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Scheme Components

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  • About
  • Participation

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Contractors or consultancies not involved in statutory monitoring programmes all relevant modules are recommended but participation is voluntary.

 

Current Participation

Invertebrates 2020 - 2021 Participants:

 

Ring Test (RT) Module (intercalibration / training)

Laboratory Reference (LR) Module (intercalibration / training)

Own Sample (OS) Module (audit)

Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI

-

-

✓

APEM Ltd.

Administrator

Administrator

Administrator

Benthic Solutions Limited

-

-

✓

Biofar, Faroes

✓

✓

-

Biotikos Limited

-

-

✓

Cefas Lowestoft Benthic Laboratory

✓

-

-

Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales 

-

-

✓(x6)

DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory

✓

✓

✓

Eco Marine Consultants Ltd

-

-

✓

Ecospan Environmental Ltd

✓

✓

✓

Environment Agency (ECMAS), Kingfisher House

-

-

✓(x2)

Eurofins Hydrobiologie France

-

-

✓

Eurofins Omegam BV

✓

✓

-

Fishlab, Viby, c/o Orbicon, Denmark

✓

-

-

Fugro GB Marine Limited (Edinburgh)

✓

-

-

Fugro GB Marine Limited (Gt. Yarmouth)

✓

-

-

Fugro GB Marine Limited (Portsmouth)

✓

-

✓

HEBOG Environmental Limited

✓

-

✓

Hull Marine Laboratory

✓

-

✓

ILVO (Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research) - ANIMALAB

✓

-

✓

Magnus Axelsson

✓

-

-

Marine Invertebrate Ecological Services

-

-

✓

Marinescope Taxonomy Ltd

✓

-

-

MBM Benthic Identification Services (The Lab Shed)

✓

-

-

Myriad Taxonomy

-

-

✓

Natural England

-

-

✓

Nautica Environmental Associates LLC, UAE

-

-

✓ (x2)

Ocean Ecology

✓

-

✓

Pelagia Nature & Environment AB, Sweden

✓

-

-

Pharmaq Analytic Limited (formerly Fish Vet Group)

-

-

✓

Precision Marine Survey Ltd

✓

-

-

Rijkswaterstaat CIV

✓

✓

-

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

✓

-

✓

Shalla Benthic Identification Services

✓

-

-

Thomson Ecology Ltd

-

-

✓

WMR (Wageningen Marine Research)

✓

✓

-

Particle Size Analysis 2020 - 2021 Participants:

 

Particle Size (PS) Module (intercalibration / training)

Particle Size Own Sample (PS-OS) Module (audit)

ABPmer

-

✓

Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI

✓

✓

APEM Ltd.

Administrator

Administrator

Benthic Solutions Limited

✓

-

Biotikos Limited

-

✓

Cefas Lowestoft Benthic Laboratory

✓

✓

Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales 

✓

✓(x4)

DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory

✓

✓

Ecospan Environmental Ltd.

✓

-

Fugro GB Marine Limited (Portsmouth)

✓

-

Hull Marine Laboratory (formerly IECS)

✓

✓

Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd

✓

✓

Marine Scotland Laboratory

✓

-

National Laboratory Services (EA)

✓

✓

Ocean Ecology

✓

-

Precision Marine Survey Ltd

✓

-

Rijkswaterstaat CIV

✓

-

RPS

✓

-

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

✓

✓

Thomson Ecology Ltd

✓

Fish 2020 - 2021 Participants:

 

Ring Test (F-RT) Module (intercalibration / training) Reverse Ring Test (F-RRT) Module (intercalibration / training)
Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI ✓ ✓
APEM Ltd. Administrator Administrator
Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales  ✓(x2) -
DAERA Environment, Fisheries and Marine Group Laboratory ✓ ✓
Environment Agency (ECMAS), Kingfisher House ✓ ✓(x6)
Fugro GB Marine Limited (Portsmouth) ✓ -
Hull Marine Laboratory (formerly IECS) ✓ -
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom - ✓
Ocean Ecology ✓ -

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 2020 - 2021 Participants:

  • Marine Scotland Science, United Kingdom
  • Fugro Ltd, United Kingdom
  • Dove Marine Laboratory, United Kingdom
  • Nautica Environmental Associates LLC
  • German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research
  • Ocean Ecology, United Kingdom
  • National Oceanography Centre, United Kingdom
  • Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy
  • Fishlab, United Kingdom
  • Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimental - OGS
  • Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Finland
  • Cefas, United Kingdom
  • APEM Ltd - Marine Biolabs, United Kingdom
  • CPR Survey, Marine Biological Association, United Kingdom
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