REBECCA - Relationships between ecological and chemical status of surface waters

The objective of REBECCA was to provide underpinning for one of the key scientific principles on which the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is based, i.e. that relationships between the biological state and physical and chemical properties of surface waters are sufficiently well understood to enable the management of catchments and rivers to achieve ecological objective. The timely understanding of the link between chemical properties and ecological state, while good in some instances, was generally not adequate to support management intervention against ecological objectives. The specific aims of REBECCA were as follows: • to describe the knowledge of relationships between ecological status of surface waters and both hydro-morphological and physico-chemical quality elements as modified by pressures from different sources; • to identify knowledge gaps; • to develop new relationships based on the integrated analysis of existing data sets at European scale; • to investigate synergistic or antagonistic effects of combined pressures; • to present a consistent and integrated scientific understanding of these relationships; and • to develop and validate tools that member states can use in the process of classification, in the design of their monitoring programs, and in the design of measures in accordance with the requirements of the WFD.