Regional Marine Monitoring Programme: A Strategy and Global Experiences

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Regional Marine Monitoring ProgrammeA Strategy
and Global Experiences

• Stephen de Mora
• Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory
• IAEA-MEL, Monaco
• Baku, October 2005

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Outline

• Introduction
• Definition of Pollution
• Types of Monitoring
• Monitoring Requirements
• Strategy
• Framework
• Problems and Parameters
• Data Quality Assurance
• Development and Implementation of RMP
• Global Experiences
• Western Indian Ocean
• Caspian Environment Programme
• Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project
• MED POL

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Definition of Pollution

•   the introduction by man, directly or
  indirectly, of substances or energy in the marine
  environment resulting in such deleterious effects
  as harm to living organisms, hazards to human
  health, hindrance to marine activities including
  fishing, impairment of quality of use of sea
  water and reduction of amenities.

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Monitoring and Study of Marine Pollution
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Uses of Monitoring Databases
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Monitoring Requirements
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Strategy

• Regional Marine Pollution Monitoring Programme
• Framework
• Problems
• Parameters
• Data Quality Assurance
• Development and Implementation of RMPMP

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The Scientific Method

• Discussion
• Justification of results right method used?
• New knowledge?
• Conclusions
• Question answered?
• Right question asked?

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Environmental Protection

• Discussion
• Justification of results right method used?
• New knowledge?
• Conclusions
• Question answered?
• Are new policies needed?

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Problems in the Marine Environment

• Most serious problems according to (GESAMP)
• Alteration and destruction of habitats
• Changes in sediment flows due to hydrological
  changes
• Climate change
• Decline in fish stocks and other renewable
  resources
• Effects of sewage and chemical pollution
• Eutrophication

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Parameters (Sediments)
POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants PTS
Persistent Toxic Substances
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National and Regional Monitoring
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Data Quality Assurance

• Accurate data are a fundamental requirement
• Laboratories
• must adopt good Quality Assurance/Quality Control
  (QA/QC) practices
• must participate regularly in blind
  interlaboratory analytical comparison exercises
• Interlaboratory comparison exercises
• essential for checking the accuracy of analytical
  results of one laboratory
• indispensable in ensuring comparability between
  laboratories in a network
• stimulate better analytical performance
• Trend analysis requires precise data

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Development Implementation of RMP

• Defining Problems and Parameters
• Network Building
• Implementation
• Review and Evaluation
• Reporting to Regional Organization

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1. Defining Problems and Parameters

• Fact Finding (perceived problems)
• Governmental authorities, Scientific experts,
  Stakeholders, NGOs, Civil society
• Donors
• Contaminant Screening Survey
• Reliable data collection
• Marine pollution assessment
• Regional Meeting
• Agree on parameters and methods
• Set priorities
• Establish funding strategy

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2. Network Building

• Capacity building
• Training
• Initial measurements
• Joint cruises
• Split sample analyses
• External Data Quality Assurance
• Data Exchange
• Regional Database Creation

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3. Implementation of the RMP

• Co-ordinated monitoring
• Regular routine
• Agreed parameters
• Harmonized methodology
• Consistent reporting

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4. Review and Evaluation

• Evaluation of laboratory network (external DQA)
• Appraisal of parameters (emerging issues)
• Appraisal of Methodology (new techniques)
• Regional assessment of marine pollution (SoE)
• Trend analysis (efficacy of policies)
• Recommendations for research and pilot studies

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5. Reporting to Regional Organization

• Assess the state of the environment
• Gap analysis
• Establish working groups as required
• Review and amend Convention and protocols

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IAEA-MESL Global Experiences
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WIO-LaB Planned Contaminant Screening

• Water and Sediment Monitoring and Assessment
• Water sampling programme
• standard water quality parameters
• nutrients
• chlorophyll a
• Sediment survey
• metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb)
• organic compounds (total petroleum hydrocarbons,
  PAHs, PCBs and chlorinated pesticides)
• benthos
• Sites should encompass hot spots, sensitive areas
  and reference / background locations

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CEP - Contaminant Screening

• 105 surface sediment samples
• Pollution observed
• Petroleum hydrocarbons, notably to the south of
  Baku Bay
• DDT-related compounds in the coastal zone of
  Azerbaijan and Iran
• Lindane in the Russian sector
• Hg, Cu Zn at localised hot spots that reflect
  anthropogenic inputs

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Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project

• Background
• Some national monitoring programmes, but tendency
  to be intermittent
• Laboratory performance generally in need of
  improvement
• Not yet a coordinated regional marine pollution
  monitoring programme
• Contaminant screening surveys have been conducted
  
• Much research carried out, often due to external
  sponsorship
• Main problems
• Eutrophication due to nutrient runoff
• Pesticide contamination

