Marine Habitat Committee ICES CM 19991E:1 Ref.: ACME+C REPORT OF THE BENTHOS ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP Kristineberg, Sweden 28 April-l May 1999 This report is not to be quoted without prior consultation with the General Secretary. The document is a report of an expert group under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and does not necessarily represent the views of the Council. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer Palregade 2-4 DK-1261 Copenhagen KDenmark TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page OPENING OF THE MEETING ................................................................................................................................. 1 2 APPOINTMENT OF RAPPORTEUR ....................................................................................................................... 1 3 TERMS OF REFERENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 1 4 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA ................................................................................................................................ 2 5 REPORT ON THE 1998 ICES ANNUAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE IN LISBON, PORTUGAL ......................... 2 6 REPORT ON MEETING OF ACME AND OTHER MEETINGS OF INTEREST .................................................. 2 6.1 ACME Meeting ............................................................................................................................................... 2 6.2 ICES Working Group on the Effects of Extraction of Marine Sediments on the Marine Ecosystem (y.IGEXT) ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 6.3 ICES Working Group on Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms (y.IGITMO) ............................. 3 6.4 OSPARlICESIEEA Workshop on Habitat Classification and Biogeographic Regions and ICES Study Group on Marine Habitat Mapping (SGMHM) ............................................................................................... 3 6.5 ICES Study Group on Marine Biodiversity (SGMB) ...................................................................................... 3 6.6 ICES Benthos Dynamics Symposium, Crete, October 1998 .......................................................................... .4 6.7 ICES/SCOR Symposium on Ecosystem Effects of Fisheries (Montpellier, March 1999) ............................. .4 6.8 Baltic Activities .............................................................................................................................................. .4 7 REPORT ON COOPERATIVE STUDIES AND OTHER STUDIES RELEVANT TO ICES (INCLUDING ACTION LIST OF 1998 BEWG MEETING) ........................................................................................................... .4 7.1 Databases ........................................................................................................................................................ .4 7.2 Study of Hyperbenthic Populations ................................................................................................................. 5 7.3 Long-term Benthic Studies .............................................................................................................................. 6 7.4 Monitoring Programmes .................................................................................................................................. 7 7.5 Alien Species ................................................................................................................................................... 8 7.6 Coral Reefs ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 7.7 Transport Studies ............................................................................................................................................. 9 7.8 Studies on Invertebrate By-catch ..................................................................................................................... 9 7.9 North Sea Benthos Studies .............................................................................................................................. 9 7.10 Sand Extraction and Dumping of Dredge Spoil... .......................................................................................... 10 7.11 Other Studies ................................................................................................................................................. 12 8 NORTH SEA BENTHOS PROJECT ....................................................................................................................... 12 9 MERITS OF (NEW) SAMPLING APPROACHES AND NEW SAMPLING DEVICES ...................................... 13 9.1 Mapping of Marine Benthic Habitats of Browns Bank (Southern Scotian Shelf) ......................................... 13 9.2 Mapping of UK Gravel Biotopes and an Examination of the Factors Controlling the Distribution, Type, and Diversity of their Biological Communities ................................................................................... 13 10 DEVELOPMENTS IN COMPUTER AIDS IN BENTHIC STUDIES (TAXONOMIC AND OPERATIONAL) .. 14 10.1 Identification Keys on CD-ROM ................................................................................................................... 14 10.2 BioMarViewer .............................................................................................................................................. 14 10.3 Identification Keys on Epibenthos ................................................................................................................. 14 11 ADVICE ON QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURES FOR BENTHOS STUDIES ......................................... 14 11.1 Review of Standard Operating Procedures .................................................................................................... 14 11.2 Review of Case Studies ................................................................................................................................. 15 11.3 Inventory of National Guidelines ................................................................................................................... 17 12 GENERAL GUIDELINES ON QA FOR BIOLOGICAL MONITORING (REQUEST FROM SGQAE) ............. 17 13 GUIDELINES FOR EPIFAUNAL SAMPLING AND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION OF EPIBIOTA .............. 17 14 ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATIONS (NAO) ON BENTHIC POPULATION PARAMETERS .............................................................................................................................. 18 14.1 Causal Relationships in Long-term Changes of Benthos in Gullmarsfjorden, western Sweden .................... 18 15 CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARINE HABITAT COMMITTEE [MHC] STRATEGIC PLAN ........................... 18 16 ANY OTHER BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................................ 19 16.1 Joint Meeting with WGFTFB ........................................................................................................................ 19 16.2 New Chair .......................................................................................................... :........................................... 19 16.3 Socio-economic Approaches ......................................................................................................................... 19 Section Page 17 RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION LIST ....................................................................................................... 19 17.1 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................... 19 17.2 Action List ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 18 VENUE AND DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING ................................................................................................... 21 19 CLOSING OF THE MEETING ...................................... ;........................................................................................ 21 ANNEX 1: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................................................ 22 ANNEX 2: AGENDA ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 ANNEX 3: OSPARJICESIEEA WORKSHOP ON HABITAT CLASSIFICATION AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS ................................................................................................................................................................. 25 ANNEX 4: REPORT ON THE ICES SYMPOSIUM, MARINE BENTHOS DYNAMICS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND FISHERIES IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................... 30 ANNEX 5: UNDERWATER VIDEO-TECHNIQUE AS A TOOL FOR THE BENTHIC MONITORING IN THE GERMAN PART OF THE BALTIC SEA ............................................................................................................... 34