TMAP Monitoring Handbook

1 Introduction

The aim of the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP) is to provide a scientific assessment of the status of the Wadden Sea eco-system and to assess the implementation of the Targets of the Wadden Sea Plan (Stade Declaration 1997). One of these Targets is to achieve concentrations of contaminants in the marine environment and in indicator species near background values for naturally occurring substances such as heavy metal mercury and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances (xenobiotic com-pounds) (OSPAR 1997; ICES 2001, 2002, 2003).

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 chem-ical 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 and 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 plungediving, and is considered as a top-predator of the Wadden Sea food-chain, while Oystercatchers mainly feed on macrozoobenthic organ-isms like mussels and worms (Smit and Wolff,1980; Cramp and 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)

Targets on “Tidal Area”

Wadden Sea Plan: Targets on “Birds”:

Favorable conditions for migratory and breeding birds

• favorable food availability,
• natural breeding success,
• sufficiently large undisturbed roosting and moulting areas,
• natural flight distances.

EC Birds Directive (BD)

BD

Article 2: Measure to maintain the bird population
Article 3: Measure to preserve, maintain or reestablish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats
Article 4: Special conservation measures for Annex I species and for regularly occurring migratory species not listed in Annex I.
Article 10: Research as basis for protection, management

Annex I List of 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

Birds are characteristic species of marine habitat types and are part of HD monitoring and reporting scheme.

Water framework directive (WFD)

Annex 5, chapter 1.2.4 and Article 4

Not relevant.

Oslo Paris convention (OSPAR)

Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy, Annex V and Appendix 3

Ecological Quality Objectives (EcoQO) Issue 3:
3.1 Proportion of oiled guillemots among those found dead or dying on beaches (see Beached Birds Suvey, Table 1.5.6).
3.2 Mercury concentrations in seabird eggs.
3.3 Organohalogen concentrations in seabird eggs (see Table 1.3.5)
3.4 Plastic particle in stomachs of seabirds
3.5 Local sand eel availability to black-legged kittiwakes (breeding success in various UK regions)
3.6 Seabird population trends as an index of seabird community health.

EcoQO Issue 7:
“threatened and/or declining species”: presence and extent of species in the North Sea as shown on the Initial OSPAR List.

Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar)

Ramsar

„Monitoring and analysis of the ecological character of the site and for assessing the status and trends of wetlands … of […], flora and fauna, […], conservation measures and potential threats.”

African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

AEWA

Regional Agreement under the Bonn Convention.

Annex 3 Action Plan:

Article 5:

“endeavour to monitor the populations listed in Table 1. The results … shall be published or sent to appropriate international organizations, to enable reviews of population status and trends.

… cooperate with a view to determining the migration routes of all populations listed in Table 1, using available knowledge of breeding and non-breeding season distributions and census results, and by participating in coordinated ringing programmes.”

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:

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),
• ?HCH (including -, - and -isomers of hexachlorocy-clohexane),
• Hexachlorbenzene (HCB),
• ?Chlordane.

It has to be checked regularly, if additional compounds, like toxaphene or other pesticides or "new” compounds have to be included into the program (see JAMP developments).

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 spots” 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): Balgzand and Griend (NL1: Western Dutch Wadden Sea), Julianapolder (NL2:Eastern Dutch Wadden Sea), Delfzijl and Dollard (NL3: Ems-Dollart estuary, the first site in The Netherlands and the second one in Germany), Minsener Oog and Mellum (LS2: Jade Bight), Neu-felderkoog and Hullen (SH1: Elbe estuary), Trischen (SH2: Inner German Bight), Norderoog (SH3: Hal-ligen), Margrethekoog (DK1: Sylt-Rømø basin), and Langli (DK3: Varden and Sneum estuary).

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 (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

(Fig. 9.1) Sample sites and trilateral sub-areas

10 Reporting

All data should be transferred to a geographical information system (GIS) for the analysis and assessment of the data (spatial and temporal development) and in combination with other GIS based information.

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.

11 Quality assurance

Since1991 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 intercalibra-tion 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

Germany

Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz (LKN)

Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer (NLPV)

Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN)

Denmark

Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser (DMU, NERI)

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

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

Becker, P.H., Thyen, S., Mickstein, S., Sommer, U. & Schmieder, K.R., 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.

Bignert, A., Litzen, K., Odsjö, T., Olsson, M., Persson, W. and Reutergardh, L., 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.

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