Carmarthen Bay Intertidal Attributes and Monitoring Techniques - Monitoring of Piddocks

Under the 1992 EC Habitats and Species Directive, the UK submitted a list of candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) to the European Commission (EC). Each cSAC is selected for one or more of the habitat types and species listed in Annexes I and II of the Directive. This process was undertaken largely in 1995-1996. The piddock Pholas dactylus occurs in Britain from Kent along the south and south-west coasts including south Wales, Anglesey and Solway (Hill 2004). It has also been recorded from several sites on the east coasts of Yorkshire and Northumbria and southwest Ireland. The surface of the peat or clay bed is characterised by dense algal mats and pools of standing water (JNCC 2004). The presence of piddocks is instantly identified by holes in the substratum. The aim of this data capture was to map the current known extent and density of boring molluscs, piddocks, across the biotope at Marros Sands and Whiteford Point, and record any mussel spat or seed on the biotope. Piddocks are bivalves that bore clay and peat exposures. The survey work is largely a trial to determine the best means by which to record the extent of the exposures as well as the populations of piddocks. Sand levels are found to change over time, seasonally, annually and as a result of one off weather events (storms), and thus the areas of populated peat and clay also vary. A non-destructive means of assessing the piddock population is considered.

Identifier: NRW_DS102035

Alternative Title

2004 CCW / IECS Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries SAC piddocks in clay/peat monitoring MRCCW30200000013
Technegau Monitro a Phriodoleddau Rhynglanwol Bae Caerfyrddin - Monitro Pidogau

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: Two sites the Carmarthen Bay SAC, where piddocks had previously been mapped, were chosen; Marros Sands, near Pendine and Whiteford Point. Surveys were carried out 3 hours either side of low water and involved sampling points at 10 m intervals along transect lines chosen to correspond with specific northing lines across the peat and clay exposures. At each sampling point a GPS coordinate and photograph was taken and a 25 cm x 25 cm transect was used to record the following information: Slope of the quadrat, number of live and dead piddocks within the burrows, mussel spat or seed on the surface, cover of Enteromorpha sp, fucoids and associated faunal species (a way of assessing overall habitat quality), description of substratum. Piddocks had previously been mapped on the north Gower coast during Phase 1 survey.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2009-01-31

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 2004-09-15

End date: 2004-09-17

Topic category

Biota

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)

Countryside Council for Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW

http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/splash?orig=/

Originator

Hull University. Institute Of Estuarine And Coastal Studies

The University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX

http://www.hull.ac.uk/iecs/

Extent

Geographic Extent: Wales (WLS)

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword: benthic boundary layer

Format Type and Description

Database Database ()

Specification

[A] Digital versions of the contract report: Microsoft Word document(s); and an equivalent Adobe Portable Document Format version. [B] MapInfo GIS layer in MapInfo Native format (Tables): - Position of the boundaries of the piddock habitat at Marros Sands and Whiteford Point. - Position of the transects and sample stations at Marros Sands and Whiteford Point. - Translations from the above MapInfo Tables are retained in ESRI Shapefile and MapInfo Interchange formats. [C] Excel spreadsheets with transect physical and species data at Marros Sands and Whiteford Point. [D] Photographs of the sites, transect points and quadrats. [E] Marine Recorder file: MRCCW30200000013

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
Degree: false

Lineage: Two sites the Carmarthen Bay SAC, where piddocks had previously been mapped, were chosen; Marros Sands, near Pendine and Whiteford Point. Surveys were carried out 3 hours either side of low water and involved sampling points at 10 m intervals along transect lines chosen to correspond with specific northing lines across the peat and clay exposures. At each sampling point a GPS coordinate and photograph was taken and a 25 cm x 25 cm transect was used to record the following information: Slope of the quadrat, number of live and dead piddocks within the burrows, mussel spat or seed on the surface, cover of Enteromorpha sp, fucoids and associated faunal species (a way of assessing overall habitat quality), description of substratum. Piddocks had previously been mapped on the north Gower coast during Phase 1 survey.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Species distribution

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) (see also Candidate Special Areas of Conservation cSAC)
bivalve molluscs
lamellibranchia (pelecypoda) (bivalvia)
Carmarthen Bay
Special Area of Conservation Monitoring

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2023-12-31

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Shellfish abundance and biomass in water bodies

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Revision): 2021-01-06

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

NRW Related Title: Intertidal monitoring of piddocks in Carmarthen Bay and estuaries SAC in 2004

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: © CNC/NRW 2009. There are no use restrictions on this data. Recipients may re-use, reproduce, disseminate this data free of charge in any format or medium, provided they do so accurately, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright, and do not use it in a misleading context. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose, that dissemination or publishing does not result in duplication, and that it is fairly interpreted. Advice on interpretation should be sought where required. To avoid re-using old data, users should periodically obtain the latest version from the original source.

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313032303335 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2024-05-31T09:37:27.239Z

Metadata Standard Name: NRW

Metadata Standard Version: 1.0

pointOfContact

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Publishing Body

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Carmarthen Bay Intertidal Attributes and Monitoring Techniques - Monitoring of Piddocks

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Vertical Extent

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body