Participation
The requirement for external QA for data, produced or received by UK Competent Monitoring Authorities (CMAs), derives from UK DEFRA policy requiring QA of all data contributing to national, European, or international programmes, such as UK CSEMP (NMMP), European WFD, or ICES. With the implementation of the WFD by various UK CMAS, it is now regarded as imperative that all data utilised for any Ecological Quality Assessment is validated via a recognised national AQC scheme (where such a scheme exists). Hence any organisation involved in the production of such data should participate in the scheme and completion of auditing modules (such as the Own Sample module) is mandatory. For some CMAs, relevant modules have not yet been developed and they may participate on an information only basis thus contributing funds to the production of scheme reports.
The main participants in the scheme are the UK CMAs for whom the scheme was initially designed. The scheme is open to CMAs from UK, Ireland, and Europe although participation of the latter has been limited to date. Contractors undertaking analysis of samples on behalf of CMAs or for licensees may also be required to join the scheme. In addition some contractors or consultancies not directly involved in statutory monitoring programmes may participate on a voluntary basis.
The required level of participation may vary depending on the organisation:
CMAs undertaking statutory monitoring programmes - complete all relevant components and modules. This would be the relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum, but CMAs are expected to also participate in other training modules.
Contractors undertaking statutory programmes for CMAs complete relevant modules as determined by CMA. This would be the relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum but other modules may be required.
Contractors undertaking programmes (eg Aquaculture Monitoring) for licensees which may support statutory programmes such as WFD complete relevant Own Sample modules as a mandatory minimum, other relevant modules are recommended.
Contractors or consultancies not involved in statutory monitoring programmes all relevant modules are recommended but participation is voluntary.
Current Participation
Invertebrates 2025 - 2026 Participants:
Organisation | Ring Test (RT) Module (intercalibration / training) | Laboratory Reference Module (intercalibration / training) | Own Sample (OS) Module (audit) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Anchor Environmental | Y | - | - | South Africa |
APEM Ltd. | Administrator | Administrator | Administrator | UK |
Benthic Solutions Ltd. | Y | - | - | UK |
Biofar | - | Y | Y | Faroes |
Cefas Lowestoft Benthic Laboratory | - | Y | - | UK |
Eco Marine Consultants Limited | Y | - | - | UK |
Eurofins AquaSense | Y | Y | - | The Netherlands |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd. (Edinburgh) | - | Y | Y | UK |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd. (Great Yarmouth) | Y | - | - | UK |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd.(Portsmouth) | Y | - | Y | UK |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd.(Wales) | Y | - | - | UK |
GICON Ecosystems | - | Y | - | Germany |
HEBOG Environmental Ltd. | Y | Y | - | UK |
Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | Y | Y | - | UK |
ILVO (Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research - ANIMALAB) | Y | Y | - | Belgium |
JG Benthos | Y | - | - | UK |
Marinescope Taxonomy Ltd. | - | Y | - | UK |
Northern Ireland Environment Agency | Y | Y | Y | UK |
Ocean Ecology Ltd. | Y | Y | - | UK |
Pelagia | - | Y | - | Sweden |
Precision Marine Survey Ltd. | - | Y | - | UK |
Rijkswaterstaat CIV | - | Y | - | The Netherlands |
Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Y | Y | Y | UK |
Shalla Benthic Identification Services | - | Y | - | UK |
STIM Scotland | Y | - | - | UK |
STIM AS | Y | - | - | Norway |
Thomson Environmental Consultants | Y | - | - | UK |
WMR (Wageningen Marine Research) | - | Y | Y | The Netherlands |
Particle Size Analysis 2025 - 2026 Participants:
Organisation | Particle Size (OS) | Particle Size (PS-OS) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
ABPmer | - | Y | UK |
Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI | Y | Y | UK |
APEM Ltd. | Administrator | Administrator | UK |
Benthic Solutions Limited | Y | - | UK |
Biotikos Limited | - | Y | UK |
Cefas Lowestoft Sediment Laboratory | Y | Y | UK |
Environment Agency (Monitoring Laboratories) | Y | Y | UK |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd. | Y | - | UK |
Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | Y | Y | UK |
ILVO (Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research) ANIMALAB | Y | - | Belgium |
Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd. | Y | Y | UK |
Marine Directorate | Y | - | UK |
Natural Resources Wales | Y | Y | UK |
Northern Ireland Environment Agency | Y | Y | UK |
Ocean Ecology | Y | Y | UK |
Precision Marine Survey Ltd. | Y | - | UK |
Rijkswaterstaat | Y | - | The Netherlands |
RPS | Y | - |
|
Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Y | Y | UK |
Thomson Ecology Limited | Y | - | UK |
Fish 2023 - 2024 Participants:
Organisation | Fish - Reverse Ring Test | Fish - Ring Test | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI) NI | 1 | 1 | UK |
CIBM "G.Bacci" | 1 | 0 | Italy |
Environment Agency | 10 | 8 | UK |
Fugro GB Marine Ltd. | 0 | 1 | UK |
Hull Marine Laboratory (University of Hull) | 0 | 1 | UK |
