Marine biological training and auditing

APEM have extensive expertise and experience in the standardisation of marine benthic data through our long association with the NMBAQC scheme, as well as independent external audits of laboratory methods, sample processing and data management.

Our clients trust APEM to provide data of the highest quality and consistency.

Marine data requirements

Effective quality assurance is vital to ensure that data from biological surveys of marine and brackish habitats is fit for purpose and comparable with other datasets. For most projects, there is a quality stipulation that may require external audit of the extraction efficiency and specimen identification from benthic samples.

This may be achieved through the NMBAQC scheme or through auditing by an independent third party.

Experienced staff

APEM have the most experienced staff in Europe in providing external sample audits, completing audits or sample processing projects throughout the UK and for overseas clients. Our team have also assisted with laboratory method audits and visited other laboratories to supply improved methodology protocols.

APEM have also been actively involved in the development of international standards and methods and the dissemination of updates to taxonomic literature of relevance to data comparability.

As planning and conservation decisions are made on the basis of submitted data, quality assurance and analytical quality control are paramount. Differences in extraction efficiency are often the most significant problem, as the resulting count discrepancies can lead to changes in biotope assignments or the statistical significance of changes between surveys or areas.

Our experienced and expert team and world-class laboratories ensure that newly recorded species are recognized correctly. Misidentification risks legislative consequences, particularly for non-native species or those of conservation importance.

It is often necessary to compare data with related datasets from other sources, but for this to be done successfully requires data truncation to ensure comparability and statistical rigour in any comparative analysis. Differences in recording policy may result in apparent differences between datasets that can be resolved through expert truncation, as offered by APEM.

Our team are experts in marine biological data, ensuring that it is collected consistently, analysed expertly, interpreted with specialist knowledge and presented in an accessible format.

We are proud of the consistently high quality of our environmental data. During all of our projects, we ensure that not only are the questions of the project in hand answered, but that they can also be combined with data from other sources or applied to future studies.

Through our expert training and auditing services, we can extend and enhance our clients’ data and provide genuine data quality assurance.

Have a question about this service?

The team at APEM would be happy to answer any questions you have about marine biological training and auditing. Please use the form below to get in touch.