Conference Reports

N o r t h Sea - E s t u a r i e s I n t e r a c t i o n s

The North Sea has attracted concern from many directions: scientists, politicians, environmentalists. The 18th Annual Symposium of the Estuarine and Brackish-Water Sciences Association (EBSA) was held recently at the University of Newcastle, UK, to discuss the estuaries which surround and interact with the North Sea. The symposium was EBSA's fourth to be co-organised with Oceanografenclub and Hydrobiologische Vereniging of the Netherlands and attracted over 90 delegates from many European countries. Statutory bodies (Government and regional laboratories), universities, marine research laboratories, industries and wildlife conservation bodies were all represented.

The meeting covered the transport of materials, interactions between estuaries and the North Sea, anthropogenic effects and case studies and estuary characteristics. As expected, most papers concentrated on problems in the estuaries and/or their associated coastal areas but few of these topics can be discussed here.

Several papers presented numerical models - some were diagnostic and described the fimcdoning of certain components, others were predictive and some took a systems approach. However, both the accuracy of the data used to formulate the models and their often reliance on data from the literature, led delegates to question whether such models could be used to manage complicated marine and estuarine systems. Despite this, models have much to offer in the study of these areas/components and can often point the way for future studies aimed at interpreting the systems. For example, the Boede model for the Ems estuary is being used as a predictive, mana_gement tool to assess the effects of dredging and effluent discharges.

In the UK, the southern North Sea modelling project of the Natural Environment Research Council and the Nature Conservancy Council's Estuaries Review have been recently started. The la~e:r will be a much needed quantification of the estuarine resource in the UK. However, one questions whether the basic knowledge of the North Sea will support a large model and allow it to be validated and calibrated. Recently, in British marine science, at least two long-term programmes, aimed at quantifying long-term variability, have been stopped or are at risk through undeffunding while at the same time short-term research is being commenced to "understand"

the functioning of some components of a part of the North Sea. Both time-scales of research are necessary and many delegates from all countries agreed that much more basic research was required to understand the structure and functioning of the North Sea and its estuaries, especially the relationships between water column changes and sediment/benthos/predator changes. Despite this, North Sea models derived by continental Europe~ laboratories are available and should be built upon.

Estuaries have a major role as sinks of materials but two types of change were described which may increase estuaries' role as a source of materials to the sea and reduce their role as a sink. Firstly, reclamation and canalisation, as in the Tees, England, has reduced both the residence time and the area and particulate- load available as a sink for materials. Secondly, pollution control measures, aimed at restoring aerobic conditions in the heavily industrialised Western Scheldt, may increase dissolved metal concentrations in the estuary and their seaward transport.

There was much discussion of nutrient and metals inputs, sorption, transport and fate but little mention of these topics for organic compounds - surely an area for future research. The nutrient rich status of certain estuaries would produce high phytoplankton productivity were it not for turbidity limiting light penetration. However, the reduction in turbidity and the concomitant increase in primary production following storm- barrier construction in the Oosterschelde illustrate the potential effects of barriers in other nutrient-rich areas (those assessing the likely effects of the Severn and Mersey estuary barrages take note).

Estuaries are important for over-wintering wading birds and for juveniles of marine fishes; the effects for these top predators of loss of habitat, and in particular feeding areas, by reclamation or polluting discharges are being studied. Such changes, which will displace waders to other estuaries and decrease fish nursery areas, are only now being understood and quantified. In addition, the export of both biomass and bio- accumulated contaminants from estuaries by the migratory top predators is also now being quantified.

Although not included in papers, the fate of the North Sea grey and common seals was discussed informally throughout the week. (The meeting coincided with

Volume 9, Number 2 (1989) 145

political statements from the UK regarding the diversion of research funds to study the issue). However, the links between estuarine inputs, North Sea quality and the depression of the seal immune system to paramxyoviruses will need at least one separate symposium.

The Symposium was extremely informative and enjoyable and it highlighted several features: (1) the wealth of data and the coordinated studies on areas such as the Wadden Sea and the Oosterschelde and, to a lesser extent, the Humber and the Forth; (2) the role of estuaries as sinks or treatment areas as well as making a significant contn'bution to the coastal pollutant load; (3) the estuaries'

high biological productivity and their support for marine top predators. The week ended with the positive suggestion that if we look after the estmries then the North Sea will look after itself. The abstracts of the meeting have been published in the EBSA Bulletin and the proceedings will be published in Hydrobiologia during 1989.

Mike Elliott, FRPB Tidal Waters Laboratory, Port Edgar,

S. Queensferry, Edinburgh, EH30 9SQ, UK

Geosciences in Development

An international conference on the application of geology in developing countries was held at the East Midland Conference Centre in Nottingham, UK, from 26th-30th September, 1988. Co- organised by the Institution of Geologists (IG), the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, the Geological Society of London (GS), and the Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID), the confeaence, the first of its kind to be held in the UK, was attended by over 200 delegates from some 38 diffeteaat countries. More than 50 papers have been presented or offered for publication. It was also widely sponsored in the UK, with significant contributions by the Overseas Development Administration, and also from the British Council, the Commonwealth Foundation, and AGID. The support of The Royal Society is also gratefully acknowledged.

A trade exhibition "Geodex 88" organised by Mining Promotions Ltd, Rickrnansworth, ran in parallel with the technical programme. The 12 exhibiting companies provided useful information on the range of services and equipment available for geoscience development in developing countries. Social events included a Civic Reception and, after words of welcome from Mr F.G. Larminie, OBE, Director, a buffet and well organised tour of the British Geological Survey, Keyworth. The conference was formally concluded with a Closing Address by Professor J.R. Briden, Director, Earth Sciences Directorate, Natural Environment Research Council. At the Conference Dinner, addresses were given by Mr John Shanklin, President, Institution of Geologists, and Dr Gerald Cooray, the outgoing President of AGID. Professor Wang Sijing, Director of the Institute of Geology, Academia Sinica, Beijing, and the new President

of AGID, pledged to organise a "geosciences in development" conference in China in 1992.

The main aims of the conference were to assess past experience and discuss future wends in the application of the broad range of geosciences to developing countries. In his Keynote Address, Professor P.G. Cooray (Kandy, Sri Lanka) maintained that development means providing for the basic needs of people, te. their food, water, shelter, clothing, energy, health, education, employment, and safe environment, thus improving the quality of life for all. In this context, geosciences have an essential and important role to play and he urged geoscientists to give of their best in striving to achieve these various goals.

Aid Policies and Finance

Dr R.L. Johnson (British Geological Survey, UK) opened the session on the natme and funding of geoscience aid programmes with a paper on "British technical cooperation overseas". Government bilateral aid had evolved from the former colonial geological survey days to encompass a range of service, technical, research and development and training schemes, in which individual specialists are seconded on short- or long-term contracts to programmes run and operated mainly by the host geological survey or other government department. Mr G.O. Kesse (Director, Geological Survey, Ghana) discussed the nattae and development of the successful Ghanaian-German cooperative project for gold prospecting in south-western Ghana, clearly a useful model with much wider application.

A multilateral approach to geoscienee aid was outlined by Mr R.N. Aitken (Commission of the European Communities, Brussels), who referred to the "equal

146 The Environmentalist