title: Ecological status of seagrass ecosystems: An uncertainty analysis of the meadow classification based on the Posidonia oceanica multivariate index (POMI).
abstract: Quantifying the uncertainty associated with monitoring protocols is essential to prevent the misclassification of ecological status and to improve sampling design. We assessed the Posidonia oceanica multivariate index (POMI) bio-monitoring program for its robustness in classifying the ecological status of coastal waters within the Water Framework Directive. We used a 7-year data set covering 30 sites along 500 km of the Catalonian coastline to examine which version of POMI (14 or 9 metrics) maximises precision in classifying the ecological status of meadows. Five factors (zones within a site, sites within a water body, depth, years and surveyors) that potentially generate classification uncertainty were examined in detail. Of these, depth was a major source of uncertainty, while all the remaining spatial and temporal factors displayed low variability. POMI 9 matched POMI 14 in all factors, and could effectively replace it in future monitoring programs.
authors: Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, CSIC, C/Acceso a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain. bennes11@student.uwa.edu.au
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Bennett
authors: Guillem
authors: G
authors: Roca
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Romero
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Alcoverro
mesh_terms: D035961:Alismatales / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005062:European Union; D007256:Information Systems; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D035501:Uncertainty; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D035962:Zosteraceae / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants