standardization of environmental data and information - International ...

detailed guidelines recommended by the Sanya Workshop and offer
suggestions (in italics) where additional specifications appear warranted. In
section 3 following, I discuss major remaining issues for baseline-data
collection, including frequency and duration of baseline monitoring,
taxonomic standardization and the general requirements of an
environmental database.
2.1. Physical oceanography
The LTC recommendations for physical oceanographic baseline-data
collection are as follows (paragraph 8(a)):
“(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Collect information on the oceanographic condition
along the entire water column, including the current,
temperature and turbidity regimes above the
seafloor;
Adapt the current measurement programme to the
topography and regional hydrodynamic activity in the
upper water column and on the sea surface;
Measure the currents and particulate matters at the
depth of the forecasted discharge during the testing
of collecting systems and equipment;
Measure the particulate distribution to record
particulate concentration along the water column”.
To meet these requirements, the following guidelines were
recommended by the Sanya Workshop:
To characterize the physical regime, a minimum of four currentmeter
moorings are required, with at least one (the “long mooring”)
reaching pycnocline depths (i.e., 50- 100 m). Scales of separation of
current-meter moorings should be of the order of 50-100 km. The long
mooring should contain at least eight current meters (including one within
the pycnocline and one at the forecasted discharge depth) and each of the
remaining moorings should have at least six meters. Each mooring should
have a current meter at the following altitudes above the seafloor: 1-3, 5,
15, 50 and 200 m, and 1.2-2 times the height of the highest topographic
element in the claim area. In addition, each mooring should include a
transmissometer. Three of the transmissometers should be deployed at
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