For each of these species, the CC members will propose, with a short reference/justification, a length to share the juveniles and adults. These proposals will be sent to the general co-ordinator by the 15th of September 1998. The REGIND program will be improved so as to include this analysis (action: A. Souplet).

Each of the regional groups will produce a file with the temperature data collected during the hauls. These data will be presented in a format to be proposed by the co-ordinator of the MDMS project. It is expected that this format will be available by the end of July 1998. The co-ordinators of the regional groups will send their data to the general co-ordinator by the end of September.

Detailed data of the survey and presentation of variations between the years will be circulated to each of the regional co-ordinators during the next general meeting in Kavala (November 1998) so as to permit them to check their data. During this meeting, the basic information requested for the common analysis to be put in the final report (particularly for the comparison between years) will be discussed.

During the meeting in Kavala (November 1998), a discussion will be introduced on the efficiency of the Medits gear regarding the different target species. This discussion will be based (i) on the results obtained by L. Fiorentini and P.Y. Dremière within the ESMED project, (ii) on a comparison between the efficiency of the Medits and professional gears in Italy and (iii) on the information get from the records on the geometry of the gear obtained during the Medits surveys aboard different vessels during the last years.

1. Fittings of the reference list of species

To better adjust to the state of the fisheries the list of species measured and to take into account a remark of the supervisor who recommended to enlarge the list of species to be measured during the Medits surveys, the CC has considered the mean biomass indices obtained during the Medits surveys 1994-1997 for 88 species (see appendix 2.2.2). From this analysis, the CC has decided to add the following species in the Reference list for the next surveys: Aspitrigla cuculus, Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula, Spicara smaris and Trigloporus lastoviza.

2. Inter-annual analysis

As the delay between the end of the 1999 survey and the production of the final report is very short, the CC has decided to organize a working group during the spring of 1999 to produce a first analysis of the time variations of the data inside the series 1994-1998. This analysis will be updated during the final meeting of the project (Autumn 1999) for inclusion in the final report.

3. New proposals for the future of the Medits programme

The Medits CC has decided to push on the development of methodological approaches to improve the quality of the work done inside the programme. It has highlighted the need to progress in priority on the following topics:

· Intercalibration between the different vessels involved in the Medits programme

Since the beginning of the programme, the CC is preoccupied to make sure that the results obtained by the different vessels involved in the programme may be considered as homogeneous. As a first step, the CC had decided to carefully standardize the work at sea aboard the different vessels involved in the surveys. Nevertheless, till now no specific experiment has been carried on to verify the quality of the obtained results. This is mainly due to the fact that the CC has estimated that this kind of experiment would be very expensive at the Medits scale (in term of costs as well as on technical and scientific means) for a doubtful result. However, the CC has noted the request from different supervisors of the programme. He has decided to incite the group to progress on this question. As different projects have been conducted on this question in Europe during the last few years, particularly in Italy (comparison between the Medits and the GRUND projects), in France (intercalibration between the two R/V Thalassa) and between four vessels/areas in the north-west Atlantic (SESITS project), the CC has considered that the definition of an experiment inside the Medits programme should strongly take benefit of all these studies. As most of them are not yet published, the CC has recommended to progress on this question by a careful examination of the results of these projects and the situation in other such programmes (like IBTS, etc.) to base the definition of a methodology applicable to the Medits programme.

· Sampling design

The CC has taken notice that the Commission wonders about an assumption for a future reduction of cost and time duration of the collection of periodic abundance indices from trawl surveys in the Mediterranean. Globally, this objective would be obtained by a reduction of the number of hauls (see general map of the hauls in appendix 2.2.3). As different strategies should be foreseen with this goal, the CC incites the Medits group to statistically analyse different possibilities of revision of the sampling scheme, but preserving the continuity of the series.

· Development/application of new methodologies

The symposium in Pisa (March 1998) has shown different ways of analysis of the Medits data which should be of a strong interest for management purpose. The Medits CC greatly encourage the scientists involved in the Medits programme to continue to progress in that direction.

