Monitoring Manual

The HELCOM Monitoring Manual is developed to support the implementation of the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy and to follow-up commitments made under Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for thoseContracting Parties of HELCOM that are also EU Member States. Full background information and general introduction to the HELCOM Monitoring Manual can be found in the introduction.

The Monitoring Manual provides a catalogue listing of all existing marine monitoring carried out in the Baltic and their links to indicators developed to assess progress towards Good Environmental Status (GES). The information is organized along 11 main monitoring programmes or grouped according to 16 thematic programme topics and displayed in programme info sheets (pdf). The level of regional coordination currently varies between topics while it is the ambition to develop HELCOM coordinated monitoring for all programmes.

The Monitoring manual refers to the existing HELCOM manuals and guidelines where more detailed information e.g. on sampling procedures can be found.

Monitoring strategy	Ecosystem element / Pressure	Monitoring programme	MSFD Descriptors
Birds	Birds	Marine breeding birds abundance and distribution Marine bird health Marine wintering birds abundance and distribution	D1, 4
Mammals	Mammals	Seal abundance Health status Harbour porpoise abundance	D1, 4
Fish	Fish, shellfish and fisheries	Coastal fish Migratory fish Offshore fish Commercial shellfish Fisheries bycatch	D1, 3, 4
Water column habitats	Hydrography	Water column hydrological characteristics Water column physical characteristics Ice	D1, 5
Water column habitats	Hydrochemistry	Water column chemical characteristics Nutrients	D1, 5
Water column habitats	Phytoplankton	Pigments Species composition, abundance and biomass	D1, 4, 5
Water column habitats	Zooplankton	Species composition, abundance and biomass	D1, 4
Seabed Habitats	Seabed habitat distribution and extent	Habitat-forming species and substrates Seabed habitat physical characteristics	D1, 4, 6
Seabed Habitats	Species distribution and abundance (benthic community)	Hardbottom Species Softbottom fauna Softbottom flora	D1, 4, 6
Seabed Habitats	Benthic physical loss and damage		D1, 4, 6
Non-indigenous species	Non-indigenous species	Non-indigenous species	D2
Eutrophication	Inputs	Nutrient inputs from atmosphere Nutrient inputs from landbased sources Nutrient inputs from seabased sources (no info yet)	D5
Hydrography		Water column hydrological characteristics	D5
Hydrochemistry		Nutrients	D5
Phytoplankton		Pigments	D5
Hydrographic changes	Hydrography	Water column hydrological characteristics Water column physical characteristics Ice	D7
	Seabed habitat distribution and extent	Seabed habitat physical characteristics	D7
Contaminants	Inputs	Contaminant inputs from atmosphere Contaminant inputs from landbased sources Acute pollution	D8
Contaminants	Concentrations of contaminants	Contaminants in water Contaminants in sediment Contaminants in biota	D8
Contaminants	Biological effects of contaminants	Imposex	D8
Contaminants in seafood	Contaminants in seafood	Contaminants in seafood	D9
Litter	Litter	Macrolitter characteristics and abundance-volume-beach litter Macrolitter characteristics and abundance-volume-floating litter Macrolitter characteristics and abundance-volume-litter in biota Macrolitter characteristics and abundance-volume-litter on the seafloor Microlitter particle abundance and characteristics	D10
Energy, including underwater noise	Underwater noise	Continuous noise Impulsive noise	D11