WP1 Reference sites for marine biodiversity
|
The information on the selected BIOMARE sites is now adopted and updated within the framework of MarBEF. All the information has been integrated in MarBEF's data system.
MarBEF/BIOMARE Sites |
|
Leader
Plymouth Marine Laboratory Plymouth, UK
Objectives and input to workpackage
It is clearly not possible to produce comprehensive inventories
of biodiversity throughout Europe at a large number of locations
which cover the full range of taxa and all hierarchical levels of
biodiversity (from genes to species and habitat). We therefore
propose a nested approach, to initiate and intensify studies
at a small number of reference sites combined with extensive
studies at a larger number of sites, where a good background of
observation data and inventories already exists. The criteria for
the selection of a first series of Primary Sites are 1)
they should be pristine: i.e. no natural factors which are likely
to depress biodiversity (e.g. increased turbidity and decreased
salinity due to river inflows) and no sources of industrial
pollution, and 2) they should comprise a mosaic of representative
coastal and shallow water habitats. Additionally, it would be
advantageous to select sites where a) there is already a body of
published information (e.g. a large proportion of the taxa has
already been enumerated) and we will supplement published
information with data on the more "difficult" and less
well-studied taxa, b) the national importance of these areas for
marine biology already has been recognised by their high
conservation status, and legislation should be in place to ensure
their continued protection, c) the infrastructure for biodiversity
studies (transport, laboratory space, accommodation) is in place
or easily established, and d) research and inventorying of the
biota is already supported by a substantial amount of national
funding.
The second series of sites should be directly connected with
local marine stations or nearby research institutes which will
then have a leading role in the harmonisation of European marine
biodiversity research, and may thus function as Reference
Sites.
The members of the Concerted Action will discuss, define
criteria and finally select appropriate sites, facilitate contacts
to the personnel who are responsible for the various data-sets
available, help to standardise and intercalibrate procedures, to
organise and establish inventories and data-banks and their
accessibility, and to conduct workshops and courses for
dissemination of the approach. The ultimate goal is to
establish a functioning network of sites for biodiversity research
on an encompassing and sustainable basis on the European level.
Description of work
Lay the basis, through inventories, meetings and workshops, to:
- establish the underlying phylogenetic pattern of biodiversity
(e.g. the apportionment of species among higher taxa) and
whether this varies along latitudinal, longitudinal and
environmental (e.g. salinity) gradients within Europe. The venue
to achieve this is to identify appropriately situated
institutions or European groups of institutes to carry a long
lasting responsibility in biodiversity research at both Primary
Sites and Reference Sites.
- develop rapid assessment techniques. A major challenge in
marine biodiversity studies within Europe is the need to develop
firmer estimates of species numbers and better estimation
procedures. One important approach to richness estimation is
extrapolation from taxon to taxon, focal group to inclusive
group, site to site and sample to inventory, across spatial
scales. To calibrate the basis for such an approach requires the
establishment of sites with an All-Taxon Biodiversity Inventory
(ATBI). To date this has not been achieved, certainly for marine
taxa, at any site in the world. Yet ‘surrogate’
methods, based on extrapolating information from intensively
studied sites, will become the norm in site assessment, because
of the impracticality of routinely attempting isolated
comprehensive surveys.
- develop and calibrate biodiversity measures based on
relatively ‘coarse’ data appropriate to the large
scales of observation, and produce indices which, unlike species
richness, are not strongly dependent on standardised sampling
effort. Such indices may include information on trophic groups,
distribution of body size, endemicity etc., as well as
phylogenetic structure. This links up closely to
WP 2.
- initiate long term observational information to establish
patterns of temporal change.
|
