We are thrilled to announce the launch of version 1.0 of the GES4SEAS toolbox, a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainable marine governance. Beginning with this version, building on the prototype and feedback from the Practitioners Advisory Board and the MSFD GES Working Group, the toolbox will soon offer advanced features for comprehensive environmental assessment.

The toolbox is being designed to support Regional Sea Conventions, Member States, stakeholders and researchers in evaluating the cumulative effects of various stressors on marine ecosystems. It introduces an analysis framework and templating system, enabling the flexible construction and execution of assessment methods to explore different evaluation approaches.

The holistic framework will mark a key advancement in ecosystem-based management (EBM). The upcoming next versions will incorporate theoretical models that account for nonlinear relationships between pressures and ecosystem responses, employ an uncertainty framework and also include status assessment methods. These enhancements aim to provide a more nuanced understanding of environmental impacts, moving beyond simple linear models.

As we continue to refine and expand the toolbox, we invite the GES4SEAS community to explore its potential and contribute to our collective mission of achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) across European waters. As we are already working on an improved version, stay tuned for further developments and opportunities to engage with this transformative toolbox.