Zooplankton Expert Network

The Fourth Meeting of the Monitoring and Assessment Group (MONAS) of the HELSINKI COMMISSION "supported the proposal to establish a zooplanktologist expert network including an internet discussion forum with Dr. Lutz Postel, Germany, as the contact person. The experts should consider organzing methodological training courses (including CPR methodology), and intercalibrations with ring tests."

(Agenda Item 6.17 [LD 28] in Minutes of the Fourth Meeting, Warnemünde, Germany, 21-25 October 2002, HELCOM MONAS 4/2002, 12/1, p.11)

This page is the forum for those of us who are involved in the Baltic Sea zooplankton monitoring, in order to realize the above mentioned task.

Additionally, this is the opportunity to share information on methodological aspects of collecting and analyzing samples, data storage, statistical treatment, quality assurance and taxonomical aspects of zooplankton research in the Baltic Sea.

Stepwise, we would like to put historically assured knowledge, species lists, taxonomically relevant descriptions and figures, information on ecological demands and distribution of species on this site.

Finally, we would like to develop a MONAS relevant list of publications.

The discussion of the latest version of the COMBINE Manual, is our first task. For that purpose, please click on the WP-2-net photo, save the WORD file on your computer and send comments to Dr.Juha Flinkman, Finland.

Additionally, you may find the list of zooplanktologists involved in HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment using the ADDRESS button below. It includes also experts who are not directly participating. Please, correct and extent this list.

The next button leads to the meta-zooplankton SPECIES LIST of the Baltic proper, compiled by Hernroth and Ackefors in 1977, according to their observations between 1968 and 1972. Unfortunately, this list is not actual today. It will be successively updated. Currently we introduced a list basing on ITIS, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (http://www.itis.usda.gov/). It should be adapted for Baltic Sea conditions stepwise (Comments are very welcomed). 

Any NEWS on extraordinary observations, the influence of environmental changes, like salt water influxes, on the metaplankton fauna, etc., you may report under the provided button below. The latest news consider the First HELCOM MONAS Zooplankton Monitoring Expert Workshop (9-11. March 2005). Please find the report, its annexes and some photos here. And last but not least, there is an information concerning the BMB WG Zooplankton Diversity, including informations on a Baltic Sea Zooplankton Atlas and a relevant abstract for a presentation by this group during the 5th BSSC in Sopot 2005.

In DOCUMENTS, you may find the zooplankton methodology outcome of the last zooplankton QA activity performed in 1996 and the actual outcome of the Zooplankton ring test from autumn 2004.  

 The FORUM works sometimes. 

Please, bookmark this page. It will be continously constructed. All of your suggestions are very welcome.

Warnemünde, 2005-07-11