HELCOM MONAS approves several new projects to improve the monitoring and assessment strategy

The Monitoring and Assessment Group of HELCOM (HELCOM MONAS) met for their 7th Meeting on 25 – 29 October 2004 in Tallinn, Estonia to discuss issues related to monitoring and assessing the state of and trends in the Baltic Sea.

The Group made considerable progress in revision of all HELCOM monitoring and assessment programmes so that they take into account latest scientific and technical developments as well as are in line with the new pan-European approach. The Meeting emphasized the importance of developing reference values for indicators of ecological quality and the need to harmonize regional monitoring as well as to ensure balanced monitoring of coastal waters and open sea areas.

Meeting approved several projects to improve the monitoring and assessment capacities of HELCOM by:

1.developing tools and criteria to assess the degree of eutrophication in the various sub-regions of the Baltic Sea;
2.quantifying the inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances into the Baltic Sea from various sources in the catchment area;
3.continuing monitoring of artificial radionuclides in water, sediment and biota of the Baltic Sea;
4.developing identification of phytoplankton.

The Group also agreed on draft HELCOM Recommendations on monitoring of radioactive substances and on waterborne pollution load compilations.

The Meeting was chaired by Ms. Heike Herata, Germany, and was attended by all Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Commission as well as by several observers and data consultants.

Contacts

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr Juha-Markku Leppänen
Professional Secretary
phone: +358 9 62202227
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239

Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2235
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239