Cefas Releases ‘Coast of England Results of Sampling’

The Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has just released a paper named ‘Dredged Material Disposal Site Monitoring Round the Coast of England: Results of Sampling (2015-16)’.

This report presents the scientific findings of, and implications for subsequent monitoring based on the results from dredged material disposal site monitoring conducted under a Cefas/Marine Management Organisation Service Level Agreement (SLA 1.3) project round the coast of England during 2015-16, together with those obtained following the processing of biological and sediment contaminant samples acquired during 2014.

The main aims of this report are:

• to aid the dissemination of the monitoring results;
• to assess whether observed changes resulting from dredged material disposal are in line with those expected;
• to compare the results with those of previous years (where possible);
• to facilitate our improved understanding of the impacts of dredged material disposal at both a site-specific and a national (i.e. non site-specific) level.

Targeted monitoring was conducted at two disposal sites during 2015, at Blyth (northeast coast) and Site Y (Liverpool Bay, west coast), and samples taken during 2014 were processed from a further three sites; Nab Tower and South Falls along the south and southeast coast respectively, and Site Z (Liverpool Bay).