Report of the Joint ICES/OSPAR Study Group on Integrated Monitoring of Contaminants and Biological Effects (SGIMC)

SGIMC met for five days in January 2010 at ICES HQ. The main tasks undertaken were:

• Continuation of the deveopment of backround documents and assessment criteria for biological effects measurements;

• Review and further develop OSPAR frameworks for integrated monitoring of contaminants and their effects;

• Review the need for technical Annexes to OSPAR Guidelines and to draft as necessary.

The main outcomes of the meeting were:

• A series of 13 documents completed updated documents, many with pro-posals for assessment criteria, recommended for adoption by OSPAR;

• Further develop proposals for a joint training and data interpretation workshop with MEDPOL on lysosomal stability to be held in 2010 in Italy;

• Updated work programme for 2010–2011, with a view to a final meeting of the SG in 2011.