Channel Catchments Cluster. Recent developments in tools and techniques for water quality management in the France (Channel) England region

The Channel Catchments Cluster (3C) aims to capitalise on outputs from some of the recent projects funded through the INTERREG IVa France (Channel) England programme. The river catchment basins draining into the Channel region drain an area of 137,000km2 and support a human population of over 19M. Throughout history, these catchments, rivers and estuaries have been centres of habitation, developed through commerce and industry, providing transport links to hinterland areas. These catchments also provide drinking water and food through provision of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture. In addition, many parts of the region are also economically important now for the tourism and leisure industries. Consequently, there is a need to manage the balance of these many and varied human activities within the catchments, rivers, estuaries and marine areas to ensure that they are maintained or restored to good environmental condition . This document highlights some of the recent work carried out by projects within the INTERREG IVa programme that provide tools and techniques to assist in the achievement of these goals.

Channel Catchments Cluster: Compendium of Tools

Although the narrow stretch of water that separates England from France has seen both welcome (and occasionally less welcome) exchanges during the past thousand years, this physical challenge to the movement of people has certainly served to obstruct collaborative efforts that might establish a more sustainable economy in our part of Europe. Since 2009, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-supported Interreg Programme France (Channel) England Region has actively supported efforts by organisations in France and England to work ever more closely together, to share good practice and to devise new ways to support sustainable development in the Region. The initiatives are certainly rooted in excellent research, but they have also been driven by the real needs of the Region and in all cases partners have worked to develop practical tools that can be readily applied in both France and England. The Channel Catchment Cluster (3C) builds on this growing tradition of cross-border cooperation to bring together the very best new knowledge from recent Anglo-French teamwork. The contents of this Compendium are the result of a wide variety of grass-roots initiatives that have benefitted enormously from a cross-border meeting of minds. The Cluster has brought together several of these cross-border teams to discuss their work and to share good practice in the dissemination and application of novel tools for environmental protection. This Compendium therefore not only presents a 'snapshot' of the wide variety of environmental protection and management tools that have emerged from the France (Channel) England Region, it also summarises where they stand on their 'pathway to impact'. There is clearly much more that can be achieved by future cross-border efforts in our Region, but I believe that this Compendium provides an excellent basis for future action. Professor Huw Taylor University of Brighton UK

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of the ultraviolet screening pigment scytonemin: characteristic fragmentations

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/multistage mass spectrometry has been used to study the mass spectral fragmentation of the cyanobacterial sheath pigment scytonemin and its reduced counterpart. The two pigments exhibit characteristic fragment ions in their MS2 and MS3 spectra that are of value in confirming the identification of the structures in extracts from natural environments.

High Level Environmental Screening Study for Offshore Wind Farm Developments – Marine Habitats and Species Project

High level environmental screening study for offshore wind farm developments – marine habitats and species This report provides an awareness of the environmental issues related to marine habitats and species for developers and regulators of offshore wind farms. The information is also relevant to other offshore renewable energy developments. The marine habitats and species considered are those associated with the seabed, seabirds, and sea mammals. The report concludes that the following key ecological issues should be considered in the environmental assessment of offshore wind farms developments: • likely changes in benthic communities within the affected area and resultant indirect impacts on fish, populations and their predators such as seabirds and sea mammals; • potential changes to the hydrography and wave climate over a wide area, and potential changes to coastal processes and the ecology of the region; • likely effects on spawning or nursery areas of commercially important fish and shellfish species; • likely effects on mating and social behaviour in sea mammals, including migration routes; • likely effects on feeding water birds, seal pupping sites and damage of sensitive or important intertidal sites where cables come onshore; • potential displacement of fish, seabird and sea mammals from preferred habitats; • potential effects on species and habitats of marine natural heritage importance; • potential cumulative effects on seabirds, due to displacement of flight paths, and any mortality from bird strike, especially in sensitive rare or scarce species; • possible effects of electromagnetic fields on feeding behaviour and migration, especially in sharks and rays, and • potential marine conservation and biodiversity benefits of offshore wind farm developments as artificial reefs and 'no-take' zones. The report provides an especially detailed assessment of likely sensitivity of seabed species and habitats in the proposed development areas. Although sensitive to some of the factors created by wind farm developments, they mainly have a high recovery potential. The way in which survey data can be linked to Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) sensitivity assessments to produce maps of sensitivity to factors is demonstrated. Assessing change to marine habitats and species as a result of wind farm developments has to take account of the natural variability of marine habitats, which might be high especially in shallow sediment biotopes. There are several reasons for such changes but physical disturbance of habitats and short-term climatic variability are likely to be especially important. Wind farm structures themselves will attract marine species including those that are attached to the towers and scour protection, fish that associate with offshore structures, and sea birds (especially sea duck) that may find food and shelter there. Nature conservation designations especially relevant to areas where wind farm might be developed are described and the larger areas are mapped. There are few designated sites that extend offshore to where wind farms are likely to be developed. However, cable routes and landfalls may especially impinge on designated sites. The criteria that have been developed to assess the likely marine natural heritage importance of a location or of the habitats and species that occur there can be applied to survey information to assess whether or not there is anything of particular marine natural heritage importance in a development area. A decision tree is presented that can be used to apply ‘duty of care’ principles to any proposed development. The potential ‘gains’ for the local environment are explored. Wind farms will enhance the biodiversity of areas, could act as refugia for fish, and could be developed in a way that encourages enhancement of fish stocks including shellfish.