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Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project

• Pilot Monitoring Scheme under Development
• Run transects away from the coast for each
  country
• 3 or 4 times per year
• 4 or 5 stations
• Collect water samples on each mission
• Standard oceanographic parameters
• Nutrients
• Chlorophyll a
• Collect sediment samples annually
• Metals
• Organic contaminants
• Organometallic compounds (methylmercury,
  organotins)
• Benthos
• Split sample analyses for sediments
• IAEA-MESL to run analyses for comparative purposes

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Introduction to MED POL

• Programme for the Assessment and Control of
  Pollution in the Mediterranean Region
• Programme of UNEP MAP (Mediterranean Action
  Plan)
• Initiated in 1975
• Evolved through 3 phases
• New Protocols
• Additional monitoring schemes
• New phase to start in 2006

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MED POL Phase I (1975-1980)

• Objectives
• To formulate and carry out a coordinated
  pollution monitoring and research programme
• To assist national research centres in developing
  their capabilities to participate in the
  programme
• To analyze the sources, levels, pathways, trends
  and effects of pollutants
• To provide the scientific/technical information
  needed by the Governments
• To build up consistent time-series of data on the
  sources, pathways, levels and effects of
  pollutants

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MED POL Phase I (1975-1980)

• Implementation
• Mobilizing the participation of scientific
  institutions in seven monitoring and research
  projects
• Enhancing the institutional and manpower
  capabilities of developing Mediterranean
  countries
• Development of guidelines and methodologies

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MED POL Phase II (1981-1995)

• Objectives
• Information required for the implementation of
  the Convention and the Protocols
• Indicators and evaluation of the effectiveness of
  the pollution prevention measures
• Scientific information that may lead to eventual
  revision and amendment of the relevant provisions
  of the Convention and the Protocols, and for the
  formulation of additional protocols
• Information that could be used in formulating
  environmentally sound national, bilateral and
  multilateral management decisions
• Periodic assessment of the state of pollution of
  the Mediterranean Sea.

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MED POL Phase II (1981-1995)

• Implementation
• Initially focused on pollution-related monitoring
  and research
• Broadened scope to consider
• Programme of Action for Sustainable Development
  (Agenda 21)
• Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean
  Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources
  (LBS Protocol)
• Coastal Areas Management Programme (CAMP) of MAP

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MED POL Phase III (1996-2005 )

• Objectives
• Assessment of all (point and diffuse) sources and
  loads of pollution reaching the Mediterranean Sea
• Assessment of status and trends in the quality of
  the marine and coastal environment
• Assessment of magnitude of the problems caused by
  contaminants (living and non-living resources,
  human health, amenities and uses of the marine
  and coastal regions)
• Assistance to countries to develop and implement
  national action plans
• prevention and control of pollution
• mitigation of impacts caused by pollution
• restoration of systems already damaged by
  pollution

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MED POL Phase III (1996-2005 )

• Implementation
• Continued assessment of pollution and capacity
  building
• Adoption of the Strategic Action Plan in 1997
• Bilateral agreements between UNEP-MAP and
  individual countries to support National Action
  Plan
• New focus on pollution control
• New monitoring programmes
• Trend monitoring
• Compliance monitoring
• Biomonitoring

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MED POL Phase IV (2006-2013 )

• Some Key Objectives - still under development
• To assist countries implementation of the LBS,
  Dumping and Hazardous Wastes Protocols
• To assist countries implementation of the
  Strategic Action Plan and National Action Plans
• To assess the status and trends of pollution of
  the Mediterranean eco-regions
• To contribute to the development of an holistic
  approach for the monitoring and the assessment of
  human impacts on the marine and coastal
  environment, in cooperation with other competent
  regional bodies

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Overview of MED POL

• Drivers
• Phase I
• Network building
• Contaminant screening
• Phase II
• Gap analysis
• Environmental management (LBS CAMP)
• Phase III
• Pollution control
• National Action Plans
• Phase IV
• Ecosystem approach
• Closer links to EU (WFD EMS)

• Monitoring Activities
• Phase I
• Pilot Studies
• Few parameters
• Phase II
• Broader participation
• Assessment of the State of the environment
• Phase III
• New monitoring programmes
• More parameters measured
• Phase IV
• Priority substances?
• Monitoring for additional protocols

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Final Thoughts

• Why monitor?
• Are data in the region of comparable quality?
• What happens to data?
• Assessment, Action, Archive
• Limit initial expectations
• Number of parameters, sites, media
• Time to achieve harmonised regional data
• Plan to evolve
• Flexible modular
• Adapt to new protocols pollution threats
• Evaluate monitoring programme(s)

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Thank You