EcApRHA’s first Pelagic Habitats group workshop

31 March 2016

The EcApRHA Pelagic Habitats Work Package held its first joint workshop from 30 to 31 March 2016 at the OSPAR Commission office, in London, United Kingdom. The workshop focused on Work Package 1 activities, progress and data needs within the pelagic habitat indicator development.

Pelagic Habitat indicators being developed include:

  • Changes of plankton functional types (life form) index Ratio (PH1)
  • Plankton biomass and/or abundance (PH2)
  • Changes in biodiversity index (PH3)

Nine experts attended the workshop from France (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Spain (Instituto Español de Oceanografía), Sweden (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute), Germany (NLWKN Lower Saxony Water Management Agency) and UK (Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science and OSPAR Commission).

OSPAR, EcApRHA Pelagic habitats workshop attendees, 30-31 March 2016.

Main outcomes of the workshop:

  • Progress update for each pelagic indicator and future work plans (in accordance with the OSPAR 2017 intermediate assessment).
  • Data flows, gaps and potential national sources for pelagic indicators were discussed and new sources/contacts identified.
  • Draft data call documents for all the pelagic indicators were developed.
  • Data and indicator aggregation options for pelagic indicators were discussed.
  • EcApRHA WP1 activities, deliverables and main milestones were discussed and agreed.

The next pelagic group workshop is scheduled for 03 June 2016 in Hamburg, Germany.

EcApRHA pelagic habitat project partners: