The requirement for external QA for data, produced or received by UK Competent Monitoring Authorities (CMAs), derives from UK DEFRA policy requiring QA of all data contributing to national, European, or international programmes, such as UK CSEMP (NMMP), European WFD, or ICES. With the implementation of the WFD by various UK CMAS, it is now regarded as imperative that all data utilised for any Ecological Quality Assessment is validated via a recognised national AQC scheme (where such a scheme exists). Hence any organisation involved in the production of such data should participate in the scheme and completion of auditing modules (such as the Own Sample module) is mandatory. For some CMAs, relevant modules have not yet been developed and they may participate on an information only basis thus contributing funds to the production of scheme reports.
The main participants in the scheme are the UK CMAs for whom the scheme was initially designed. The scheme is open to CMAs from UK, Ireland, and Europe although participation of the latter has been limited to date. Contractors undertaking analysis of samples on behalf of CMAs or for licensees may also be required to join the scheme. In addition some contractors or consultancies not directly involved in statutory monitoring programmes may participate on a voluntary basis.
The required level of participation may vary depending on the organisation:
- CMAs undertaking statutory monitoring programmes - complete all relevant components and modules. This would be the relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum, but CMAs are expected to also participate in other training modules.
- Contractors undertaking statutory programmes for CMAs complete relevant modules as determined by CMA. This would be the relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum but other modules may be required.
- Contractors undertaking programmes (eg Aquaculture Monitoring) for licensees which may support statutory programmes such as WFD complete relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum, other relevant modules are recommended.
- Contractors or consultancies not involved in statutory monitoring programmes all relevant modules are recommended but participation is voluntary.
Current Participation
Invertebrates 2023 - 2024 Participants:
| Organisation | Ring Test (RT) Module (intercalibration / training) | Laboratory Reference Module (intercalibration / training) | Own Sample (OS) Module (audit) | Country |
| Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI | - | - | Y | UK |
| APEM Ltd. | Administrator | Administrator | Administrator | UK |
| Benthic Solutions Ltd. | - | - | Y | UK |
| Biofar | Y | Y | - | Faroes |
| Biotikos Ltd. | - | - | Y | UK |
| Cefas Lowestoft Benthic Laboratory | Y | - | - | UK |
| DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory (NIEA) | y | Y | Y | UK |
| Eco Marine Consultants Limited | - | - | Y | UK |
| Ecospan Environmental Ltd. | - | - | Y | UK |
| Environment Agency (National Monitoring - Survey) | - | - | Y (x6) | UK |
| Eurofins Omegam BV | Y | - | - | The Netherlands |
| Fishlab | Y | - | - | Denmark |
| Fugro GB Marine Ltd. (Edinburgh) | Y | - | Y | UK |
| Fugro GB Marine Ltd.(Great Yarmouth) | Y | - | - | UK |
| Fugro GB Marine Ltd. (Portsmouth) | Y | - | Y | UK |
| HEBOG Environmental Ltd. | Y | - | Y | UK |
| Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | Y | - | Y | UK |
| Institute for Applied Ecosystem Research (IfAÖ) | Y | - | - | Germany |
| ILVO (Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research - ANIMALAB) | Y | Y | Y | Belgium |
| Marine Invertebrate Ecological Services | - | - | Y | UK |
| Marinescope Taxonomy Ltd. | Y | - | - | UK |
| MBM Benthic Identification Services (The Lab Shed) | Y | - | - | UK |
| Ocean Ecology | Y | - | Y | UK |
| Pharmaq Analytiq Ltd. | Y | - | Y | UK |
| Precision Marine Survey Ltd. | Y | - | - | UK |
| Rijkswaterstaat CIV | Y | Y | - | The Netherlands |
| Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Y | Y | Y | UK |
| Shalla Benthic Identification Services | Y | - | - | UK |
| Thomson Ecology Ltd. | - | - | Y | UK |
| WMR (Wageningen Marine Research) | Y | Y | - | The Netherlands |
Particle Size Analysis 2023 - 2024 Participants:
| Organisation | Particle Size (OS) | Particle Size (PS-OS) | Country |
| ABPmer | Y | UK | |
| Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI | Y | Y | UK |
| APEM Ltd. | Administrator | Administrator | UK |
| Benthic Solutions Ltd. | Y | UK | |
| Biotikos Ltd. | Y | UK | |
| Cefas | Y | Y | UK |
| DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory (NIEA) | Y | Y | UK |
| Environment Agency (Monitoring Laboratories) | Y | Y | UK |
| Fugro GB Marine Ltd. | Y | Y | UK |
| Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | Y | Y | UK |
| ILVO (Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research) | Y | Belgium | |
| Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd. | Y | Y | UK |
| Marine Directorate | Y | UK | |
| Ocean Ecology Ltd. | Y | Y | UK |
| Precision Marine Survey Ltd. | Y | UK | |
| Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Y | Y | UK |
| Thomson Ecology Ltd. | Y | UK |
Fish 2022 - 2023 Participants:
| Organisation | Fish - Reverse Ring Test | Fish - Ring Test | Country |
| Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI | 1 | 1 | UK |
| Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales | 0 | 2 | UK |
| DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory | 1 | 1 | UK |
| Environment Agency | 6 | 1 | UK |
| Fugro GB Marine Ltd. | 0 | 1 | UK |
| Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | 0 | 1 | UK |
| Ocean Ecology Ltd. | 0 | 1 | UK |
Phytoplankton IPI Participants (to date):
| Company/Agency | Country |
| AFBINI | United Kingdom |
| AGAPA (Agencia de Gestión Agraria y Pesquera de Andalucía | Spain |
| Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione dell'Ambiente | Italy |
| AquaEcology GmbH & Co. KG | Germany |
| APEM | United Kingdom |
| Banco Español de Algas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | Spain |
| Bureau Waardenburg bv | Netherlands |
| Cefas | United Kingdom |
| Centro de Estuidos Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC) | Cuba |
| CPR Survey, Marine Biological Association | United Kingdom |
| Dalton Environmental | Australia |
| Fondazione Centro Ricerche Marine | Italy |
| IFREMER | France |
| Institute of Marine Biology - University of Montenegro | Montenegro |
| Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen | Norway |
| Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries | Croatia |
| Institut National de Recherche Halieutique | Morocco |
| Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) | Chile |
| Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMDP) | Peru |
| IPMA | Portugal |
| IRTA | Spain |
| Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie | Italy |
| IZSS | Italy |
| Lamar Asociados Ltda | Chile |
| Marine Institute | Ireland |
| Marine Scotland Science | United Kingdom |
| Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria | Nigeria |
| Microalgal Services | Australia |
| Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping | Mauritius |
| National Direction of Aquatic Resources | Uruguay |
| National Institute of Science and Technology of Sea Sfax | Tunisia |
| Northern Ireland Environment Agency | United Kingdom |
| PIRSA | Australia |
| Plancton Andino | Chile |
| Rijkswaterstaat | Netherlands |
| R-Lab Sac | Peru |
| SAMS | United Kingdom |
| Sanipes | Peru |
| Swedish Metereological and Hydrological Institute | Sweden |
| Sydney Water | Australia |
| Universidad Católica del Norte | Chile |
| Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua | Nicaragua |
| Wageningen Marine Research | Netherlands |
Zooplankton 2022 - 2023 Participants:
| Organisation | Country |
| APEM Ltd | UK |
| Cefas | UK |
| CPR Survey | UK |
| Dove Marine Laboratory | UK |
| Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) | Finland |
| Fishlab | Denmark |
| Fugro Ltd | UK |
| German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research | Germany |
| Istituto Nazionale di Oceangrafia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS | Italy |
| Marine Scotland Science | UK |
| National Oceanography Centre | UK |
| National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins | Italy |
| Nautica Environment Associates LLC | UAE |
| Ocean Ecology | UK |
| Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn | Italy |
| Zooplankton Laboratory, Institute of Marine Research | Norway |
Macroalgae 2022 - 2023 Participants:
| Organisation | Opportunistic macroalgae cover ring test (OMC-RT) | Opportunistic macroalgae biomass ring test (OMB-RT) | Country |
| Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales | 1 | 2 | UK |
| DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory | 1 | 1 | UK |
| Environment Agency | 9 | 8 | UK |