WP 1 STUDY AREAS

The bibliographic synthesis achieved in WP1 brings together a clear overview of the different fields of expertise brought together by the various partners in the Colasu Consortium.  All deliverables in WP1 taken together provide a detailed insight into the existing knowledge on both lagoons from a climate, geological, geomorpho-logical, hydrogeological as well as a socio-economic point of view.  The design and use of a standard scientific matrix to document existing information and particularly to document the available maps on both lagoons provides another important result.

WP 2 DATA COLLECTION

Undoubtedly the most significant result during the first year, concerns the collection of samples during the Summer-02 and Winter-03 campaigns for both lagoons.  As a result, and particularly due to the Winter-03 campaign in Nador, there are already more samples collected for analysis than envisaged for the entire project duration.

Important, parallel achievements include a detailed sampling and analytical protocol; as well as the adoption of a common sample reference.  Also here, standard scientific formats were designed in order to normalize the way data collection is made, not only during fieldwork and sampling, but also for analytical results, including information concerning each sample type and related analytical approach (analytical methods and corresponding results).

It was decided that in the Winter 2003 sampling campaign a sediment collection distribution covering the whole of the lagoons, most of them starting from the coast, but the others from the centre along a transect should be performed. From each profile or point two samples should be obtained, at different depths. For the soils around the lagoons two different depths should also be acquired. Ten water samples around the lagoon and two more from the centre should be collected. Also stream sediments close to the lagoon should be picked up, parent rocks and water as well. The sample preparation and storage requirements for chemical speciation, mobility and bioavailability was drawn up, as well as the analytical protocol for sediments and soils, and the important chemical elements to be analyzed according to the main objectives of the project.

The analytical protocol which was established implies the chemical analyses of all sediments and soils samples and micropaleontological and organic studies in selected samples, as well as, chemical analyses and in situ hydrological parameter measurements for water.

The very high number of samples which were collected as a result of the above sampling plan for the Winter-03 Campaign proved necessary due to the size of Nador lagoon, which had required a very high number of sampling locations in order to obtain a good coverage of the entire lagoon.  Future campaigns are expected to focus on a smaller part of the lagoon, the selection of which will be guided by the ongoing laboratory analysis.

A first, preliminary evaluation and interpretation of mineralogical and geochemical analyses of soils and sediments has been concluded, also including a compilation of the available data from previous works in the studied regions. These first available results can lead to several assumptions such as where pollution is more evident, and with what anthropogenic (or natural) activity it is related. 

A further result achieved as per WP2-related tasks, concerns the construction of an operational GIS for both lagoons. All maps supplied to date have been digitised as well as the georeferenced location has been entered of all samples collected during the first year of the project.

WP 3 ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING

WP3-related tasks have been started during the second semester, leading to the production of inventories of factors affecting a) morphological changes and b) the mobility of pollutants in relation to lagoons 'in general' and have subsequently been used to confirm the precise factors that are relevant to Nador in particular.   A first geomorphological study on El Meleh is also available together with a geomorphology base map produced from aerial photo interpretation.

WP 4 GLOBAL DIAGNOSIS

WP4 - Global Diagnosis deals with the use of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a standardised tool (NF X30 300 ; ISO 14040) for environmental impact assessment of a system including the whole of activities connected to a product or to a service from raw materials extraction to final waste disposal.  Started in March 2003, initial results include a detailed presentation on the LCA technique and a first write-up on the aspired coupling between LCA and GIS.  A base map with the location of the anthropogenic activities of El Meleh and an assessment of the state of useable knowledge for Nador lagoon have also been achieved.

WP 6 COORDINATION - COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND END-USERS

An area of priority concern to the Colasu partners is to develop methods and recommend solutions, that will be appropriate to the requirements of stakeholders and potential end-users.  To this effect, specific tasks were taken up so as to identify and establish direct contact with the relevant stakeholders and potential end-users, with a longer-term view to define the issues relevant to the sustainable management (subject of WP5) of the lagoons in active, direct consultation with them.  As a result, an inventory of relevant institutions has been achieved, as well as a synthesis of their interest and potential roles in the project.