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Monitor Taskforce

Benthic communities are extensively used for environmental monitoring. This use is based on the relative immobility and long life span of benthic organisms, which therefore are assumed to integrate environmental effects over a time span of years. Apart from being used as an indicator, the state of benthic communities is often considered as a target parameter for environmental management itself, since benthos provides an essential link to fish and (in intertidal zones) birds.
 
However, the study of benthos in estuaries and coastal areas is complicated by a high variability in space and time of these communities. Sampling programmes and datasets need to be extensive in order to yield sufficient statistical power to resolve trends. To overcome these limitations MON generates extensive long-term data series on macrobenthic communities and compiled a database with historical data (for some taxa from the early 60’s) on the marine macro-benthic communities of the SW parts of the Netherlands.
 
Estuaries and coastal areas are of great economic and ecological importance and are rapidly degrading under strong and increasing human pressure, locally through pollution and changing land and sea use and globally through climate change and sea level rise. The sustainable use of these areas requires effective management based on a good understanding of how these systems function. MON is often in an advisory role involved in decision making processes prepared by companies and non-profit organisations. 

Research topics and cooperation

Over the past five years MON has been active in the following research topics:
  • benthic monitoring programmes in the southwest Netherlands embedded in the national monitoring programmes related to the (EU) Water Framework Directives and Environmental Impact Studies and to the sustainable use of coastal zone resources (commissioned by local or national governmental authorities and harbour authorities).
  • descriptors of the environmental status of the estuaries, sea-arms and basins in the south-westNetherlands(by studying the variability in diversity, biomass and species composition of macrobenthos in relation to (changing) environmental factors)
  • historical analysis of the temporal development of the macrobenthos communities in the south-westNetherlandsunder the influence of anthropogenic changes (changing the Dutch Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt (Delta) estuarine area into brackish or freshwater basins)
  • coupling of the MON relational database to international data(bases) (as in MarBEF NoE) to reach a European spatial scale, in order to study large-scale trends and global effects on marine biodiversity and local (anthropogenic) phenomena.
 
Nationally MON has established a strong network with national and local authorities responsible for the monitoring of (the environmental quality of) the marine and brackish waters in the Netherlands, e.g. Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) and the Rotterdam Harbour Authorities (HbR). Thereby, MON is involved in the major studies regarding the implementation of (the legally obligatory) monitoring in the frame of the Water Framework Directive and environmental impacts in the marine and brackish water of South-western Netherlands. MON encompasses all aspects from the field sampling through the practical laboratory and taxonomic analyses, to scientific analyses and advice to contractors. The data of MON are also frequently used by the fundamental research departments SE and ES of the CEME.
 
Internationally MON is participating in the FP7 project VECTORS on vectors of change in oceans and seas, with a focus on invasive alien and outbreak forming species. Moreover, MON is involved in leading functions in the EC FW7 EuroMarine action combining the previous NoE’s MarBEF, MGE and EurOceans, and in the COST action EMBOS, aiming to establish a pan-European network of marine biodiversity observatory sites.

Quality Management System

Quality assurance of sampling and data analysis and management is one of the main objectives of the Monitor Taskforce. In order to reach this goal, and as a performance indicators for its clients, MON performs all its actions within a harmonized and certified set of protocols (under ISO norm 9001-2008).

The aims of the quality management system are as follows:

  • To offer optimal service to our clients in order to increase their satisfaction.
  • To accomplish client demands and specification on projects.
  • To meet the requirements of the law and issuing of rules, that are of importance.
  • To prevail prevention of deviation above correction of errors.
  • To prove the effectiveness of the quality management system.
  • To continuously improve the system and processes.