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) | 1 | 1 | UK |
Ocean Ecology Ltd. | 0 | 1 | UK |
The Marine Biological Association of the UK | 0 | 1 | UK |
Phytoplankton IPI 2026 Participants:
Company/Agency | Country |
|---|---|
Food Safety and Veterinary Institute | Albania |
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero - INIDEP | Argentina |
Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica | Argentina |
ALS | Australia |
Analytical Services Tasmania | Australia |
Australian Water Quality | Australia |
Dalcon Environmental | Australia |
MGPalaeo | Australia |
Microalgal Services | Australia |
Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA) | Australia |
SGS | Australia |
Sydney Water | Australia |
Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) | Chile |
Laboratorio Fitolab | Chile |
Plancton Andino | Chile |
Universidad Austral de Chile | Chile |
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR) | Colombia |
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries | Croatia |
Institut Ruđer Bošković (IRB)_Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) | Croatia |
WSP Danmark | Denmark |
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) | Ecuador |
EI Analyses phytoplanctoniques | France |
Hydreco Environnement | France |
IFREMER | France |
Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer-Laboratoire Arago (OOB)_Oceanological Observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer (OOB) | France |
Pos3idon | France |
Station Méditerranéenne de l’Environnement Littoral | France |
Université de Bordeaux | France |
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) | Germany |
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | Greece |
Foras na Mara | Marine Institute | Ireland |
Environmental Protection Agency | Ireland |
Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e la Protezione dell'Ambiente (ARPA Puglia) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e la Protezione dell'Ambiente (ARPA Puglia) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale (ARPA) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale del Lazio (ARPA Lazio) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Campania (ARPAC) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Campania (ARPAC) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Campania (ARPAC) | Italy |
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente Ligure (ARPAL) | Italy |
Fondazione Centro Ricerche Marine | Italy |
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna | Italy |
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie | Italy |
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | Mexico |
Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH) | Morocco |
Cawthron Institute | New Zealand |
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) | Northern Ireland |
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) | Northern Ireland |
Institute of Marine Research (IMR)_Havforskingsinstituttet (HI) | Norway |
Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA)_ Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) | Norway |
Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE) | Perú |
Bureu of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agriculture | Philippines |
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) | Portugal |
ENCYCLE Co., Ltd | Republic of Korea |
İzmir Food Control Laboratory | Republic of Türkiye |
Universidad de El Salvador | República del Salvador |
Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health (IDSA) | Romania |
National Institute of Biology (NIB)_Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo (NIB) | Slovenia |
Amanzi Biosecurity | South Africa |
SeeWise Food Safety Pty Ltd | South Africa |
Institute of Research and Technology in Agro-Food (IRTA)_Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) | Spain |
Centro Andaluz de Control y Calidad de los Recursos Pesqueros | Spain |
University of the Basque Country | Spain |
INTECMAR | Spain |
SWECO Sverige AB | Sweden |
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)_Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut | Sweden |
Rijkswaterstaat | The Netherlands |
Waardenburg Ecology | The Netherlands |
Wageningen Marine Research | The Netherlands |
Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM) | Tunisia |
Nautica Environmental Associate LLC | United Arab Emirates |
APEM Limited | United Kingdom |
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) | United Kingdom |
Marine Biological Association | United Kingdom |
Marine Laboratory | United Kingdom |
Scottish Association for Marine Science | United Kingdom |
Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos DINARA | Uruguay |
Zooplankton 2025 - 2026 Participants:
Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
APEM | UK |
ARPA Puglia | Italy |
Cefas | UK |
DAERA | Northern Ireland |
DPO | Canada |
Fishlab | Denmark |
Fugro | UK |
Nautica Environmental Associates | Abu Dhabi |
Rijkswaaterstaat | Netherlands |
University of Gotheburg | Sweden |
University of Hull | UK |
Waarden Ecology | The Netherlands |
Macroalgae 2024 - 2025 Participants:
Organisation | Opportunistic macroalgae cover ring test (OMC-RT) | Opportunistic macroalgae biomass ring test (OMB-RT) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
Abrehart Ecology | 1 | - | UK |
AFBI | 1 | - | UK |
Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/Natural Resources Wales | - | 2 | UK |