• Fish biodiversity hotspots are mainly found in the south-western part of the southern North Sea. • Core areas of distribution for many fish species are located off the English, Belgian and Dutch coasts and outside existing protected areas. • Geophysical stressors contribute in particular to spatial and temporal changes in the species composition and functionality of seabed communities. • The joint analysis and modelling of human pressures on key ecosystem components enables the assessment of cumulative effects on the marine environment.
Rehren et al. (Wed,) studied this question.