Expert Meeting

Proposal of standard methodologies for the inventory and monitoring of coralligenous/maërl communities and their main species

Within the framework of the Action Plan for the conservation of the Coralligenous and other Calcareous bio-concretions in the Mediterranean sea, RAC/SPA organized an Expert Meeting to propose standard methodologies for the inventory and monitoring of coralligenous/maërl communities and their main species. This activity is included in the programme of work of RAC/SPA for 2010-2011.

This meeting was organized in closer cooperation with the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) and with support of the Italian ministry of environment.

The Main objectives of this expert meeting were to elaborate methodologies targetting:

1. Large scale comparison of assemblages.
2. Medium to long-term changes in assemblage composition and species abundances.
3. Monitoring of engineering species (corallines, main algal stands, gorgonians, engineering bryozoans, main sponges).
4. Monitoring of vagile species (fish, decapods, gastropods)
5. Growth and erosion rates in coralligenous/maërl assemblages.
6. Impact of main disturbances affecting coralligenous/maërl assemblages (trawling, mortality events, degradation by waste water, diving activities, invasive species, artisanal fishing, silting).

National experts designated by the NFP for SPA of the 21 Contracting Parties to Barcelona Convention participated to this meeting.

The outcome of the Expert meeting will be examined by the National Focal Point for SPA and submitted to the Parties at their 17th Meeting to be held in November 2011.

The working document of the meeting could be downloaded at the following link.