CEFAS24-115 Contract for marine benthic macroinvertebrate analysis of Nioz cores collected around Farnes Deep 2024

The marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (m-NCEA) programme, in collaboration with Defra and the JNCC aims to contribute to improved understanding of ecosystem services provided by seabed habitat assets, including marine benthic macroinvertebrate sample processing.

As part of this programme, sediment samples were collected using a NIOZ core during a survey in the North Sea in May 2024 onboard the RV Cefas Endeavour. Seventy-four samples were collected at 15 locations in and around Farnes Deep.

The Supplier will process 15 NIOZ core samples (which have been sub divided into 74 separate samples, with a maximum of 5 slices per core - see Annex 1); to extract and identify all biota retained following sieving on a 1.0 mm capture mesh, as per the NMBAQC guidelines detailing extraction and identification protocols.

The Supplier will provid in an appropriate format (industry standard spreadsheet) and to include taxa abundance, species matrix and biomass by station.

In addition to the above, the analysis will be audited as per the NMBAQC own Samples protocol prior to final submission (Hall, 2019): http://www.nmbaqcs.org/media/1764/os686970_summary-report.pdf. The AQC will be organised and awarded by Cefas following the initial submission of the results from this contract.

Deliverables:

• Quality-controlled abundance and biomass matrices with current nomenclature
• Reference collection
• Internal Quality Control logs
• Weekly project summary updates and correspondence between primary processing and audit lab

Deliverable Dates:

1. Primary analysis to be completed by 30 September 2024
2. Fully AQC'd data by 15 October 2024
3. Reference collection to Cefas by 15 October 2024