WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Task on Harmonisation of Freshwater Biological Methods Progress Report Presented by Ana Cristina Cardoso Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability Inland and Marine Waters Unit

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Contents of the presentation Harmonisation task sheet Information available First analysis Timetable next steps

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Reasoning for task on Harmonisation WFD Annex V Standards for monitoring of quality elements Methods used for the monitoring of type parameters shall conform to the international standards listed below or such other national or international standards which will ensure the provision of data of an equivalent scientific quality and comparability Intercalibration of Member States biological assessment systems

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 WG2A ECOSTAT Meeting Oct 2003: Presentation of outline for initiative on harmonisation of national biological monitoring systems More detailed description Harmonisation task sheet’ sent to ECOSTAT Members Dec 2003

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Task Team Ana Cristina Cardoso (JRC-EEWAI) Guido Premazzi (JRC,EEWAI) Fabrice martinet (FR) Maria Luisa Serrano (ES) Marina Carstens (DE) Teresa Rafael (PT) Sebastien Birk (STAR) Peter Hale (CEN)

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Harmonisation task sheet: Objectives Overview of the biological methods currently in use Evaluate applicability in monitoring and assessment of ecological quality as required by the WFDEvaluate applicability in monitoring and assessment of ecological quality as required by the WFD Evaluate applicability as common metrics for the purpose of the intercalibration exerciseEvaluate applicability as common metrics for the purpose of the intercalibration exercise Identify potential needs for development of new methods or harmonisation of existing methods (link to CEN) Evaluate applicability in monitoring and assessment of ecological quality as required by the WFD Evaluate applicability as common metrics for the purpose of the intercalibration exercise

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Harmonisation task sheet: Analysis Methods comparability level: Sampling Analytical Assessment Assessment of applicability to WFD: should use EQR-values including type- specific reference conditions for the biological quality elements

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004  Needs for harmonisation  Need for new methods  Possible common metrics Harmonisation task sheet: Analysis

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Sources of information Information on methodologies currently in use and in development in MS and CC WFD-CIS Monitoring Guidance – Method’s Task Sheets Intercalibration metadata questionnaire Information compiled from FP5 research projects - STAR (WATERVIEW database) CEN and ISO

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Information so far available Source Country LakesRivers ECOSTATIE, NO, PL,SP, SW GR, IT, IE, NO, PO, PT, SP, SW, UK WFD-CIS Monitoring WG FIN, NO, SW, UK FIN, FR, GR, IT, NO, SW, UK STAR - WATERVIEW Database All MS but Fin All CC but CY and Malta, also countries in negotiation No Countries724

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 WFD-CIS Monitoring WG Fact Sheets on Biological Methods: Lakes Biological element PressureCountrySamplingAnalysisAssessment Phytoplankton EutrophicationFIN, NO, SW, UK Interest dif. Lake areas, freq., qualitative or quantitative National Std or published One uses Chl as biomass, other species ID, abundance and biovolume Ref. Cond. Not consider or only for limited No of lakes. None WFD compatible Aquatic plantsEutrophicationFIN, SW, UK Dif. strategies but all inf. on plants in transect from shore to deep water ID to species, abundance as % coverage One consider ref cond. But for limited No of lakes, mostly used to monitor changes. Not WFD compatible Benthic Macro- invertebrates Eutrophication, acidification, SW, UK, NO/SW Dif sampling according to lake area of interest International or National Std Species abundance, presence or absence of sensitive sp. Applicable to different areas (littoral or prof.) ref. cond. or need to develop type specific ref. cond., 5 quality classes. 2 WFD compatible EutrophicationSWEkman grab National Std SpeciesApplicable to prof. Type specific ref. cond., 5 quality classes, WFD Compatible FishEutrophication, acidification SW, UK5 different methodsApplicable to different lakes. Most ID to sp and abundance One with type sp ref. Cond. Good basis for dev WFD compatible methods Macro-inv. aquatic plants Eutrophication, acidification UKNational Std for both biol.elements Multimetric index PSYM Ref. Cond. for range of env. cond. and geology. Good applicability to WFD

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Overview of methods in Waterview database Summarised in different tables according to sensitiveness to pressures: Organic pollution Morphological degradation Eutrophication Toxic substances Acidification General degradation

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Overview of European Watercourse Assessment Methods Waterview Database (

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Pressure eutrophication (continuation)

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 IC metadata questionnaire asked if site selected was classified in compliance with the WFD requirements … Assessment made on non-WFD- compatible classification system for 65% for lakes and river sites and 80% for coastal sites

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 IC metadata questionnaire … give a description of the classification method used Most countries considered the biological quality elements agreed to be in focus for IC macroinvertebrate data for river phytoplankton (often chl values) and physico-chemical data for lakes phytoplankton, macroinvertebrates and physico- chemical data for coast Methods used - sampling, analysis and metrics - are different between countries and even within a country (e.g. macroinvertebrate metrics for rivers)

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 International standards -Lakes Phytoplankton: SW- phytoplankton composition, abundance and biomass, Utermöhl technique, CEN std under development Aquatic flora: FIN - Aquatic flora composition and abundance, CEN Initiative to develop a std relating to lake macrophytes Benthic invertebrate fauna: SW - exposed lake shores, kick-samples, ISO 7828:1985 for sampling UK - Chironomid pupal Exuviae Technique (CPET), CEN Std awaited

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 International standards -Lakes Fish: SW - Composition, abundance and age structure of fish populations, Gillnets, proposed CEN Std, document CEN/TC 230/WG 2/TG 4 N28 UK - Composition and abundance of benthic invertebrate fauna, composition and abundance of aquatic flora: Predictive System for Multimetrics (PSYM). Ongoing work will result in a draft method for submission

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 Conclusions Little information of national methodologies is available for lakes Some degree of harmonisation at national level but often non-comparability between countries Not all biological elements are covered by the national monitoring Most current available methodologies are not WFD compatible For certain geographic areas or for some types there are good possibilities to identify common metrics

WG 2A ECOSTAT 4-5 MARCH 2004 IssueDateMeetings Letter with request of national methods to WG2A 18 December 2003 All documents returned to JRCEnd of January 2004 Distribution of documents among the drafting team First week of February st DraftFirst week of MarchDraft group meeting Draft presented at the W2A meeting March 2004 Final DraftApril 2004Draft group meeting Draft sent for comments to WG2A Mid-May Comments returnedBegin of June Final report July Final work presented at the WG2A October Reminder 10 Feb Compilation Started 16 Feb