To favour these developments, the CC has decided to support a new proposal on « Methodological improvement for Medits » to be presented in answer to the EC-DGXIV Call for proposals for studies (1998; deadline 25/08/1998). This proposal will include three main tasks on the topics named above. The project will be managed by the SIBM (President: Prof. G. Relini). It will be prepared by the following co-ordination team: G. Ardizzone (General Co-ordinator), A. Souplet (Intercalibration), C. Papaconstantinou (Sampling design), G. Lembo (New approaches) and L. Gil de Sola (Fishing effort, to be included in New approaches).

4. Publication of the papers presented in Pisa

The process for publication of selected papers in Aquatic Living Resources is in progress. The main authors of the selected papers have been invited to send their final proposal to the ALR’s editor.

The Co-ordination committee is waiting for the final acceptance for the publication of all the other papers in a special issue of the series ‘’Actes de colloques’’ of IFREMER. It is foreseen that the evaluation of these papers by the Co-ordination committee will be achieve before the next Medits general meeting.

5. Publication of Medits data

The CC intends to incite the production of a book to present the main results obtained from the Medits data in the whole area. It is suggested to organise this presentation by species groups. The work should be divided between the scientific teams involved in the programme. The members of the CC are invited to define a list of priority topics to include in this document.

6. Presentation of the EASY system

From a proposal by P. Oliver (FAO), the CC has attended a presentation of an Environment Analysis System (EASY) in FAO the 3rd of November. The show was done by Dale Kiefer (University of South California), the author of the software.

From this short view, the CC have noted that this software would offer a large extend of the possibilities usually available in the GIS packages. It has noted that this tool should permit the manipulation of a lot of marine environment data. Nevertheless, for the time being, it seems to be mainly oriented towards the pelagic fields. Its specific usefulness for the benthic domain compared with the one of the tools already used in the Mediterranean, notably within FIGIS, should be evaluated.

Finally, the CC has considered that it would be advisable to better know the EASY software. This should be done through an exchange of the EASY package and Medits data. Preliminary, the CC has decided to make sure of the FAO’s interest for this project by requesting an official proposal for co-operation.

7. Next meeting

The CC has decided that the next general meeting will meet in Kavala (Greece), the 19th and 20th of November 1998. A Medits Steering committee meeting will be held the day before (the 18th of November) during the afternoon, at the same place. It is suggested that other groups which involve scientists working in the Medits programme (as MDMS and MEDLAND) could benefit of this gathering to meet the same day, if necessary.

8. Miscellaneous

During the VII International congress of ecology (INTECOL) in Florence (19-25 July 1998), a symposium will deal with ‘’Environmental peculiarities and biological resources distribution in the Mediterranean sea’’ (Co-ordinator: G. Relini). This symposium will offer a very promising forum to discuss results obtained within the Medits programme. The scientists involved in the Medits programme are incited to take part in it.

9. Summary agenda

Topic Date Action

· Temperature exchange format............................................ by 31/07/1998..... C.Y. Politou/GC

· Proposal ‘’Methodological improvement for Medits’’......... by 25/08/1998 .... various

· Threshold lengths between juveniles and adults................. by 15/09/1998..... CC

· Transmission of ‘98 Medits data (after validation)............ by 31/09/1998..... SC

· General Medits meeting (in Kavala, Greece).................... 19-20/11/1998

· Annual interim report............................................................ 31/12/1998.......... various

SC: Steering committee members, CC: Co-ordination committee members, GC: General co-ordinator

___

Appendix 2.2.1a

Guidelines to prepare the Technical report Medits ‘98

^{This report will be prepared by each of the Regional co-ordinators
applying exactly the same rules as for the previous annual reports.}

10. Text

^{A short text (approximately half a page by region) explaining the main
features of the survey in 1998 (in WORD 6).}

11. Files and tables

11.1 Files

^{All the following files are in ascii. All of them, except the type [4]
file, will have exactly the same format as for the previous years.}

Type	Name
[1] Hauls data	TAcc98rr.TXT
[2] Catch by haul	TBcc98rr.TXT
[3] Biological parameters	TCcc98rr.TXT
[4] Temperature (see format below)	TDcc98rr.TXT
Strata / Hauls numbers	TRcc98rr.DAT
Strata / Surface	STcc98rr.DAT

with cc: country code (2 characters); rr: region code (2 characters or ‘__’ when no region).

