Ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning Polish marine areas and the Natura 2000 network

Transcription

1 Ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning Polish marine areas and the Natura 2000 network Report on task Task title: Video footage captured with a towed underwater camera. Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia Gdańsk, 2008

2 A towed underwater video-system was used to searches and visual inspection of benthic habitats in the Puck Bay. The towed video system can cover large areas relatively quickly and minimize the dive team s in-water time. During the study the video camera (JW Fishers, TOV-1) was towed across the bottom by a drifting vessel (rv IMOR and ms HESTIA) at lowest possible speed. The studies covered poligoon, chosen for the project, in the outher Puck Bay and almost entire area (deeper than 2 m) in the inner Puck Bay. Underwater towed camera were used for taking films of bottom habitats in the outer and inner Puck Bay. In the outer Puck Bay sites covered area of poligoon and were chosen based on the sonar map. Work were done from the rv IMOR from the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk. At each sites profiles up to about 80 m of length were done. Information on geographical position, dorection of profile, depth at sediment characteristics were noted. Sediment varried from fine sand, in the northern part to stones, in the southern part. Underwater meadows of Zostera marina were obserwed in the northern part on the sandy bottom to the depths of 5-6 m. In the inner Puck Bay films were taken from the kutter Hestia and covered entire area of the Bay, exept the shallowest bottom (< 2m), which were studied by with small boat, by the University of Gdańsk. The grid of stations reflected the sampling of zoobenthos. Zostera marina were identified at several sites. This task was finished in July and recorded video films are analysed by the team from University of Gdańsk.

3 Examples of habitats: Sandy bottom with aggregations of Mytilus edulis.

4 Stones on the sandy bottom

5 Ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning Polish marine areas and the Natura 2000 network Report on task Task title: Analysis of macrozoobenthos and meiofauna samples and preparation of GIS layers. Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia Gdańsk, 2008

6 Grab samples of macrozoobenthos and meiofauna collected in summer 2007 have been analysed in laboratory at the University of Gdańsk and Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia. Benthic invertebrates from 268 samples (94 stations) were sorted, identified and counted. Biomass was determined by direct weighing of the animals and expressed as formalin wet weight. A total of 49 species and 1 undetermined taxa were found in the study area. Additional 60 meiofaunal core samples were collected at 20 stations. Composition and abundance were determined in the laboratory of the Sea Fishesies Institute and 16 taxa of meiofauna were found. The results were send to the data base. Processing of meio- and makrozoobenthic samples, taken during summer 2007, field work. 1/ meiofauna: Samples preparation for extraction procedure (sieving through 1mm and 0.062mm sieves) Samples extraction with flotation method (LUDOX TM 50, specific gravity 1.15) Quantitative analyse of the samples: 5 samples Qualitative analyse of the samples (to the lowest possible taxon): 5 samples 2/ makrozoobenthos: Samples were preserved aboard with a 4% neutral formalin/seawater solution. In laboratory organisms were extracted, and identified to species level, except for oligochaetas, and counted. Wet weight was determined by weighing after blotting on a filter paper. Fixation, sorting

7 and species and biomass determinations were conducted according to the HELCOM and ICES quidlines for soft bottom makrozoobenthos. The obtained results, concerning species composition, abundance and biomass were submitted as deliverables of task

8 Ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning Polish marine areas and the Natura 2000 network Report on task Task title: Developing the following layers for Polish marine waters: makrozoobenthos. Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia Gdańsk, 2008

9 Developing of layers were based on the material from the entire Polish zone of the southern Baltic in years The layers (shapefiles) include 20 macrobenthic species. The names of species were coded according to Rubin code and the European Register of marine species. Three layers have been developed: presence, abundance and biomass based on coordinate system PUWG 92. Vector polygon 5 kmx5 km was used. Developing of layers were based on the material from the entire Polish zone of the southern Baltic in years The layers (shapefiles) include 20 macrobenthic species. The names of species were coded according to Rubin code and the European Register of marine species. Three layers have been developed: presence, abundance and biomass based on coordinate system PUWG 92. Vector polygon 5 kmx5 km was used. GIS layers for selected macrobenthic species: Abundance ind. /m Macoma balthica

10 Abundance ind./m Mytilus edulis Abundance ind. /m Hediste diversicolor

11 Ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning Polish marine areas and the Natura 2000 network Report on task Task title: Developing the following layers for Polish marine waters: demersal fish (species composition, abundance and biomass). Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia Gdańsk, 2008

12 The layers (shapefiles) of demersal fish include four species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), European plaice (Plauronectes platessa), Turbot (Psetta maxima) and European flounder (Platichtys flesus). The set of data is based on the commercial caches and research cruises from the years and covers entire Polish zone. The following layers have been developed: fish catches from and catch per unit effort from The data were divided into different gear: set gillnet, bottom otter trawl and midwater otter trawl. The data were delivered to the data base of project Habitat Mapping. GIS layers for selected species of makrozoobenthos and demersal fish: CPUE kg/0.5h Psetta maxima

13 Gadus morrua CPUE kg/0.5h