OSPAR’s eutrophication Common Procedure Agreement and the Eutrophication Modelling Group
The Germany Climate Computing Centre’s excellent facilities were a great support for a busy week in which the task group for revising OSPAR’s eutrophication assessment processes met back-to-back with the eutrophication modelling group’s workshop.
The new Co-convenor for the ICG-Eutrophication (ICG-Eut), Michelle Devlin from the United Kingdom is warmly welcomed. Michelle will be a valuable asset to the eutrophication group as she brings important experience in eutrophication monitoring and assessment, particularly in the use of satellite data and modelling.
The task group began the week by reviewing and revising the steps Contracting Parties take when conducting a eutrophication assessment. The ultimate aim is to have a harmonised procedure that is semi-automated. ICES has developed the OSPAR Common Procedure Eutrophication Assessment Tool (COMPEAT), and the intention is to carry out the assessment in COMPEAT in future.
The JMP EUNOSAT project defined ecologically-relevant assessment areas, beginning with the North Sea (OSPAR Region II), and proposed assessment values. The task group discussed these, and the eutrophication modellers will be a significant support to the work. The modelling workshop identified ways of refining the areas and the assessment values.
Ultimately, in order to address eutrophication, OSPAR needs to take measures. The modelling workshop looked at perspectives for deriving nutrient reduction targets, to inform the discussion of what measures to take.
There was also important work on developing eutrophication common indicators for nutrient inputs, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll concentrations and dissolved oxygen. These will all contribute to a thematic assessment of eutrophication for OSPAR’s Quality Status Report in 2023.
https://www.ices.dk/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.informatiehuismarien.nl/uk/projects/algae-evaluated-from/
HASEC Chair, Philip Axe (Sweden) with co-convenors of TG-COMP