EMECO

New Western Shelf Observatory Launch Meeting

20 delegates, representing 11 marine institutes and organisations from across the UK and Ireland met to launch the new Western Shelf Observatory. The purpose of the meeting was to refine its vision and strategy, its aims and objectives in the wider UK, Irish and European marine environmental policy context and to establish the partnership of the new observatory.

A number of the institutes represented have management responsibilities and advise the UK and Irish Governments and the EU on matters related to the environmental status of marine systems ranging from fisheries, pollution and climate change.

The meeting was successfully concluded with agreement amongst participants to establish and launch the Western Shelf Observatory with a shared vision of its scope and purpose. The vision statement was agreed as

"An integrated programme of sustained marine observing systems that will improve knowledge and understanding of marine ecosystems and the connectivity between our shelf seas and the Atlantic Ocean. It will strengthen the evidence base for environmental assessments, underpin future research, increase uptake of marine data and information and address gaps in current marine monitoring, modelling and research."

The spatial domain of the Western Shelf Observatory was defined as

"The Western UK and Irish shelf and its adjacent sea areas and catchments."

All of the partners agreed that the Western Shelf Observatory will provide a framework for better coordination of monitoring, modelling and research that will ultimately strengthen the UK's and Ireland's ability to meet current and future policy requirements, particularly those of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Visit the Western Shelf Observatory website for more information and download the meeting minutes and presentations