ICES/OSPAR Steering Group on Quality Assurance of Biological Measurements in the Northeast Atlantic (SGQAE)

The Chair reviewed the Terms of Reference (C.Res 2001/2ACME05) for the 2002 meeting as agreed by ICES, namely to:

a) meet jointly with the ICES/HELCOM Steering Group on Quality Assurance of Biological Measurements in the Baltic Sea (SGQAB) on matters of common interest, and establish a common procedure for the reporting of outcomes;

b) explore and propose means of cooperation between ICES, HELCOM and OSPAR and other international agencies (especially those associated with the new EC Water Policy) with a view to the exchange of advice concerning harmonisation and quality control of measures of biological communities employed in international monitoring programmes (with SGQAB);

c) evaluate accreditation schemes for individuals or laboratories engaged in marine biological monitoring and make recommendations including, if appropriate, operational specifications;

d) act on responses to the final draft of OSPAR/ICES guidelines for QA of biological measures, and pursue an appropriate route for publication;

e) review progress in the application of JAMP guidelines and associated QA activities within Member Countries;

f) further evaluate and report on criteria for judging the acceptability of biological data in international monitoring programmes, at the field sampling, laboratory analysis, and data entry stages;

g) review and report on the outcome of biological workshops/intercalibration exercises/ring tests, etc., relevant to ICES/OSPAR activities, and produce a plan of activities covering the years 2002 and 2003;

h) review the outcome of activities of SGPHYT, and of other comparable efforts in compilation of species lists, with emphasis on QA aspects and evaluate their adequacy in reporting biological community data to ICES;

i) further consider the practical utility of measures of primary production, and of zooplankton and coastal fish community studies, in environmental monitoring programmes, and associated QA/AQC issues (with SGQAB) and report to WGPE and WGZE for their further consideration;

j) evaluate results obtained with the EC BEQUALM project, with the aim of producing recommendations relevant to JAMP guidelines;

k) review the outcome of a questionnaire to laboratories in the OSPAR area concerning QA activities in relation to biological measures and make recommendations on appropriate follow-up action.