OTHER PROGRAMMES - MEDIAS project 2011/2014
Programme: Data Collection Regulation (DCR)
Project Title: Pan-Mediterranean Acoustic Survey
Acronym: Medias
Duration: 2011-2014
Total Budget : € 314,339.75 (for ISMAR Ancona in 2013)
Web site: http://140.164.26.221/medias/website/
Summary: Medias is an internationally coordinated acoustic survey conducted within the framework of the EU Data Collection Regulation aiming at providing information for assessment of small pelagic fish stocks and their management in the Mediterranean.
The acoustic surveys cover the major stocks of small pelagic species in the Mediterranean European Union waters (Aegean Sea, Gulf of Lions, Adriatic Sea, Sicily Channel, Iberian Coast) with a standardised methodology, following a common protocol.
Target species are anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus) Acoustic surveys are conducted to estimate stock abundance, characterize the spatial distribution, observe fish behaviour and study temporal and spatial variability of small pelagic fish distribution in relation to environmental conditions. This research is established with a multidisciplinary approach, in fact, synoptically with the acoustic data acquisition, net samplings on small pelagic fish are performed by means of a pelagic trawl with the aim of determining species, size and age composition of the pelagic biomass and CTD oceanographic data (temperature, salinity, fluorescence and dissolved oxygen) are recorded.
ISMAR studies the state of the small pelagic resources in the Adriatic Sea using the acoustic methodology (MEDIAS GSA 17 and GSA 18 co-funded by European Commission and MIPAAF: Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - Data Collection Program). The studied areas are northern and central Adriatic Sea, Slovenian waters included, (GFCM GSA 17) and southern Adriatic Sea (GFCM GSA 18). Eastwards sampling limit is constituted by the Mid-Line/200 m bathymetry. Annually acoustic surveys are performed on board of R/V G. Dallaporta in summer – early autumn following systematic parallel grids in an area of about 13200 square nautical miles.
Contact person in ISMAR: iole.leonori@ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - HCMR - Greece
- Institut Francais de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer - IFREMER - France
- Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences - MCFS - Malta
- Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia- FRIS - Slovenia
- CNR - ISMAR - Italy
- CNR - IAMC - Italy
- Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia IEO - Spain