11.2 Tables

^{All the tables will be presented in EXCEL 5 or WORD 6.}

Type	Name
Vessel sheet (if the vessel is new or modified)	VScc98rr.DOC
Boarding table	BTcc98rr.XLS
Stratification scheme	SCcc98rr.XLS

with cc: country code (2 characters); rr: region code (2 characters or ‘__’ when no region).

Appendix 2.2.1b

Guidelines to prepare the Biological report Medits ‘98

^{The Co-ordination committee has decided to improve the presentation of
the results obtained during the Medits
‘98 Survey compared with the schedule previously adopted. This is mainly
due to the following considerations. From now, the different teams involved in
the programme have a general knowledge of the basic information got from the
programme. Furthermore, the series is long enough to reinforce analyses at a
more global level. Nevertheless, as the Medits
‘98 report will be only an interim report, an inter-annual analysis will be
only included in the final report. This progress is also defined to take into
consideration the recommendations given by the Commission from the presentation
of the previous reports.}

^{The following recommendation will be taken into account in all the
texts: general data tables with all the weight and number indices by main area
will be included as appendix in the report (see an example in appendix
2.2.1b.1). For this reason, only a few values and very short tables should be
put in the text, when strictly necessary.}

Survey Results by region

^{As for the previous surveys, this part of the report will be completed
by each of the regional groups before the general meeting in November 1998.}

12. Introduction

^{The introduction shortly recalls some information on the context of the Medits ‘98 Survey in the region, like
the number of hauls, the number of species caught and some general information
related with the species caught.}

13. Global comments for Fish, Crustaceans and Cephalopods, Survey 1998

^{In this part, the comments will be focused on the most important species
(included or not in the Reference list of species) in each of the three groups.
For these species, the comments will highlight their main characteristics of
density (abundance and biomass indices) and length distribution all over the
region in 1998.}

13.1 Fish

13.2 Crustaceans

13.3 Cephalopods

14. Comments by stratum, Survey 1998

^{In each region, five groups of strata will be considered. For each of
the strata, the comments will underline some general characteristics on the
distribution of the most important species in the area in 1998.}

14.1 Stratum 10-50 m

14.2 Stratum 50-100 m

14.3 Stratum 100-200 m

14.4 Stratum 200-500 m

14.5 Stratum 500-800 m

Biological results: Global analysis

^{This part will be completed by working groups during the Medits meeting in November 1998. The
results presented will cover the whole Medits
area.}

15. General results for 1998

^{The results will refer to number and biomass indices as well as length
distributions. They will be presented by species, only for the main species of
the reference list. List of species to the appreciation of the working group.}

15.1 Fish

15.2 Crustaceans

15.3 Cephalopods

___

Format Temperature file

Code

(optional)

Name

Position

Type*

Extend

Comment

TypEnr	Type of recording	1	-	2	2A	TD	Fixed value ’TD’
Pays	Country	3	-	5	3A	See appendix VIII	ISO code
Bateau	Vessel	6	-	8	3AN	See appendix VIII	Medits code
An	Year	9	-	10	2N	80 to 99	Ex : 1994 > 94
NoTrai	Number of the haul	11	-	13	3N	1 to 999	One series/vessel/year
ToDeb	Bottom temperature (begin of haul)	14	-	18	5N	0.00 to 30.00	in C° with 2 decimals
ToFin	Bottom temperature (end of haul)	19	-	23	5N	0.00 to 30.00	in C° with 2 decimals
Method	Measurement system	24	-	25	2A	See appendix	Medits code

* All numeric fields (N) right justified, zeros filled, except when spaces are used to indicate no information.

All alpha fields (A) and mixed alpha/numeric fields (AN) left justified, space filled.

