Identification

Identifier

NRW_DS101862

Alternative Title

• Skomer Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) formally a Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) - Sediment surface epifauna community surveys
• 2004 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve sediment surface and burrowing macro and mega-fauna Survey MRCCW30900000004
• 2001 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Sediment surface epifauna community survey MRCCW16800000009
• Sediment surface and burrowing Macro and Mega fauna in Skomer MNR
• Monitoring of sediment surface and burrowing fauna

Metadata Language

English

Lineage

Surveys were undertaken during 1994, 2001 and 2004. Survey methodology used diver swum video transects utilising 0.25m2 quadrats. At each site samples were collected from in-situ quadrats and from 0.1m2 suction samples of the top 10 cm of sediment. All species present were recorded and counted. In 2004 CCW re-laid the transects at the two sites and contracted Coastal Assessment, Liaison and Monitoring to re-survey the infauna and epifauna using the same in-situ quadrat and suction sampling methodologies as the 2001 survey. Each site consists of a triangular arrangement of leaded ground lines anchored at each corner by various heavy objects. North of the Neck the legs of the triangle are approximately 25m long and at the Low Point site they are approximately 30m long. Quadrat surveys were carried out with the aim of recording and quantifying the numbers of all conspicuous species of surface fauna and flora. Recording was carried out in 0.5m x 0.5m (0.25m2) wire quadrats; each quadrat subdivided with strings at 10cm intervals to give 25 x 0.01m2 squares and the quadrats were placed at random positions along the transects. The divers then recorded the abundance (counts of mobile and solitary species, counts of stones colonised by colonial species, percentage cover of foliose algae) of all species seen.Samples of sediment were taken by diver operated suction sampler (c.f. Rostron, 2001) at 5 random locations along the inside of each transect lines. Random positions were determined in advance using a random number generator to give a distance (in metres) along the transect line. The samples were taken from within a 0.1m2 stainless steel box corer that was pushed down into the sediment. Samples were taken to a depth of 20cm below the sediment surface. A sample of the sediment was collected in a plastic pot for granulometric analysis at a random position close to one of the suction samples on each transect.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication)

2004-10-01

Extent

Extent

Geographic Extent

Irish Sea

Geographic Extent

St. Brides Bay

Geographic Extent

SIR BENFRO - PEMBROKESHIRE

N

W

E

S

 

Distribution

Quality

Keywords

Spatial Reference System

Content

Constraints