Division Specifications and standardised methods for monitoring and assessment

1. 1..

   For D10C1: litter shall be monitored on the coastline and may additionally be monitored in the surface layer of the water column and on the seabed. Information on the source and pathway of the litter shall be collected, where feasible;

2. 2..

   For D10C2: micro-litter shall be monitored in the surface layer of the water column and in the seabed sediment and may additionally be monitored on the coastline. Micro-litter shall be monitored in a manner that can be related to point-sources for inputs (such as harbours, marinas, waste-water treatment plants, storm-water effluents), where feasible.

3. 3..

   For D10C3 and D10C4: the monitoring may be based on incidental occurrences (e.g. strandings of dead animals, entangled animals in breeding colonies, affected individuals per survey).

Units of measurement for the criteria:

• D10C1: amount of litter per category in number of items:

  • per 100 metres (m) on the coastline,

  • per square kilometre (km²) for surface layer of the water column and for seabed,

• D10C2: amount of micro-litter per category in number of items and weight in grams (g):

  • per square metre (m²) for surface layer of the water column,

  • per kilogram (dry weight) (kg) of sediment for the coastline and for seabed,

• D10C3: amount of litter/micro-litter in grams (g) and number of items per individual for each species in relation to size (weight or length, as appropriate) of the individual sampled,

• D10C4: number of individuals affected (lethal; sub-lethal) per species.