An objective framework to test the quality of candidate indicators of good environmental status

Large efforts are on-going within the EU to prepare the Marine Strategy Framework Directive's (MSFD) assessment of the environmental status of the European seas. This assessment will only be as good as the indicators chosen to monitor the 11 descriptors of good environmental status (GEnS). An objective and transparent framework to determine whether chosen indicators actually support the aims of this policy is, however, not yet in place. Such frameworks are needed to ensure that the limited resources available to this assessment optimize the likelihood of achieving GEnS within collaborating states. Here, we developed a hypothesis-based protocol to evaluate whether candidate indicators meet quality criteria explicit to the MSFD, which the assessment community aspires to. Eight quality criteria are distilled from existing initiatives, and a testing and scoring protocol for each of them is presented. We exemplify its application in three worked examples, covering indicators for three GEnS descriptors (1, 5, and 6), various habitat components (seaweeds, seagrasses, benthic macrofauna, and plankton), and assessment regions (Danish, Lithuanian, and UK waters). We argue that this framework provides a necessary, transparent and standardized structure to support the comparison of candidate indicators, and the decision-making process leading to indicator selection. Its application could help identify potential limitations in currently available candidate metrics and, in such cases, help focus the development of more adequate indicators. Use of such standardized approaches will facilitate the sharing of knowledge gained across the MSFD parties despite context-specificity across assessment regions, and support the evidence-based management of European seas

Balık yetiştiriciliğinin makrozoobentosa etkileri üzerine bir araştırma

Türkiye' de, yarı kapalı kıyı havzalarında yüzer kafes kullanılarak yapılan deniz balığı yetiştiriciliği faaliyetleri 1985' den bu yana hızla gelişmektedir. Bu faaliyetlerinin bentik çevreye etkileri birçok çalışmada ortaya konmuştur. Bu çalışmanın ana amacı, bentik komunite yapısı, fiziksel parametreler, çözünmüş inorganik nütrientler ve organik karbon arasındaki bazı olası ilişkileri ve bunların Ildırı Körfezi'nde bulunan bir balık çiftiliğinin etkisini belirlemede gösterge olarak kullanılabilirliklerinin araştırılmasıdır._x000B_Örneklemeler, bir referans ve yedi istasyonda 4 mevsimsel arazi çalışmasında gerçekleştirilmiştir (Nisan, Temmuz, Kasım 2010 ve Şubat 2011) Sediman örnekleriBox Corer kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Birey sayıları (birey/m2) ve biyokütle (g/m2) her takson için ayrı ayrı tespit edilmiştir. Sadece Crustacea türleri mümkün olan en alt taksona kadar tayin edilmiştir. Komünite parametreleri (çeşitlilik ve düzenlilik indeksleri) her örnekleme dönemindeki her bir istasyon hesaplanmıştır. Küme analizi ve Çok Boyutlu Ölçeklendirme (ÇBÖ) analizi uygulanmıştır._x000B_Bu çalışmada, istasyonlar arasında fiziko-kimyasal parametreler açısından anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır. Bolluk ve biyokütlelerinde bazı değişimler gözlenmiş olsa da ana gruplar seviyesinde istasyonlar arasında bariz bir fark tespit edilmemiştir. Tüm mevsimlerdeki tüm istasyonlarda Polychaeta baskındı. Crustacea grubuna dahil olan kirlilik göstergeci bazı türler, kirlilik faktörünü ve etki derecesinideğerlendirmeye imkan sağlamıştır. Yetiştircilik alanında kirlilik göstergeci Crustacea türleri tespit edilmemiş, ancak iyileşme sürecinde olduğu varsayılan alanda tespit edilmiştir. In Turkey, marine fish farming activities, using the floating cages located in the semi-enclosed coastal basins, have been developing rapidly since 1985. The impacts of these activities on benthic environment were revealed by many studies. The main goal of this study is to investigate on some possible relationships between the benthic community structure, physical parameters, dissolved inorganic nutrients and organic carbon and their usability as indicators of the impact of a fish farm located in Ildırı Bay._x000B_Sampling was carried out during four seasonal cruises (April, July, November 2010 and February 2011) on seven stations and one reference station. Sediment samples were collected using Box Corer. The number of individuals (ind./m2) and biomass (g/m2) were determined separately for each taxon. Only Crustacea specimens were identified to lowest possible taxon. Community parameters (diversity and evenness indices) were calculated for each station in each sampling period. Cluster Analysis and Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis was performed_x000B_In this study, significant differences were not found for the physico-chemical parameters between the stations. The obvious differences between the stations were not detected in major taxa level; even some fluctuations were observed in abundance and biomass of major taxa. Polychaeta was dominant at all sampling stations in all seasons. Some indicator species in Crustacea taxon allowed the evaluation of pollution factors and the degree of impact. There were not found any pollution indicator Crustacea species in farming area, but found in the area which was assumed to be in recovery process

Crustacean diversity of Ildr Bay (Izmir, Turkey)

In this study, the crustacean diversity in Ildr Bay, which is characterized by a high density of aquaculture activity and tourism, was investigated. Sampling was carried out by box corer during four seasonal cruises (April, July, November 2010, and February 2011) at eight stations. Based on the analyzed samples, Crustacea has been represented with two classes, five orders, 25 families, and 40 species in the study area. Amphipods were the dominant taxon in terms of species richness (15 species), followed by both tanaids (8 species) and decapods (8 species). Although tanaids were the most abundant taxon, decapods had the highest biomass. The most abundant tanaid species was Chondrochelia savignyi (Kroyer, 1842). Crustacea abundance was negatively correlated with depth