that fewer than 10% of beached northern fulmars exceed 0.1 g of plastic. EcoQOs fed the indicator base later carried into the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive descriptors.