Skomer Marine Conservation Zone ( MCZ ) - Marine Monitoring Programme Overview

In 2015 Skomer Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) changed designation to Skomer Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). Skomer Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) was designated in 1990. The Skomer Marine Monitoring Team has focused on developing a range of projects to monitor the health of the reserve and investigate the relevant aspects of the species life histories for baseline information. Large scale surveys developed in the 1970's and 1980's provided the foundation for the monitoring. This metadata details general monitoring on Skomer, each datasets has its own metadata entry. Monitoring is undertaken to provide an assessment of the condition of features against set targets and will contribute to reporting on the MNR as well as Pembrokeshire Marine Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) within which the reserve lies. Data is collected around Skomer Island and on the mainland between Musselwick Sands and Gateholm Island within the Marine Nature Reserve. Data has been collected from 1975 onwards. An extensive review of images has been completed to determine the quantity and quality of information that could be extracted from these images. Species data has been collated from a number of surveys entered into Marine Recorder which have been packaged for dissemination onto the NBN Gateway.

Identifier: NRW_DS110059

Alternative Title

2011 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Sponge Survey MRCCW30900000005
2004 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve sediment surface and burrowing macro and mega-fauna Survey MRCCW30900000004
2007 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Sublittoral Macrobenthos survey MRCCW30900000003
2003 CCW Skomer Nature Marine Reserve Sublittoral Macrobenthos survey MRCCW30900000002
1992 - 2011 CCW Skomer Maine Nature Reserve Rock Monitoring Sites MRCCW30000000066
2009 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Sublittoral Macrobenthos Survey MRCCW3000000005F
2010 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Nudibranch Survey MRCCW3000000005C
2007 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Echinus esculentus and selected starfish species survey MRCCW30000000057
2006 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Nudibranch Survey MRCCW30000000055
2002 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Nudibranch survey MRCCW30000000052
2001 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Sediment surface epifauna community survey MRCCW16800000009
1994 - 2005 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Condition monitoring of Eunicella verrucosa MRCCW16800000004
2005 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve subtidal algal assemblages MRCCW16800000008
2003 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Echinus esculentus and other echinoderm species survey MRCCW16800000005
2005 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Territorial fish species monitoring MRCCW16800000002
2007 CCW / Marineseen Skomer Marine Nature Reserve sponge monitoring survey MRCCW16600000002
1999 MSC Dives, Skomer Marine Nature Reserve and St Brides Bay August MRCCW1680000000A
2005 CCW Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Bryozoan Records MRCCW30000000056
Skomer Marine Conservation Zone ( MCZ ) formally Marine Nature Reserve ( MNR ) - Marine Monitoring Programme Overview
Marine species records from Skomer Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Marine Monitoring Programme

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: The first step of the programme was to map survey sites to enable accurate relocation each year. New sites continue to be mapped to allow for the expansion of the projects. The sites cover a wide variety of habitats and species from inter-tidal lichens, benthic rock and sediment, mobile species (e.g. seals and territorial fish) and plankton, and therefore a variety of monitoring techniques are used. Following on from the site mapping, time series data is collected. The majority of the monitoring involves human observation and the development of a series of reliable photographic images. Sediment communities are sampled by Day grab and suction sampler. The data collected provides information and details of the life histories of particular species over time, the stability of communities, the variations in species abundance and the effect of known events (e.g. the Sea Empress Oil Spill) on species or communities. In addition to biotic data, environmental data is also collected to allow the reasons for fluctuation in biota to be investigated with the aim of separating \natural\" change from anthropogenic change. Finally commercial and recreational activities are recorded to monitor changes in user activity."

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the different monitoring programmes are to be created and stored in the NRW Document Management System (DMS)

Additional Information: Please refer to individual metadata entries for more information. An annual project status report is also published. For an example see Lock, K, Burton, M, Jones, J, Massey, A. (2023) Skomer Marine Conservation Zone, Annual Report 2022. NRW Evidence Report 657.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2016-08-17

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 1975-01-01

End date: 2013-12-31

Topic category

Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere
Oceans
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). Skomer MNR Team

Natural Resources Wales, Fishermans Cottage, Marloes, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 3BJ, Wales

enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Originator

Assisstant Marine Conservation Officer Skomer

Natural Resources Wales, Fisherman's Cottage, Marloes, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 3BJ, Wales

http://www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Originator

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

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

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

Extent

Geographic Extent: Irish Sea

Geographic Extent: St. Brides Bay

Geographic Extent: SIR BENFRO - PEMBROKESHIRE

Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword: benthic boundary layer

Vertical Extent

Minimum value (metres): 10

Maximum value (metres): 30

Vertical CRS

Distribution

Format Type and Description

Database ( )

Specification

[A] Data held in a variety of formats: - Spreadsheets - Word documents - Paper documents - ArcGIS format - Slide and digital images - Marine Recorder - PRIMER files. [B] Species is also available to download on the NBN Gateway - See Resource Locator

Resource Locator

View and Download Data

World Wide Web page

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: The first step of the programme was to map survey sites to enable accurate relocation each year. New sites continue to be mapped to allow for the expansion of the projects. The sites cover a wide variety of habitats and species from inter-tidal lichens, benthic rock and sediment, mobile species (e.g. seals and territorial fish) and plankton, and therefore a variety of monitoring techniques are used. Following on from the site mapping, time series data is collected. The majority of the monitoring involves human observation and the development of a series of reliable photographic images. Sediment communities are sampled by Day grab and suction sampler. The data collected provides information and details of the life histories of particular species over time, the stability of communities, the variations in species abundance and the effect of known events (e.g. the Sea Empress Oil Spill) on species or communities. In addition to biotic data, environmental data is also collected to allow the reasons for fluctuation in biota to be investigated with the aim of separating \natural\" change from anthropogenic change. Finally commercial and recreational activities are recorded to monitor changes in user activity."

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the different monitoring programmes are to be created and stored in the NRW Document Management System (DMS)

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

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

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

NBN Atlas
National Biodiversity Network [NBN]
Skomer MNR
marine monitoring (see also marine surveys)

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-19

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

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Habitat extent
Habitat characterisation
Temperature variation in the water column
Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance
Zoobenthos generic abundance

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-19

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

Keywords

NRW SMNR Keywords

Management Areas (SMNR)
Marine (SMNR)
Sea and Coast (SMNR)
Animals, Plants and Other Organisms (SMNR)
Coastal Margins (SMNR)
Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR)
Ecosystem (SMNR)

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-26

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

Code: Latitude and Longitude (EPSG::4326)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type: Other restrictions

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations: no limitations

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints: Part of this dataset is sensitive and restricted. See individual metadata entries for specific datasets that have a restricted release. Sensitive data must be kept confidential; general release is not permitted due to risk of harm to the environment or third parties. Sensitive data may only be released under an appropriate NRW Licence. Requests should be referred to NRW's Access to Information Officer. Data may be released freely if the sensitive records are removed in advance, or shown only at a coarser scale.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CNC/NRW 2013. Recipients may only re-use sensitive data in strict confidence under the terms of an appropriate NRW Licence. No publication or dissemination is permitted, except if sensitive records are removed in advance, or shown only at a coarser scale.

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313130303539 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2024-07-30T15:24:46.148Z

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

Access the portal

Full access to the portal and metadata.

Skomer Marine Conservation Zone ( MCZ ) - Marine Monitoring Programme Overview

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Vertical Extent

Vertical Extent

Distribution

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

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