TMAP Monitoring Handbook

1 Introduction

Since the beginning of the 1980s, bird eggs have successfully been used as bioindicators of environmental pollution on the southern North Seacoast (e.g. Becker et al., 2001). Egg levels of chemical contaminants reflect pollutant uptake by the female, foraging close to the colony in the few days prior to egg-laying (Gilbertson et al., 1987; Becker, 1989; Becker et al., 1991, 1998, 2001). Furthermore, bird eggs are powerful biomonitors in long-term studies, since they reveal spatial and temporal trends in the contamination of environments (Furness, 1993; Bignert et al., 1995, 1998; Becker et al., 2001; Braune et al., 2001; Becker, 2003; Becker et al., 2003; Muñoz Cifuentes et al., 2003).

In order to assess variability in chemical contamination of the Wadden Sea, Common Tern and Oystercatcher eggs (Sterna hirundo and Haematopus ostralegus, respectively) have been sampled at selected sites from the western to the northern part since 1981. Both species are among the most common waterbirds using the Wadden Sea as breeding area (Rasmussen et al., 2000). The Common Tern is a long-distance migrant that arrives in the Wadden Sea in spring and forms large breeding colonies (Becker & Ludwigs, in press). Oystercatchers, however, are resident birds in the Wadden Sea area. Both species display different habits of foraging and have different diets: Common Terns feed mainly on fish which is taken by plunge diving, and is considered as a top predator of the Wadden Sea food-chain, while Oystercatchers mainly feed on macrozoobenthic organisms like mussels and worms (Smit & Wolff, 1980; Cramp & Simmons, 1985). The good knowledge of the biology and ecology of these species, their large populations and high abundance in the Wadden Sea, the high position they occupy within the marine food chains, and the capacity to accumulate persistent contaminants make them especially suitable as monitors of the contamination of the environment (Becker et al.,1998a).

Since 1998, contaminants in bird eggs have been monitored within the framework of the TMAP and as an integrate part of the joint bird monitoring in the Wadden Sea. Two trilateral reports have been published so far.

2 Objectives

Monitoring the contamination of pollutants in bird eggs in the Wadden Sea is carried out in order

• to detect and assess the response of natural processes in the ecosystem to changes in pollution levels. The processes concerned here are food chain fluxes and reproduction (including recruitment). There are links with primary production and decomposition.
• to detect and assess the response of species to changes in pollution levels which may affect the abundance and physiological functioning of species leading to structural changes in the ecosystem.

Furthermore, the monitoring has the aim to assess

• the effectiveness of measure take for reduction of contamination (temporal trend monitoring),
• the existing level of marine contamination (spatial distribution monitoring).

3 Monitoring requirements

Wadden Sea Plan (WSP)

WSP

Targets on "Birds"

• Stable or increasing numbers and distribution taking into account that abundance of species is in line with prevailing physiographic, geographic and climatic conditions.
• Breeding success and survival determined by natural processes.
• Breeding, feeding, moulting and roosting sites supporting a natural population.
• Undisturbed connectivity between breeding, feeding, moulting and roosting sites.
• Fluctuations in food stocks determined by natural processes.
• Habitat, food stocks and connectivity between habitats supporting a favourable conservation status.

Targets on “Water and Sediment”

• Background concentrations of natural micropollutants.
• Concentration of man-made substance as resulting from zero-discharges.
• A Wadden Sea ecosystem which can be regarded as eutrophication non-problem area.
• Improvement of habitat quality for conservation of species.

EC Birds Directive (BD)

BD

Article 2: Measure to maintain the bird population
Article 4: Special conservation measures for Annex I species, Annex V List of endangered species, important areas, data on population level, taking of wild birds, species as indicators of pollution, effects of chemical pollution.

EC Habitats Directive (HD)

HD

Not relevant

Water framework directive (WFD)

WFD

Not relevant.

Oslo Paris convention (OSPAR)

Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy, Annex V and Appendix 3

Ecological Quality Objectives:
EcoQO Issue 3:
3.2 Mercury concentrations in seabird eggs.
3.3 Organohalogen concentrations in seabird eggs (see Table 1.3.5)

Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar)

Ramsar

Not relevant

African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

AEWA

Not relevant

Wadden Sea Plan (WSP)

WSP

Targets on “Water and Sediment”

• Background concentrations of natural micropollutants.
• Concentration of man-made substance as resulting from zero-discharges.
• A Wadden Sea ecosystem which can be regarded as eutrophication non-problem area.
• Improvement of habitat quality for conservation of species.

4 Definitions

Not available yet.

5 TMAP Monitoring Strategy

(Table 5.1) Parameters with monitoring locations and frequencies and the relation to the other monitoring requirements.

Remarks:

Location: Selection of representative stations per region depends on location of bird colonies and feeding range of birds.
WFD: According CIS Guidance on Chemical Monitoring / Netherlands: No WFD chemical monitoring in biota
1) BDE on voluntary basis

5.1 Parameters

For the selection of the variables, the JAMP guidelines (OSPAR, 1997) have been taken into account.

The following heavy metals are analyzed in bird eggs:

• Mercury (Hg): methylene mercury (Met-Hg) and inorganic mercury (Hg)

The following organic contaminants are analyzed in bird eggs (according to JAMP):

• Polychlorinated biphenyls, ?PCB congeners JAMP CB congeners (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180), additionally other PCB congeners (including 62polychlorinated biphenyl congeners);
• organochlorine pesticides: ?DDT (including p,p’-DDT, o,p’-DDD, p,p’-DDD, o,p’-DDE, and p,p’-DDE);
• Sum HCH (including isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane);
• Hexachlorbenzene (HCB);
• Sum Chlordane.

