The EcoQO on Mercury and Organohalogens in CoastalBird Eggs -Report on the Pilot Study 2008 – 2010

• On the one hand the coastal areas of the North Sea hold important breeding populations of marinebirds but on the other hand these areas are also under pressure from pollution with environmentalchemicals. Due to biomagnification effects through the food chain, the bird egg is an ideal matrixto get a consistent and reliable picture of the pollutant level of the marine environment over timeand space.With this report, we are pleased to give, for the first time, a North-Sea-wide overviewabout the spatial patterns of mercury and organochlorine pollution in coastal bird eggs, presentingdata from Oystercatcher, Common Tern and Arctic Tern in the period 2008-2010. We are able toshow how the recently defined Ecological Quality Objectives (EcoQOs) for these substances incoastal bird eggs have been fulfilled in the different parts of the North Sea. This report aims toprovide input for the further development of EcoQOs in the North Sea area and for their potentialrole in the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Directive.We would like to thank all those who contributed to the report by coordinating andorganizing the field sampling, by participating in workshops and providing funding for theproject. A large part of the work was carried out in the framework of the long establishedTrilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP) of the Trilateral Wadden SeaCooperation which provided resources and data for the Wadden Sea sites. A cooperation withinstitutes in Belgium, Norway, Sweden and the UK made it possible to extend the monitoring ofpollutants from the Wadden Sea to the entire North Sea. This was achieved thanks to theenormous commitment of many colleagues.We hope to be able to continue this fruitful cooperation in the future with the aim tofurther support the protection of the North Sea ecosystem with integrated approaches.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

National

Nationellt finansierad miljöövervakning

Kust och hav

Coast and sea

Metaller och organiska miljögifter i biologiskt material

Metaller och organiska miljögifter i biologiskt material

Hav i balans samt levande kust och skärgård

A Balanced Marine Environ­ment, Flourishing Coastal Areas and Archipelagos

A Non-Toxic Environment

Giftfri miljö

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

rap (subject category)