The joint group will address two kinds of issues; those of a "pure science" nature as well as those of a more applied nature. The applied work includes requests for advice from OSPAR that, recently have featured the development of Ecology Quality Objectives (EcoQOs) and the development of common bird indicators under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Some delegates are funded by their host countries to attend ICG-COBAM bird expert group meetings to work specifically on MSFD indicator development. Other potential attendees, who may or may not be supported by their host countries, are motivated to participate in these meetings because it is an opportunity to write about exciting issues in seabird ecology, within the stimulating atmosphere of a collection of seabird biologists.
The joint OSPAR/HELCOM/ICES working group will hold annual meetings in
which both the needs of OSPAR and the interests of the participants are
met. Our intention would be that the group as a whole devides its time
at meetings equally to working on each of these objectives. The
objectives will be determined as they have been in the past through the
development of a series of Terms of Reference some months before the
meeting occurs.
