1. River Fish Intercalibration group (2008-2009)
Coordination:
D. Pont (Cemagref, France)
N. Jepsen (JRC, Ispra)
26 Participants / Member States
Austria
Belgium-Wallonia
Belgium-Flanders
Czech Republic
Denmark
England-Wales
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Netherland
Northern Ireland
Norway
Portugal
Romania
Scotland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden

2. Objectives
Common reference criterias definition (European scale)
All data centralized in one common database
- Pre classification of pressure
- Environnemental variables
- Biological information (Abundance per species, individual fish length)
Comparison between National Methods using common metrics (Option 2)
Comparison between National Methods within Regional groups (Option 3)
Harmonizing H/G and G/M class boundaries between MS.

3. Common approach (ICM, Option 2)
Ref. conditions between Countries / Reg. Groups
- Common metrics computation
High/Good & Good/Moderate boundaries comparisons
Associated uncertainties
Common database
Environm. variables
Pressure types
- Fish data
- Common metrics
- National methods 3
Discussion
Agreements
INTERCALIBRATION
Specificities
(Environment, pressures)
Fish as indicator ?
Data collection
National methods
Option 3 1
General meetings 3
Nordic
FI IR SC
N-IR SE NO
Alpine-type
Mountains
AT DE FR
SL ES
Lowland
Midland
NL DE DN
BE-F BE-W
LUX FR LT
LV EST
ENG-W
Mediterranean
South-Atlantic
FR ES
PT GR
Danubian
RO CZ
SVK HU
AT SV
Regional
meetings

4. Common Database

5. LIST OF PRESSURES – REFERENCE CONDITION CRITERIA (European scale)

6. River Fish IC 2nd Round
Central database
Reference sites = Preliminary selection

7. Common metrics Functional Metric ~ Natural Environment + Residual
6th PCRD ( / )
Undisturbed sites
Functional Metric ~ Natural Environment Residual
Impacted sites
Functional Metric ~ Natural Environment Pressure impact + Residual
Salmonid zone
- Density (relative) of Habitat Intolerant Individuals less than 150 mm
- Density (relative) of Oxygen Intolerant species
Cyprinid zone
- Richness (relative) of Reproductive rheophilic habitat species
- Density (relative) of Lithophilic species

8. Common metrics: observed versus predicted values (Independent validation dataset)
250
250
Habitat Intolerant (< 150mm)
O2 Intolerant
200
200
150
150
100
100 50 50 50
100
150
200
250 50
100
150
200
250
Nb ind/100m2
Nb ind/100m2
Observed values 15
250
Rheophilic Reproduction species
Lithophilic Species
200 10
150
100 5 50 5 10 15 50
100
150
200
250
Nb species
Nb ind/100m2
Predicted values

9. Common metric responses to pressures
Water.quality.
Channelization
Hydropeaking
Impoundment 1 2 3 4 20 40 60 80
100 % No
Slight
Moderate
Strong 20 40 60 80
100 No
Yes 20 40 60 80
100 No
Weak
Strong 20 40 60 80
100
Water.abstraction
Barriers. downstream
Sedimentation No
Weak
Medium
High 20 40 60 80
100 No
Weak
Strong 20 40 60 80
100 % No
Yes 20 40 60 80
100
Ecological classes
Class 4-5
Class 3
Class 1-2
N=4807

10. Empirical distribution the aggregated metrics
Uncertainties associated with common metrics
Expected
values (Eta)
Series of GLM
(log, poisson or
negative binomial)
1- For each metric:
simulation = Norm(Eta,SE)
Sim = invlink(simulation)
IDsim = std dist(Obs, Sim Value)
2- Metric aggregation
Standard
Errors (SE)
n repetitions
Empirical distribution
related to
the aggregated metrics
Final predictive interval
Cyprinid zone

11. 4th River-Fish Intercalibration Meeting Ispra, Italy April 21-22 2008
Meetings
4th River-Fish Intercalibration Meeting Ispra, Italy April
5th River-Fish Intercalibration Meeting Ispra, Italy April
Regional Meetings
Group Meeting Responsible
Nordic group STOCKOLM, Sweden 06/03/ T. Vehanen
Alpin-Type Mountains SCHARFLING 25/03/ N. Schotzko
Lowland-Midland RIGA 10-11/03/ T. Buijse & C. Schütz
Mediterranean South - Atlantic LISBON, Portugal /03/ T. Ferreira
Danubian Group V. Kovac
EFI+ End-users meeting (Common metrics) Hull, UK April
EFI+ End-users meeting (Common metrics) Cluj, Romania April
6th River-Fish Intercalibration Meeting Dublin, Ireland May

12. Timetable
January-April 2009: Data collection / Data checking. Common database
May 2009: Preliminary analysis (common metrics and regional groups)
May : 6th IC Meeting. First results and discussion.
Harmonisation of statistical methods
Table of contents of the final report
June-August: Data analysis. Exchange between partners. Results.
September 2009: Draft report (to ECOSTAT).
October 2009: ECOSTAT Meeting. Recommendations.
October 2009: 7th Fish IC meeting. Final discussion about H/G and G/M classes boundaries
January 2010: Final report: methodology, results, boundaries between class 1/2/3
Limitations. Questions, & environmental situations remaining open.
Future tasks : Large rivers,…