Medits Codes for measurement devices

Medits code

Device

Comments

VA	Vemco- Minilog TDR -5 to +35 C°
XA	XBT
SA	SCANMAR

Appendix 2.2.1b.1 EXAMPLE OF TABLE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT

Biomass indices (kg/km²) by region - Medits 96

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

CITHMAC 111 .07 97.36 .22 97.36 .00 .00

CITHMAC 112 .27 34.56 .50 34.56 .00 .00

CITHMAC 113 .30 38.90 .39 38.90 .00 .00

CITHMAC 121 10.87 18.32 13.39 18.32 .00 .00

CITHMAC 131 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

CITHMAC 132 .14 25.63 .27 26.06 .01 97.59

CITHMAC 133 .56 44.65 .88 45.03 .01 98.58

CITHMAC 134 .75 25.53 1.92 25.53 .00 .00

CITHMAC 211 2.57 19.04 2.79 19.04 .00 .00

CITHMAC 221 .19 30.95 .33 30.95 .00 .00

CITHMAC 222 1.94 53.07 3.32 53.07 .00 .00

CITHMAC 223 2.00 19.58 5.39 19.58 .00 .00

CITHMAC 224 4.39 39.53 9.07 39.53 .00 .00

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

ELEDCIR 111 6.06 27.38 11.72 40.71 3.64 33.16

ELEDCIR 112 8.97 34.31 9.44 46.44 8.42 50.83

ELEDCIR 113 23.92 19.64 25.13 23.36 19.93 28.97

ELEDCIR 121 14.98 11.20 16.27 11.78 9.41 35.47

ELEDCIR 131 12.22 20.11 15.00 41.85 10.81 17.36

ELEDCIR 132 14.12 8.88 13.32 12.66 15.05 12.44

ELEDCIR 133 9.32 11.77 9.47 14.80 9.07 19.39

ELEDCIR 134 3.39 26.51 6.40 34.98 1.45 22.64

ELEDCIR 211 8.34 19.46 8.06 21.51 11.61 31.52

ELEDCIR 221 5.81 13.01 7.85 15.21 3.01 24.25

ELEDCIR 222 6.59 32.58 5.93 42.73 7.53 49.73

ELEDCIR 223 1.96 24.70 2.99 32.37 1.35 38.16

ELEDCIR 224 7.55 26.83 13.86 29.92 1.64 33.78

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

ELEDMOS 111 2.56 38.00 8.12 40.05 .20 51.51

ELEDMOS 112 .24 68.70 .44 68.70 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 113 .66 30.05 .86 30.05 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 121 5.08 14.03 6.23 14.08 .11 81.18

ELEDMOS 131 3.35 55.56 9.66 57.00 .13 101.61

ELEDMOS 132 .25 39.85 .47 39.85 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 133 2.36 26.61 3.72 26.61 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 134 2.57 38.54 6.53 38.78 .03 100.03

ELEDMOS 211 9.37 16.51 10.16 16.55 .23 79.28

ELEDMOS 221 1.24 27.11 2.14 27.11 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 222 1.24 38.09 2.13 38.09 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 223 4.81 43.64 12.97 43.64 .00 .00

ELEDMOS 224 11.50 44.60 23.61 44.92 .16 102.40

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

EUTRGUR 111 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 112 .00 105.81 .01 105.81 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 113 .31 64.09 .41 64.09 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 121 42.70 13.21 49.49 12.82 13.41 90.85

EUTRGUR 131 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 132 .18 63.06 .33 63.06 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 133 .15 61.07 .23 61.07 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 134 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 211 1.25 23.69 1.36 23.69 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 221 .04 26.39 .07 26.39 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 222 .43 87.45 .74 87.45 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 223 .11 48.49 .29 48.49 .00 .00

