International bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean Instruction manual Version 7 2013 MEDITS-Handbook. Version n. 7, 2013, MEDITS Working Group : 120 pp. 2 The MEDITS programme is conducted within the Data Collection Framework (DCF) in compliance with the Regulations of the European Council n. 199/2008, the European Commission Regulation n. 665/2008 the Commission Decisions n. 949/2008 and n. 93/2010. The financial support is from the European Commission (DG MARE) and Member States. This document does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission as well as of the involved Member States of the European Union. In no way it anticipates any future opinion of these bodies. Permission to copy, or reproduce the contents of this report is granted subject to citation of the source of this material. MEDITS Survey – Instruction Manual - Version 7 3 Preamble The MEDITS project started in 1994 within the cooperation between several research Institutes from the four Mediterranean member States of the European Union. The target was to conduct a common bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean in which all the participants use the same gear, the same sampling protocol and the same methodology. A first manual with the major specifications was prepared at the start of the project. The manual was revised in 1995, following the 1994 survey, taking into account the methodological improvements acquired during the first survey. During the course of years, several improvements were made. A new version of the manual was issued each time it was felt necessary to make improvements to the previous protocol. In any case, each time the MEDITS co-ordination committee ensured that amendments did not disrupt the consistency of the series. The third version of this manual was edited in 1999, while the fourth one served as a manual for the surveys carried out between 2000 and 2006. The fifth version, although issued in 2007, included improvements adopted by the MEDITS group since 2005, and was the protocol followed from the 2005 until 2011 surveys. In 2012 the revision 6 was issued, which included substantial modifications to the MEDITS manual, though not affecting the main characteristics of the protocol regarding the sampling scheme, methods and gear. This new version included changes in the list of target species and faunistic categories, which were both expanded. In addition, the protocol for otolith and biological parameters sampling and measurements was included and the storage data formats were adjusted accordingly. The present version number 7, in continuity with the previous one, is amending or innovating some aspects, while incorporating more specific and standardised gear checks and proposing a common protocol for the voluntary collection of data on marine litters, in agreements with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Directive Framework (Directive 2008/56/EC). This version 7 is thus a revision of the 2012 MEDITS handbook, taking into consideration the evolution of the MEDITS survey within the Data Collection Framework. MEDITS Survey – Instruction Manual - Version 7 4 Co-ordination of the MEDITS program (2013) Co-ordination The MEDITS program is currently co-ordinated at international level by Maria Teresa Spedicato (COISPA Tecnologia&Ricerca, Italy). The MEDITS group is currently composed as in table 1. The members of the Steering Committee are indicated by the letter N in the same table. Table 1 List of National MEDITS coordinators and regional coordinators GSA Country Scientist Affiliation Address/Telephone Email address Name Spain Enric Massutí I.E.O. Instituto IEO- Centro Oceanográfico [email protected] N Español de de Baleares P.O. Box 291 Oceanografía, Spain 07080 Palma Phone: (34) 971401877 Fax: (34) 971404945 1,2 Spain Cristina Garcia I.E.O., Centro Muelle Pesquero s/n; 29640 [email protected] R Oceanográfico de Fuengirola, Málaga Tel. +34 952472261 Fax: +34 952463808 5 Spain Antoni I.E.O. - Centro P.O. Box 291 07080 Palma [email protected] Quetglas Oceanográfico de Phone: (34) 971401877 R Baleares; Fax: (34) 971404945 6 Spain Antonio I.E.O. - Centro Varadero nº 1 Apdo. 22 [email protected] Esteban Oceanográfico de 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar R Murcia (Murcia) Tel: +34 968 179 410Fax: +34 968 184 441 7,8 France Angelique Ifremer, Sète Bd Jean Monnet, B.P. 171, [email protected] Jadaud 34203 Sète Cedex N Tel. + 33 04 99 57 32 00 Fax: + 33 04 99 57 32 94 Italy Giulio Relini SIBM, Società c/o Distav., Univ. di Genova [email protected]; N Italiana di Biologia Viale Benedetto XV, 3 [email protected] 16132 Genova Marina, Genova Tel. e fax +39 010 357888 9 Italy Stefano De CIBM - Centro Viale Nazario Sauro 4, [email protected] Ranieri Interuniversitario di 57128 Livorno R Biologia