Intertidal Monitoring of the Mawddach Estuary Biotopes in Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 2004
The Habitats Directive establishes that the management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) should aim to achieve the favourable conservation status of habitat and species features listed within its Annex I and Annex II. For SACs in Wales, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is therefore required to report on a regular basis on whether features are in favourable conservation status. The Afon Mawddach (Mawddach estuary) is a small, drying, bar-built estuary, and it is one of the best examples of its type in the UK. With its mountainous catchment area, it has some of the lowest nutrient inputs of any estuary in Wales. For this reason, the Mawddach estuary has been included in the Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The Mawddach estuary is predominantly a sandy/sandy mud estuary and contains communities characteristic of these conditions. The Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies (IECS) as part of the 2004 intertidal monitoring programme undertook a Phase 1 biotope survey of the Mawddach estuary following previous monitoring at the site. Specific aims of the survey included to carry out a Phase 1 biotope survey along predefined transects noting infaunal species and sediment characteristics, to digitally record photographic evidence along each transect and to assign biotopes to each of the sampling locations. This in turn would allow information to be provided on conservation objectives of the Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau SAC estuary feature.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS102009
- Alternative Title
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- 2004 CCW / IECS Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau SAC Afon Mawddach biotope transects (MRCCW3020000000A)
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
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Four transects positioned in the central section of the estuary were resurveyed. The transects were placed, two on each side of the river channel from the saltmarsh at the back of the shore to the river channel and thus traversing the fullest range and zonation of biotopes (from mud to muddy sand to sand). The original stakes, as previously used in the 1999 study, were located and the start position of each transect was noted. Survey techniques used by Wyn and Brazier, 2001 were implemented. This survey work builds on the CCW phase 1 survey of 1997 and initial trials using the same transects in 1999, as part of a LIFE project to evaluate monitoring methods (Sanderson et al. 2001).
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2008-12-31
Temporal Extent
- Begin date
- 2004-07-08
- End date
- 2004-07-08
- Topic category
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- Biota
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- Wales (WLS)
))
Vertical Extent
- Medin Extent Keyword
-
benthic boundary layer
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
-
-
Database
(
Marine Recorder Online - Version 2.09.02
)
- Specification
-
Marine Recorder
-
Database
(
Marine Recorder Online - Version 2.09.02
)
Quality
Data quality
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Conformity
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
- Explanation
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This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
- Degree
- false
- Lineage
-
Four transects positioned in the central section of the estuary were resurveyed. The transects were placed, two on each side of the river channel from the saltmarsh at the back of the shore to the river channel and thus traversing the fullest range and zonation of biotopes (from mud to muddy sand to sand). The original stakes, as previously used in the 1999 study, were located and the start position of each transect was noted. Survey techniques used by Wyn and Brazier, 2001 were implemented. This survey work builds on the CCW phase 1 survey of 1997 and initial trials using the same transects in 1999, as part of a LIFE project to evaluate monitoring methods (Sanderson et al. 2001).
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
-
NRW Thesaurus
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- Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau SAC
- Mudflats and sandflats
- Marine Recorder
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2026-10-19
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2024-06-19
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
- NRW Related Title
-
Intertidal monitoring of the Mawddach Estuary : Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau SAC : 2004
Constraints
Constraints
Limitations on Public Access and Use
- Restriction type
- Other restrictions
Access Constraints Directive
- Limitations
- no limitations
Access Constraints Text
- Other constraints
-
There are no access restrictions to this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.
Use Constraints
- Use constraints type
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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© CNC/NRW Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.
Attribution Statement
- Other constraints
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Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved.
Licence
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313032303039 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Parent Identifier
-
Across Wales Intertidal Monitoring Survey
NRW_DS109834
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2026-10-20T12:18:33.878Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
-
1.0