Marine Biodiversity Observation: A system to bring theory and practice together
May 2014 - Santander, Spain.
José A. Juanes (Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain)
& Herman Hummel (Monitor Taskforce, NIOZ-Yerseke, Netherlands)
The ESF COST Action EMBOS ES1003 on the development and implementation of a pan-European Marine Biodiversity Observatory System is organising its second Training School from 12 to 17 May, 2014, in Santander, Spain.
The EMBOS Action is focusing on two major aspects that will form the basis of a Marine Biodiversity Observatory System. Firstly, a pan-European large-scale network of marine biodiversity observatory sites is prepared, and secondly a validated system of indicators is composed which will detect status and change in marine biodiversity including ecosystem health.
Pilots to test the system and training schools are part of the Action.
In the Training Schools students and young researchers can experience how marine biodiversity is observed and biodiversity indicators are calculated and used in science and policy.
During the Training School in Santander in May 2014 the participants will be presented a theoretical and practical overview of the status of biodiversity research in Europe. Participants will take part in field trips and sampling of biota in soft-sediments and on hard-substrates, taxonomic determination of species, lectures on marine biodiversity and biodiversity indicators in use in different regions of Europe, mathematical analyses of biodiversity (indicators), introduction on networking among European biodiversity researchers, and discussion groups on the use of biodiversity indicators as used in the different regions for policy (including the MSFD).
An active input of the students is expected. To this end, students are urged to orientate themselves before coming to the training school on the use of marine biodiversity indicators in science and policy in their own country, and to take copies of relevant literature with them to the Training School.
This element will come most to the foreground on Friday and Saturday morning, in the section on The process of selection of indicators for marine biodiversity and their application in the MSFD: Are there regional differences in approach? Towards the last day of the course the feasibility of a joint paper (to be submitted to an international peer reviewed journal) on the use (and degree of) implementation of the GES indicators in the MSFD in the different European countries will be evaluated. We thus expect you to be prepared before coming to the Training School.
Each participant should also prepare (on beforehand) a short Powerpoint presentation (max 5 slides, max 3 minutes) to present the most relevant issues of the last years of their study and/or research.
Interested students and young researchers are invited to apply by means of the EMBOS Training School Application Form (to be requested from Herman Hummel; herman.hummel@nioz.nl).
Deadline for applications is 25 April 2014.
EMBOS Training School
Title: Marine Biodiversity Observation: A system to bring theory and practice together
Programme
Monday 12th May 2014: Introductions
Morning Fly-in
13:30 13:45 Welcome and Programme
José A. Juanes (IH Cantabria, Spain)
Herman Hummel (NIOZ-Yerseke, Netherlands)
13:45 14:15 Introduction: EMBOS the European Marine Biodiversity Observation System
Herman Hummel
14:15 15:00 European Directives dealing with Marine Biodiversity
José A. Juanes
15:00 15:30 Coffee break
15:30 16:15 The UK Case a scientific perspective on marine biodiversity and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Matt Frost (MBA; Plymouth, UK)
16:15 16:45 Marine Biodiversity in Europe: a historical overview of networking and latest developments
Herman Hummel
16:45 17:15 Introduction to the field work: Monitoring of macrozoobenthos in the Cantabria area
17:15 18:00 Individual presentations by the Training School Participants (7 presentations, each max 3 minutes)
Tuesday 13th May 2014: field trip tidal flats Observations on macrozoobenthos diversity
07:30 Departure from the hotel
08:00 14:00 Field trip: Macro-zoobenthos at tidal flats (including lunch)(LW at 10:20)
14:00 14:30 Introduction to the practical lab work
Beatriz Echavarri
14:30 17:00 Practical lab-work: Identification of species and analysis and evaluation of the results of the field trip
Beatriz Echavarri
17:00 17:15 Wrapping up first field trip
17:15 18:00 Individual presentations by the Training School Participants (7 presentations, each max 3 minutes)
Wednesday 14th May 2014: field trip rocky shores Observations on macroalgal diversity
07:30 Departure from the hotel
08:00 08:30 Introduction to Monitoring of macro-algae in the Cantabria area
José A. Juanes, Consolación Fernández
08:30 14:00 Field trip: Macro-algae on rocky shores (including lunch)(LW at 11:00)
José M Rico, Xabier Guinda
14:00 14:30 Introduction to the lab work
José M Rico
14:30 17:00 Practical lab-work: Identification of species and analysis and evaluation of the results of the field trip
Consolación Fernández, José M Rico, Xabier Guinda
17:00 17:15 Wrapping up second field trip
17:15 18:00 Individual presentations by the Training School Participants (7 presentations, each max 3 minutes)
Thursday 15th May 2014: From observations to descriptors of diversity (data processing)
09:00 09:45 Biogeography of the Bay of Biscay: recent changes
Consolación Fernández (University of Oviedo, Spain)
09:45 10:30 Indicators of Marine Biodiversity: the importance of control locations
Simonetta Fraschetti (Univ. Salento, Italy)
10:30 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 12:00 Processing of the data; calculation of biodiversity indices.
José M Rico
12:00 12:30 Examples of data processing and presentation of diversity data
Araceli Puente
12:30 14:00 Lunch
14:30 17:00 Lab-work: Processing and analysis of the obtained data
José M Rico & Araceli Puente
17:00 18:00 Student presentations of the results
Friday 16th May 2014: The implementation of the MSFD descriptors on biodiversity
09:00 09:15 Introduction to the programme of the day: Biodiversity Indicators and the MSFD
09:15 10:00 Marine Biodiversity and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: The UK Case a policy, political and sociological perspective
Matt Frost (MBA; Plymouth, UK)
10:15 10:30 Introduction to the subgroup discussions
Herman Hummel
10:30 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 12:30 Subgroup discussions (subgroups representing European regions) - The process of selection of indicators for marine biodiversity and their application in the MSFD: Are there regional differences in approach?