| °C | Degrees Celsius |
| 6PPD | 4-(dimethylbutylamino)diphenylamin |
| ACCOBAMS | Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area |
| AEWA | Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds |
| ASCOBANS | Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas |
| Atm | 1 atmosphere = 1.013 x 105 Pascal |
| BAT | Best Available Techniques |
| BDE (Penta, octa and deca) | Penta-, octa- and decabromodiphenyl ether |
| BEP | Best Environmental Practice |
| Bq | Becquerel (1 disintegration per second) |
| CAMP | Comprehensive Atmospheric Monitoring Programme (OSPAR) |
| CBD | Convention on Biological Diversity |
| Cefas | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (UK) |
| CEMP | Coordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme (OSPAR) |
| CITES | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora |
| cm | Centimetre |
| CMS | Convention on Migratory Species |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide |
| DBP | Dibutylphthalate |
| DDT | 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl-1,1,1-trichloroethane |
| DEHP | Diethylhexylphthalate |
| dw | Dry weight |
| EC | European Community |
| EcoQO | Ecological Quality Objective |
| EEA | European Environment Agency |
| EEZ | Exclusive Economic Zone |
| EIA | Environmental Impact Assessment |
| EMEP | European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme |
| EMSA | European Maritime Safety Agency |
| EROD | Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase |
| EU | European Union |
| F | Fishing mortality |
| FAO | United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization |
| FFL | Fishing for Litter |
| G (prefix) | Giga, 109 |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product |
| Gy | Gray |
| H2S | Hydrogen sulphide |
| HBCD | Hexabromocyclododecane |
| HCH | Hexachlorocyclohexane |
| HELCOM | Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea |
| IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency |
| ICCAT | International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas |
| ICES | International Council for the Exploration of the Sea |
| ICZM | Integrated Coastal Zone Management |
| IIASA | International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization |
| IOC | Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission |
| IPCC | United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
| IPPC | Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (EU) |
| ISA | International Seabed Authority |
| IUU | Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported |
| IWC | International Whaling Commission |
| JAMP | Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (OSPAR) |
| kg | Kilogramme |
| km | Kilometre |
| km2 | Square kilometre |
| M | Molar mass |
| M (prefix) | Mega, 106 |
| MARPOL | International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (1973/1978) |
| mm | Millimetre |
| MPA | Marine Protected Area |
| MSY | Maximum Sustainable Yield |
| N | Nitrogen |
| n (prefix) | Nano, 10-9 |
| NAMMCO | North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission |
| NASCO | North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation |
| NEAFC | North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission |
| nm | Nautical mile |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA) |
| NOx | Nitrogen oxides |
| NSIDC | National Snow and Ice Data Centre (USA) |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
| OSPAR | The term ‘OSPAR’ is used in this report to refer to both the OSPAR Commission and the former Oslo and Paris Commissions. The 1972 Oslo Convention and the 1974 Paris Convention were replaced by the 1992 OSPAR Convention when it entered into force on 25 March 1998 |
| P | Phosphorus |
| p (prefix) | Pico, 10-12 |
| PAH | Polycylic aromatic hydrocarbon |
| PBDE | Polybrominated diphenyl ether |
| PCB | Polychlorinated biphenyl |
| PCDD | Polychlorinated dibenzodioxin |
| PCDF | Polychlorinated dibenzofuran |
| PCP | Pentachlorophenol |
| PFOS | Perfluorooctane sulphonates |
| PIC | Prior Informed Consent |
| POP | Persistent Organic Pollutant |
| PSSA | Particularly Sensitive Sea Area |
| QSR | Quality Status Report |
| QSR 2000 | Quality Status Report for the entire OSPAR maritime area published by OSPAR in 2000 |
| REACH | Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EU) |
| RID | Comprehensive Study on Riverine Inputs and Direct Discharges (OSPAR) |
| RMP | Revised Management Procedure (International Whaling Commission) |
| s | Second (time) |
| SCCP | Short-chain chlorinated paraffin |
| SECA | SOx Emission Control Area |
| SO2 | Sulphur dioxide |
| SOx | Sulphur oxide |
| SOLAS | International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea |
| SSB | Spawning Stock Biomass |
| Sv | Sievert (1 J / kg x (modifying factors)) |
| t | Tonne |
| T (prefix) | Tera, 1012 |
| TAC | Total Allowable Catch |
| TBBP-A | Tetrabromobisphenol-A |
| TBT | Tributyltin |
| toeq | Tonnes of oil equivalents |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCLOS | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| UNECE | United Nations Economic Commission for Europe |
| UNEP | United Nations Environment Programme |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| VMEs | Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems |
| VOC | Volatile Organic Compounds |
| W | Watt |
| WFD | Water Framework Directive (EU) |
| ww | Wet weight |
| WWF | World Wildlife Fund |
| yr | Year |
| μ (prefix) | Micro, 10-6 |