EUTRGUR 224 .76 44.43 1.56 44.50 .00 101.59

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

HELIDAC 111 27.69 24.30 7.41 67.24 36.32 25.76

HELIDAC 112 6.06 49.15 2.78 56.14 9.85 62.53

HELIDAC 113 2.13 74.16 .43 78.53 7.73 86.42

HELIDAC 121 9.30 47.81 .23 40.53 48.43 48.78

HELIDAC 131 10.18 29.66 .00 .00 15.38 29.66

HELIDAC 132 2.60 21.98 .71 48.22 4.76 24.38

HELIDAC 133 5.93 35.10 1.60 62.42 13.43 40.34

HELIDAC 134 2.59 31.18 .09 41.14 4.19 31.60

HELIDAC 211 .47 63.81 .06 35.01 5.36 71.63

HELIDAC 221 1.62 35.33 .23 36.74 3.52 38.32

HELIDAC 222 .56 61.59 .00 .00 1.34 61.59

HELIDAC 223 4.46 32.98 .14 67.26 7.01 33.36

HELIDAC 224 1.02 97.12 .00 .00 1.98 97.12

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

ILLECOI 111 10.63 70.33 30.58 81.49 2.13 47.44

ILLECOI 112 9.46 23.76 13.74 23.02 4.53 70.27

ILLECOI 113 8.09 26.44 10.56 26.44 .00 .00

ILLECOI 121 1.30 27.90 1.60 27.90 .00 .00

ILLECOI 131 .76 37.68 1.27 32.15 .49 76.17

ILLECOI 132 2.64 13.53 4.55 14.20 .45 43.84

ILLECOI 133 3.10 14.70 3.80 16.72 1.87 30.79

ILLECOI 134 3.13 17.64 5.94 21.45 1.33 29.44

ILLECOI 211 6.09 12.54 5.95 13.58 7.85 28.53

ILLECOI 221 2.62 10.10 4.30 10.48 .33 35.24

ILLECOI 222 1.27 61.78 2.08 64.30 .12 67.65

ILLECOI 223 11.58 25.08 9.95 22.85 12.54 35.23

ILLECOI 224 18.31 34.55 7.48 29.39 28.45 42.44

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

LEPMBOS 111 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

LEPMBOS 112 .22 54.11 .00 .00 .47 54.11

LEPMBOS 113 1.70 19.40 .54 52.94 5.50 19.18

LEPMBOS 121 7.89 14.83 8.74 15.92 4.22 38.54

LEPMBOS 131 1.81 26.31 .00 .00 2.73 26.31

LEPMBOS 132 1.03 11.17 .67 25.00 1.45 10.81

LEPMBOS 133 1.72 13.58 .71 28.29 3.49 15.43

LEPMBOS 134 .50 33.47 .01 100.10 .82 33.66

LEPMBOS 211 1.14 33.53 .43 41.54 9.44 46.47

LEPMBOS 221 .73 14.27 .28 38.52 1.35 14.70

LEPMBOS 222 3.43 38.64 .26 140.78 7.88 39.90

LEPMBOS 223 3.89 22.41 .19 87.78 6.07 22.77

LEPMBOS 224 4.44 17.51 3.62 34.13 5.21 18.52

Medits YEAR : 1996 INDEX : BIOMASS INDEX

TOTAL 10-200m 200-800m

Ind CV Ind CV Ind CV

LOLIVUL 111 .02 106.20 .06 106.20 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 112 .80 69.11 1.50 69.11 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 113 1.10 83.81 1.44 83.81 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 121 .29 29.01 .36 29.01 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 131 2.86 84.94 .96 88.94 3.83 95.14

LOLIVUL 132 .36 19.85 .67 19.85 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 133 .93 36.46 1.46 36.46 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 134 .73 30.51 1.85 30.51 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 211 .71 27.95 .76 28.27 .11 102.95

LOLIVUL 221 1.36 29.69 2.31 30.14 .05 90.58

LOLIVUL 222 2.61 33.67 4.36 34.47 .16 99.33

LOLIVUL 223 1.48 41.05 4.00 41.05 .00 .00

LOLIVUL 224 .04 101.86 .09 101.86 .00 .00

1. Preparation of the Survey 1998’s report

1. Fittings of the reference list of species

2. Inter-annual analysis

3. New proposals for the future of the Medits programme

4. Publication of the papers presented in Pisa

5. Publication of Medits data

6. Presentation of the EASY system

7. Next meeting

8. Miscellaneous

9. Summary agenda

10. Text

11. Files and tables

11.1 Files

11.2 Tables

12. Introduction

13. Global comments for Fish, Crustaceans and Cephalopods, Survey 1998

13.1 Fish

13.2 Crustaceans

13.3 Cephalopods

14. Comments by stratum, Survey 1998

14.1 Stratum 10-50 m

14.2 Stratum 50-100 m

14.3 Stratum 100-200 m

14.4 Stratum 200-500 m

14.5 Stratum 500-800 m

15. General results for 1998

15.1 Fish

15.2 Crustaceans

15.3 Cephalopods