Annex II: Physical ocean asset account tables

To enable integration of ecosystem and individual environmental assets into one set of ocean asset accounts, the GOAP Technical Guidance combines both types of assets in three physical asset accounts tables: physical asset extent accounts (Table 6), physical asset condition accounts (using biophysical variables) (Table 7) and summary asset condition accounts (using condition indicators) (Table 8). These are the accounts tables that the Global Ocean Asset Data Inventory and Guide aim to inform.


Table 6: Physical asset extent account. (Example table, could be expanded to include several different ecosystem assets and individual environmental assets.)

 

Ecosystem assets

Individual environmental assets

 

Mangroves

Seagrass

Coral reef

Minerals

Fish stocks

Opening stock

 

 

 

 

 

+ Additions to stock

 

 

 

 

 

  Managed expansion

 

 

 

 

 

  Natural expansion

 

 

 

 

 

  Reclassifications

 

 

 

 

 

  Discoveries

 

 

 

 

 

  Reappraisals (+)

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL additions to stock

 

 

 

 

 

– Reductions in stock

 

 

 

 

 

  Managed regression

 

 

 

 

 

  Natural regression

 

 

 

 

 

  Reclassifications

 

 

 

 

 

  Extractions/harvesting

 

 

 

 

 

  Reappraisals (-)

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL reductions in stock

 

 

 

 

 

= Closing stock

 

 

 

 

 

Measurement Units

Area

Area

Area

Weight, litres

Weight, number

Notes: Darkly shaded areas represent undefined measures for ecosystem assets (extractions/harvesting) and expansion of minerals stocks. Terminology still requires harmonization between SEEA CF and SEEA EA. For example, extraction/harvesting refers to individual environmental assets in the SEEA CF. Ecosystem assets are treated in the SEEA EA like land cover types, which are added to and reduced by area through managed/natural expansion/regression.


Table 7: Physical asset condition account by marine basic spatial unit (MBSU) for each depth layer at end of accounting period. (Example table, could be expanded to include several different ecosystem assets and individual environmental assets, as well as different condition variables.)

 

Variable Examples

Ecosystem assets

Individual environmental assets

Mangroves

Seagrass

Coral reef

Minerals

Fish stocks

Area

ha

 

 

 

 

 

Acidification

pH

 

 

 

 

 

Eutrophication

BOD, COD, Chlorophyll-A

 

 

 

 

 

Temperature

°C

 

 

 

 

 

Plastics

g/m3

 

 

 

 

 

Quality

Appropriate measure

 

 

 

 

 

Accessibility

km from population centre

 

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity

Shannon Index

 

 

 

 

 

Health

Index

 

 

 

 

 

Repeated for end of accounting period

Repeated for change in condition

Notes: This physical asset table can be combined with other tables that record information for each spatial unit in the accounting framework, for example governance account tables (see GOAP Technical Guidance section 2.7.2, Table 16).


Table 8: Summary asset condition account by ecosystem type and individual environmental asset type at end of accounting period. (Example table, could be expanded to include several different ecosystem assets and individual environmental assets, as well as different condition indicators.)

Indexed with respect to reference condition

Indicator Examples

Reference level

Ecosystem assets

Individual environmental assets

Mangroves

Seagrass

Coral reef

Minerals

Fish stocks

Area

ha

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acidification

pH

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eutrophication

BOD, COD, Chlorophyll-A

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temperature

°C

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plastics

g/m3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quality

Appropriate measure

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessibility

km from population centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity

Shannon Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health

Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeated for end of accounting period

Repeated for change in condition