Marine Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Mr. Oaten To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what projects are being funded by the Marine Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in 2009-10. Dan Norris Projects commissioned in 2008-09 and drawing funds from the Marine Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in 2009-10 are: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Project | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/02 |Marine Aggregate Integrated Assessment. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P14 |Marine Aggregates supply as part of a sustainable mix. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P27 |Derek the Dredger and the Marine Biologists. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P33 |Mitigation of Marine Aggregate Dredging Impacts—Benchmarking Equipment, Practices and Technologies against Global Best Practice. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P37 |Effects of aggregate dredging on marine food web structure and function. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P39 |Impacts of Marine Aggregate Extraction on Adjacent “Sabellaria spinulosa” aggregations and Other Benthic Fauna. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P40 |Dredging Impacts Verified in Relation to Scientific Evidence(DIVERSE). | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P64 |Developing new ground truthing techniques for seabed mapping. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P70 |The development and application of an instrument array to measure the concentration of silt and sand in the overflow from aggregate dredgers. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P73 |Assessment of the distribution and intensity of fishing activities in the vicinity of aggregate extraction sites. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P75 |Best Practice Workshop and Guidelines on Aggregate Ecological Assessments. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/P76 |Measuring the effects of suspended particulate matter and smothering on the behaviour, growth and survival of key species found in areas associated with aggregate dredging. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF REC 08/01|2007 REC Data Projects: Analysis and Interpretation Thames Region. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF REC 08/02|2007 REC Data Projects: Analysis and Interpretation South Coast Region. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF REC 08/03|Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) Programme. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF REC 08/04|East Coast Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) Programme. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 07/S05 |Communications and Dissemination Co-ordination of MEPF Activities. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/S04-05|Marine ALSF Science Co-ordination Services. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/S04-07|Marine ALSF GIS—enhancements II. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/S05 |Fisheries Liaison Co-ordination (Onshore and Offshore) Services for the Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) Surveys to be conducted in the East Coast and Humber regions.| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |MEPF 08/S07-03|Project Co-ordination of the Marine ALSF Regional Environmental Characterisation Studies. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A further nine projects are in the process of being commissioned from the Fund in 2009-10 and contracts for these projects have yet to be finalised. Details of all current and completed projects funded by the Marine Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund are published on the MALSF website at: http://www.alsf-mepf.org.uk/projects/current-projects.aspx