Tel. +39 0586 807287 Marina ed Ecologia Fax: +39 0586 809149 Applicata (Livorno) 10 Italy Pierluigi COISPA - Via dei Trulli 18/20, [email protected] Carbonara Tecnologia & 70126 Bari R Ricerca Tel. +39 080 5433596 Fax: +39 080 5433586 Italy Maria Teresa COISPA - Via dei Trulli 18/20, 70126 [email protected] Spedicato Tecnologia & Bari I Ricerca Tel. +39 080 5433596 Fax: +39 080 5433586 11 Italy Angelo Cau Dipartimento di Via T. Fiorelli, 1, 09126 [email protected] R Scienze della Vita e Cagliari dell’Ambiente, Tel. +39 070 6758050/3 Università di Fax: +39 070 380285 Cagliari 15 Malta Roberta Ministry for Department of Fisheries and [email protected] Mifsud Sustainable Aquaculture, N Development, the Ghammieri, Ngiered Road, Environment and Marsa MRS 3303, Climate Change , Malta MEDITS Survey – Instruction Manual - Version 7 5 Malta Tel. +356 2292 1236 Fax: +356 2292 1221 16 Italy Fabio IAMC - Coastal Via L. Vaccara, 61, 91026 [email protected] Fiorentino Marine Mazara del Vallo (TP) R Environment Tel. +39 0923 948966 Institute - CNR, Fax: +39 0923 906634 Section of Mazara del Vallo (TP) 17 Italy Corrado Laboratorio Viale Adriatico, 1/N, [email protected] Piccinetti Biologia Marina e 61032, Fano (PS). R Pesca, Università di Tel. +39 0721 802 689 Bologna Fax: +39 0721 801 654 Slovenia Bojan Marceta Fishery Research Sp Gameljne [email protected] N Institute of Slovenia 1211 Ljubljana-Smartno Tel.(0)1 2443400 Fax (0) 1 2443405 Croatia Nedo Vrogc IOR - Institute of Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, [email protected] N Oceanography and 21000 Split; Fisheries (Split) tel: +(385) (21) 408000fax: +(385) (21) 358650 18 Italy Giuseppe COISPA - Via dei Trulli 18/20, 70126 [email protected] Lembo Tecnologia & BARI R Ricerca Tel. +39 080 5433596 Fax: +39 080 5433586 Montenegro Aleksandar Institute of Marine POBox 69; 85 330 Kotor, [email protected] Joksimovic Biology, Kotor Montenegro N tel: +382 (0)32 302 040fax: +382 (0)32 334 570 Albania Jerina Kolitari Laboratori i Laboratori i Akuakultures [email protected] N Akuakultures dhe dhe Peshkimit, Durres Peshkimit, Durres 19 Italy Porzia Department of Via Orabona, 4 – 70125 [email protected] Maiorano Biology - Bari R University Tel. +39 0805442495 of Bari Fax: +39 0805443350 20 Greece Evgenia HCMR, Hellenic Agios Kosnas, Elliniko, [email protected] Lefkaditou Centre of Marine Athens R Research, Athens Greece Panagiota HCMR, Hellenic P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, [email protected] Peristeraki Centre of Marine 71003, CRETE N Research, Crete Tel. +30 2810 337830 Fax: +30 2810 337823 22 Greece Argyris FRI - Fisheries Nea Peramos, 64007, [email protected] Kallianiotis Research Institute, Kavala GREECE R NAGREF Tel. +30 25940 22691 - National Fax: +30 25940 22222 Agricultural Research Foundation 23 Greece George Hellenic Center for P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, [email protected] Tserpes Marine Research, 71003, CRETE R Crete Tel. +30 2810 337851 Fax: +30 2810 337823 25 Cyprus Charis DFMR - Fisheries Resources [email protected] Charilou Department of Division N Fisheries and 101 Vithleem str., 1416 - Marine Research, Nicosia, Ministry of Tel.: +357 22 807 842Fax: Agriculture, Natural + 357 22 77 59 55 Resources and Environment R= Regional Coordinator; N=National Coordinator; I=International Coordinator MEDITS Survey – Instruction Manual - Version 7 6 Contents INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 8 [1] SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SAMPLING GEAR ........................................................................... 9 1.1 THE TRAWL ........................................................................................................................................ 9 1.2 THE RIGGING .................................................................................................................................... 10 1.3 THE DOORS (O TTER BOARDS ).......................................................................................................... 10 1.4 WARP DIAMETER AND LENGTH ........................................................................................................ 11 1.5 COMPLEMENTARY EQUIPMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEMS ............................................................ 11 [2] SAMPLING METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 12 2.1 VESSEL CHARACTERISTICS............................................................................................................... 12 2.2 PERIOD OF THE SURVEY ................................................................................................................... 12 2.3 HAULS LOCALISATION ....................................................................................................................