Photo shows CSI023(+) trend indicator values (mg m−3/yr) within the Maltese Fisheries Management Zone for the period 2002-2011.
The results of a Master of Science in Applied Oceanography dissertation were presented as a poster at the 14th International Coastal Symposium recently held in Sydney, Australia. The dissertation, by Ms Hazel Farrugia, under the supervision of Prof. Alan Deidun and co-supervision of Mr Adam Gauci, attempted the computation of water quality indices (CSI023+ and TRIX) for the entire marine domain of the Maltese Islands, incorporating the entire Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) up to a distance of 25 nautical miles (46 kilometres) from the coast.
The results of a Master of Science in Applied Oceanography dissertation were presented as a poster at the 14th International Coastal Symposium recently held in Sydney, Australia. The dissertation, by Ms Hazel Farrugia, under the supervision of Prof. Alan Deidun and co-supervision of Mr Adam Gauci, attempted the computation of water quality indices (CSI023+ and TRIX) for the entire marine domain of the Maltese Islands, incorporating the entire Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) up to a distance of 25 nautical miles (46 kilometres) from the coast.
The main aims of such a study included the computation of the two water quality indices in question and the identification of trends in such index values and the relation of these to coastal anthropogenic activities, geo-location, bathymetry and seasonal factors.
Ms Farrugia availed herself of satellite water quality data for the same waters for the 2002-2014 period in order to compute such indices and to identify trends in water quality over the period in question.
The results of her study will serve Malta in good stead in complying with the onerous obligation of a number of EU Directives, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which require regular monitoring by Malta of the trophic state of its waters.
By virtue of this presentation, the same paper will be published in a special edition of the Journal of Coastal Research in the coming weeks.
Further information about the one-year, full-time Masters in Applied Oceanography, offered within the Department of Geosciences by the Physical Oceanography Research Group is available online.