A review of the parameters selection should be carried out in regular intervals.

5.2 Monitoring locations

Sampling sites should reflect important breeding areas and species. To collect the necessary number of eggs over the period of the monitoring program sampling sites should be chosen, where sufficient pairs of birds can be expected to breed for the required number of years and where disturbances can be reduced to a minimum. Both coastal areas adjacent to the open sea and known "hot spot", such as estuaries, should be included (OSPAR, 1997).

Monitoring areas in the Wadden Sea shall be selected on the national level.

Bird eggs were collected in the following sub-areas of the Wadden Sea (numbering according to Essink et al., 2005).

6 Methods

The sampling, preparation and chemical analyses follow the standardized methodological guideline for JAMP Biota Monitoring (OSPAR, 1997) which is part of the TMAP guidelines.

Parameters

See chapter 1.3.5. and 1.3.8. and table 1.3.5

Sampling

• Species: Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
• For each species, site and year 10 eggs should be sampled with one egg taken randomly from each of 10 clutches from the first laying cycle within the year (after 1-5 days incubation)
• Matrix: whole egg content
• Sampling frequency: annual sampling
• Sampling period: generally May/June (during the peak of the first laying cycle within the year which is species-, year-, and site-specific)

Analytical procedures

Sample preparation, extraction and analysis of contaminants from samples follows the procedures as described by Becker et al. (1998) and for the JAMP (OSPAR, 1997).

For details about chemical procedures see TMAP 2001 (Becker et al., 2001).

7 Parameter

8 Frequency and time

Annually sampling, preparation and chemical analyses of eggs in sub-areas of the Wadden Sea.

For details see [Table 5.1].

9 Assessment

Changes in the abundance of birds may reflect natural fluctuations (including climate, weather, predation), and/or changes may be caused by contaminant levels or by other anthropogenic factors. The assessment therefore requires the monitoring information on these impacts.

The ecological targets regarding birds and regarding water and sediment, as agreed at the Trilateral Governmental Conference in Leeuwarden (1994), will be used for the assessment in the Wadden Sea:

• Favorable conditions for breeding birds
• natural breeding success,
• Background concentrations of natural micropollutants.
• Concentrations of man-made substances as resulting from zero discharges.

Fig. 9.1 Sample sites and trilateral sub-areas.

10 Reporting

The results should be delivered together with information on used methods and any other information relevant for an assessment of the data. The data should be reported annually to the national TMAP databases in accordance with the regulations at the national level. The location where eggs are sampled should be stored in a GIS to enable combinations with other GIS based information.

11 Quality assurance

Since 1991 all egg samples have been analyzed at the ITI of the University of Applied Sciences or, since 2000, at TERRAMARE research center, Wilhelmshaven. The ITI participated in an intercalibration with two other labs, in 1996, 1997 and 2000 also in an international quality assurance (QUASIM-EME project), and results were ranked as satisfactory in most analyses.

12 Monitoring authorities

Denmark

Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser (DMU, NERI)

Germany

Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz (LKN)

Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer (NLPV)

Netherlands

SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland

13 Literature

Becker, P. H. & J. Muñoz Cifuentes, 2004: Contaminants in Bird Eggs: Recent spatial and temoral trends. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 18. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Group, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, page 5-25.

Becker, P. H., 1989: Seabirds as monitor organisms of contaminants along the German North Sea Coast. Helgoländer Meeresunters. 43: 395-403.

Becker, P.H., 1991: Population and contamination studies in coastal birds: The Common Tern Sterna hirunda. In: Perrins, C.M., Lebreton, J.D. and Hirons, G.J.M. (Editors): Bird population studies: relevance to conservation and management. Oxford Univ. Press. Oxford. 433-460.

Becker, P.H., C. Koepff, W.A. Heidmann & A. Büthe, 1991: Schadstoffmonitoring mit SeevögeIn. Forschungsbericht UBA-FB 91-081. TEXTE 2/92, Umweltbundesamt, Berlin: 260 pp.

Becker, P.H., S. Thyen, S. Mickstein, U. Sommer, U. & K.R. Schmieder, 1998: Monitoring Pollutants in Coastal Bird Eggs in the Wadden Sea. Final Report of the Pilot Study 1996 – 1997. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 8. 59-101. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

Becker, P.H., W.A. Heidmann, A. Büthe, D. Frank, & C. Koepff, 1992: Umweltchemikalien in Eiern von Brutvögeln an der deutschen Nordseeküste: Trends 1981-1990. J. Orn. 133: 109-124.

Bignert, A., K. Litzen, T. Odsjö, M. Olsson, W. Persson & L. Reutergardh, 1995: Time related factors influence the concentrations of DDT, PCBs and shell parameters in eggs of Balic Guillemot (Uria aalgae), 1961-1989. Environm. Pollut. 89,27-36.

Essink, K., C. Dettmann, H. Farke, K. Laursen, G. Lüerßen, H. Marencic & W. Wiersinga (Eds.), 2005: Wadden Sea Quality Status Report 2004. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 19. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

OSPAR, 1997a: JAMP Guidelines for Monitoring Contaminants in Biota (9/6/97), 40 pp.