Overview
ISO 23040:2021 - Marine environment impact assessment (MEIA): Specification for marine sediments in seabed areas - Survey of interstitial biota defines requirements and recommendations for surveying interstitial biota in marine sediments. The standard covers technical methods for investigating seabed sediments and a wide range of benthic organisms, including foraminifera, ostracoda, radiolaria, diatoms, coccoliths, sedimentary sporopollen, benthic viruses, benthic microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi), benthic microalgae, benthic protozoa and metazoan meiobenthos. It applies to benthic habitats across coastal zones, shallow seas and deep-sea environments.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 23040:2021 provides comprehensive guidance on:
- Survey design and technical planning – objectives, auxiliary parameters and appropriate equipment selection for seabed investigations.
- Sampling methods – sediment, trawl and water sampling approaches tailored to interstitial biota and habitat type.
- Sample handling – collection, preservation, storage and chain-of-custody recommendations to maintain biological integrity.
- Laboratory processing – sample treatment, specimen preparation, identification and enumeration techniques for micro- and meiofauna.
- Environmental measurements – concurrent recording of sediment age, grain size, organic pollutants, heavy metals and other auxiliary factors that influence benthic communities.
- Data management and QA/QC – organization, archiving, original records, mapping and reporting requirements; program-level quality control and acceptance criteria.
- Taxon-specific protocols – dedicated sections for surveys of foraminifera, ostracoda, radiolaria, diatoms, coccoliths and others with technical recommendations on collection and analysis.
Practical applications and users
ISO 23040:2021 is designed for professionals conducting marine environmental assessments and benthic research:
- Environmental consultants and contractors performing baseline and monitoring surveys for offshore energy, aquaculture, dredging and coastal development.
- Regulators and permitting authorities assessing environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and compliance monitoring.
- Marine ecologists, sedimentologists and paleoceanographers requiring standardized methods for benthic biodiversity and sedimentary proxy studies.
- Laboratories performing identification and quantitative analyses of benthic microfauna and microbes.
Using ISO 23040 helps ensure consistency, reproducibility and regulatory acceptance of seabed interstitial biota survey results.
Related standards
- Part of the broader MEIA guidance family; consult the ISO catalog for related ISO marine environment and sediment standards.
- Users should consider national or sector-specific guidelines and complementary standards for chemical, physical and geotechnical sediment analyses.
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