The Fourth Expert Meeting on Marine Biodiversity and Eutrophication in the Northwest Pacific Region was held in Toyama, Japan on 24 August 2015.
1. Objectives:
To obtain advice from experts on the progress of CEARAC’s activities on marine biodiversity and eutrophication in the 2014-2015 biennium, and on the draft workplan for marine biodiversity, eutrophication and seagrass mapping in the 2016-2017 biennium.
2. Participants:
– Experts in marine biodiversity from China, Japan, Korea and Russia
– Experts in eutrophication from China, Japan, Korea and Russia
– CEARAC Focal Points (FPs)
– Representatives from the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) , NOWPAP POMRAC, North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC), etc.
Total number of participants: 19
3. Main Results
(1) An activity on marine biodiversity
Target sea areas were selected in each member state; Coastal area of Yantai and Dalian in China; North Kyushu sea area and coastal area of Hokuriku region in Japan; Saemanguem area in Korea; and Peter the Great Bay in Russia.The experts collected available data on the three major threats, namely eutrophication, non-indigenous species and habitat alternation, and assessed the current status of them. Based on the results of the pilot assessments, CEARAC will develop a regional report by the end of 2015.
(2) An activity on eutrophication
CEARAC implemented eutrophication assessment in the selected sea areas in each NOWPAP member state. Based on the results and experiences of this activity, the area of eutrophication assessment was extended to the entire NOWPAP region by trial application of the screening procedure of the NOWPAP Common Procedure. The screening procedure is an initial diagnosis to detect symptoms of eutrophication with data on trend of chemical oxygen demand (COD), occurrences of red tides and chlorophyll-a concentration.
CEARAC will develope a web GIS map prototype by the end of 2015 to show the results of the trail application of the screening procedure to the public.
(3) An activity on seagrass mapping
CEARAC developed a manual for seagrass and seaweed beds distribution mapping with satellite images. Then, case studies were implemented in the following sea areas: Swan Lake in China; Nanao Bay and Toyama Bay in Japan; Jangheung Bay in Korea; and Srednyaya Bay in the Peter the Greta Bay in Russia.Case study results will be uploaded on the CEARAC websites which may be overlaid on other habitat maps by the end of 2015.
(4) Proposal for an activity on seagrass mapping in the 2016-2017 biennium
Research on the status of seagrass distribution in each member state and seagrass monitoring using satellite images was introduced, and the necessity of a proposal for an activity on seagrass mapping in the NOWPAP region was supported.
4. Future responses
At the CEARAC Focal Point Meeting to be held the following day (August 25-26), interim reports on each activity will be presented again, and the workplan for activities in the 2016-2017 biennium will be discussed based on the results of the activities in the 2014-2015 biennium.
