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Project title

Marine Ecological Tools for Reference, Intercalibration and Classification (METRIC)

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Marine Institute

Lead Applicant

Francis O'Beirn

Project Abstract

a) Throughout the European Unionis (EU) water quality monitoring programmes exist in many of the member states (MS). With the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD Council Directive 2000/60/EC) all MS must harmonise their national monitoring methods for each common metric (parameter indicative of a biological water quality element) used to determine the state of the aquatic environment to ensure consistent and comparable classification results for all biological community quality elements used (WFD Annex V 1.4.1). The METRIC project therefore was designed specifically to support the Irish role in the EU Intercalibration exercise of biological quality elements (BQEs) in order to set harmonised ecological quality criteria for the assessment of water quality in the transitional and coastal waters (TraCW) of Europe. The BQEs investigated by METRIC included1. Plants (Phytoplankton Macroalgae and Angiosperms)2. Benthic Macroinvertebrates (soft bottom habitat)3. Fish (estuarine)b) The normative definitions as set out in the WFD were used to determine reference conditions and the classification boundaries between high-good (H-G) (i.e. what constitutes high and good ecological quality status of a water body) and good-moderate (G-M) ecological quality status (WFD Annex V). The ecological quality status of a water body (WB management unit) is an overall expression of the structure and function of its biological community taking into account geographical and climatic factors together with physical and chemical conditions including those resulting from anthropogenic influences (MERC Internal METRIC report 2006 available on request from the principle investigator francis.obeirn@marine.ie). An important step in this process was the quality of the reference condition data since this standard determines the levels at which all quality class boundaries are set. Collated data of Irish aquatic plants (phytoplankton macrophytes and angiosperms) benthic macroinvertebrates and estuarine fish data best contemporary data plus historic records from undisturbed water bodies and expert advice was used to set the values for reference conditions (pristine conditions i.e. no human influence) or near reference conditions (unimpacted sites i.e. assumed to be in reference condition).

Grant Approved

�373,256.40

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

Improve our Knowledge on the State of our Water Resources and Pressures

Start Date

n/a

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a