WFD Benthos sampling and Analysis

Tender description

Invitation to Tender for the Supply of services relating to the Water Framework Directives Marine Benthic Ecological Quality Element Sampling and analysis. Applicants may submit a tender, for one or more of the 5 Lots as detailed. Each Lot will be evaluated independently. All field sampling must be fully completed by October 2019 and all subsequent analysis and reporting must be completed by December 13th 2019. For each Lot, a range of tasks are required to be outsourced: - Plan a range of sedimentary surveys in Transitional and Coastal waters as defined by the Water Framework Directive - Carry out benthic surveys of all Transitional and Coastal waterbodies identified in the Lot. - Fix and preserve faunal samples according to standard methods. - Identify taxa to the lowest taxonomic level. - Analyse particle sizes of sediments according to standard protocols. - Off-bottom salinity reading from each station in transitional waterbodies. - Produce data sets and report in predefined formats. - Provide a series of voucher specimens for representative taxa encountered. Full details of these requirements are set out in Section 4: Service Specification and Appendix 2. There are 5 Lots, each of which corresponds to broad geographic groups of waterbodies.