GREEK IONIAN SEA AND ADJACENT GULFS: ECOLOGICAL MAPPING FOR THE NEEDS OF ECOSYSTEM-BASED MARINE SPATIAL MANAGEMENT Issaris Y. 1,2* , Katsanevakis S. 1,3 , Vassilopoulou V. 1 , Panayotidis P. 4 , Kavadas S. 1 , Kokkali A. 1 , Salomidi M. 4 , Frantzis A. 5 , Panou A. 6 , Damalas D. 1 , Klaoudatos D. 1 , Sakellariou D. 4 , Drakopoulou V. 4 , Kyriakidou C. 4 , Maina I. 1 , Fric J. 7 , Smith C. 1 , Giakoumi S. 1 1 Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Ag. Kosmas, Greece 2 Sector of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Zografos, Greece 3 European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Ispra, Italy 4 Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Anavyssos, Greece 5 Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Vouliagmeni, Greece 6 Archipelagos – environment and development NGO, Kifissia, Greece 7 Hellenic Ornithological Society, Athens, Greece *issaris@hcmr.gr Abstract Mapping of ecosystem components (natural and socioeconomic) is a prerequisite for ecosystem-based marine spatial management (EB-MSM). To initiate the process of EB-MSM in the Greek Ionian Sea and adjacent gulfs, the main relevant ecosystem components were mapped based on existing spatial information and expert judgment. The natural components mapped included habitat types and species of conservation importance, according to national and European legislation and international agreements. Main human activities/pressures related to fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and industry were also mapped. A substantial overlapping between ecological features and human activities was identified, confirming the need for a well planned approach of managing marine space in order to mitigate conflicts for marine resources and to conserve marine ecosystems and their associated goods and services. Keywords: ecosystem components; marine spatial planning; conservation; human uses 1. Introduction Much of the rapid economic and technological developments of the last century have been achieved to the detriment of natural systems and the sustainability of resources and ecosystem functioning. Particularly in the marine environment, there has been a heavy burden of anthropogenic pressures causing a widespread degradation of marine habitats, depletion of resources and loss of biodiversity at the levels of ecosystems, species and genes (Halpern et al., 2008). Fisheries, aquaculture, coastal defence systems, shipping, offshore wind farms, gas and oil industry, touristic activities, and the need for marine conservation all compete for the same valuable space and resources. The need of a well planned approach of managing marine space, aiming to maintain marine ecosystems in a healthy, productive and resilient condition so that they can provide the services humans want and need, is more urgent than ever before. Conventional sectoral management and piecemeal governance are considered less and less appropriate in pursuit of sustainable development, as the interaction among activities and their cumulative impacts are ignored (Foley et al., 2010; Halpern et al., 2008). Ecosystem-based marine spatial management (EB-MSM) is a place-based environmental management approach that recognizes the full array of interactions within a marine ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species or ecosystem services in isolation (Katsanevakis et al., 2011). An important part of the scoping process of a management plan based on EB-MSM is the definition and mapping of ecosystem components, especially those that correspond to a defined set