1. Introduction to EUROWATERNET for transitional, marine and coastal waters

2. Types of information and data required
Types of water body
Physical characteristics of water bodies/ monitoring stations
Data on determinands in water, biota and sediment
Pressure information for each water body/stations

3. Types of water body
Water Framework Directive definitions for transitional waters and coastal waters
“Transitional waters are bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but which are substantially influenced by freshwater flows.”

4. Types of water body
“Coastal water means surface water on the landward side of a line every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters.”
Marine waters: “waters seaward of coastal waters”.

5. Water Framework Directive typology Transitional waters
Obligatory Geographic location, salinity and tidal range
Optional
depth
current velocity
wave exposure
residence time
mean water temperature
mixing characteristics
turbidity
mean substratum composition
shape
water temperature range

6. Water Framework Directive typology Coastal waters
Obligatory Geographic location, salinity and tidal range
Optional
depth (System A)
current velocity
wave exposure
retention time
mean water temperature
mixing characteristics
turbidity
mean substratum composition
water temperature range

7. EUNIS habitat classification
Pelagic water column
salinity
residence time
mixing characteristics
stratification
Sediment habitats
particle size
species composition
position on the shore

8. Selection of stations Reference
catchments or drainage basins with little or no human activity and the percentage of natural landscape would be higher than 90%
minimally impacted by adjacent waters

9. Selection of stations Representative stations
reflect the general quality of water body with respect to pressures placed upon them
representative in terms of nutrients, organic pollution indicators and hazardous substances
used for an overview of the numbers of hazardous substances present and their concentrations, and of the general levels of nutrients and organic pollution indicators
‘surveillance monitoring’

10. Selection of stations Impact stations
within the zone (area or volume of water) where initial mixing of the emissions takes place within the receiving waters.
concentrations would be expected to be relatively high at these stations
may be used by the regulatory authorities to assess the compliance of discharges with standards or limits
‘operational monitoring’

11. Number of stations
Aim to make EWN representative of the pressures, and numbers and types of water body
Information to do this currently lacking?
EEA currently reliant on data submissions to Marine Commissions/ICES, supplemented by additional national data (MARINEBASE)
Initially would request all monitoring data from national networks

12. Physical characteristics of water bodies/ monitoring stations
3 Tables presented in report
Where possible, consistent with WFD and EUNIS typologies/ classifications
Geographic co-ordinates
Station type - B, R(PHYS), R(HZ), I(PHYS), I(HZ)
Matrix
Zone instead of station for transitional waters
Distance from coastline
Provided once

14. Determinands physico-chemical determinands and contaminants in water
nutrients, oxygen, total organic carbon, chlorophyll a
contaminants in biota and sediment
Priority Substances and some List I/II substances
disaggregated data for stations
aggregated data for areas or zones
updated annually
biological data at a later date

16. Pressure information for each water body/stations
Catchment and drainage basin information
Population density
Corine Land cover or equivalent
Other anthropogenic activities directly affecting water body/monitoring station e.g.
Direct discharges from industry and urban waste water
Mariculture

17. Marine data and information flows - options
National data obtained either from Commissions/ICES if they hold all national data and other required information,
and country has given their permission to EEA
Supplemented by additional national/ regional data and information if not held in existing international databases
Or obtain all data and information from NRCs
EUROWATERNET - first steps and piloting

18. Access by EEA to national data reported to Marine Conventions
data can be accessed
by EEA
? : no reply from country
n.r: access not requested
yet

19. Summary of data and information flows

20. Timetable

21. Summary
Application of EUROWATERNET criteria to national monitoring networks during update of MARINEBASE for eventual inclusion in WATERBASE
Transmission of your data used proposed formats downloading to ETC/WTR Interest Group on CIRCLE or national IG or by (

22. Summary Most recent quality data available - target year 2000
As long a time series as possible for each station/area
Confirmation of your willingness to participate by 28 September
Transmission of data by 31 December 2001
Further information and technical support from ETC/WTR