IECS Laboratory Performance

The NMBAQC scheme assesses the quality of marine benthic work carried out by laboratories, with independent checking of outputs, staff training and technique refinement. Components of analysis which are checked include correct species identification, enumeration, biomass calculations and sediment analyses. In addition, workshops on analysis and identification techniques are regularly attended, and latest developments in taxonomy notified.

The Institute has consistently maintained an exceptional standard of sample processing and identification, ranking either first or second in all group exercises undertaken as part of the NMBAQC Scheme over the last four years. A summary of the latest results (2006 - 2009) including fish ring tests and invertebrate identification are provided in Table 1.

Table 1 Summary of the IECS NMBAQC Scheme results, 2006 - 2009

Date	NMBAQC Scheme Test	IECS Rank	Sample Number	Sample Pass / Fail % (based on the Bray-Curtis Similarity Index)
Oct 06	Fish Identification	1st out of 13 entrants	n/a	n/a
Dec 07	Invertebrate ID	1st out of 23 entrants	n/a	n/a
Jan 08	Fish ID	1st out of 52 entrants	n/a	n/a
Feb 08	Submission of own samples	n/a	1	Pass/Good (97.51%)
			2	Pass/Excellent (100%)
			3	Pass/Good (96.67%)
Apr 08	Invertebrate ID	2nd out of 25 entrants	n/a	n/a
Sept 08	Invertebrate ID	1st out of 25 entrants	n/a	n/a
Apr 09	Submission of own samples	n/a	1	Pass/Good (99.15%)
			2	Pass/Excellent (100%)
			3	Pass/Good (98.28%)
May 09	Invertebrate ID	1st out of 25 entrants	n/a	n/a

IECS came first and third in the latest NMBAQC Scheme Ring Test (RT36) for Gastropoda, the RT36 Bulletin is now available on the Scheme's website:

http://www.nmbaqcs.org/scheme-components/invertebrates/reports.aspx

IECS' Laboratory code is LB1505a & LB1505b, please refer to page 13 of 26 for Ring Test performances for all NMBAQC registered laboratories.