Monitoring Tide-Swept Sponge Communities in the Menai Strait, Anglesey and Warrior, Pembrokeshire
Monitro cymunedau sbwng a ysgubir gan y llanw yn Afon Menai a Sir Benfro

  • English
  • wel
  • All

Sponges are an important component of benthic communities in temperate waters and can become dominant in suitable conditions.


Monitoring takes place at 2 sites within the Menai Strait; Coleg Normal and Nelson's Column and at one site in the Milford Haven (Warrior), Pembrokeshire. Sponge communities in the Menai Strait are dominated by large, relatively fast-growing species, such as Halichondria panicea, Esperiopsis fucorum and Haliclona oculata which thrive in rapid flowing turbid waters.


The purpose of this data capture was to record the abundance and 'luxuiousness' of the sponge communities to in order to give an indication of the favourable conservation status of benthic communities within the Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).

Identification

Dynodydd
Identifier
NRW_DS111134
Teitl Amgen
Alternative Title
  • Monitoring of sponge communities at Warrior, Pembrokeshire
  • Monitoring of sponges at Nelson's Column
  • Monitoring of sponge communities at Coleg Normal
Laith Metadata
Metadata Language
English
Lineage

Methods at the sites differ due to physical conditions (current and duration of slack water). Transects are marked out at both sites.


At Coleg Nomal and Warrior the depth of the sponge crust along with presence/absence of key sponge species is recorded at 0.5m intervals. Where erect sponge species are found within 150mm of the transect the species and height of the sponge is noted as well as the circumference. This is carried out within a 'deep' and 'shallow' zone.


At Nelsons Columns a diver swims the length of the transect filming the seabed and conspicuous species and communities. The video is used to describe the habitat and specify species. In addition 0.3x0.3m quadrats are placed at 2m intervals along the transect and the quadrat photographed. Photos are taken and archived as a record of the community and may be analysed in future.


Detailed methodologies and descriptions can be found in Marine Monitoring Report 25b (standard operating procedures 3 and 5). Additional monitoring is carried out at the Warrior site (please see the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC reef monitoring metadata entry).
Dyddiad cyfeirnod y set ddata (Cyhoeddiad)
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2010-12-31

Temporal Extent

Begin date
2004-07-14
End date
2010-12-31
 
Categori pwnc
Topic category
  • Biota
    Biota
Perchennog
Owner
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
Cychwynnwr
Originator
  Various contractors -
See Natural Resources Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/splash?orig=/
Cychwynnwr
Originator
  CCW Marine Monitoring Team -
Countryside Council for Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW
http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/splash?orig=/
 

Extent

Extent

Hyd
Geographic Extent
Cardigan Bay
Hyd
Geographic Extent
St. Brides Bay
Hyd
Geographic Extent
Irish Sea
Hyd
Geographic Extent
Celtic Sea
Hyd
Geographic Extent
SIR BENFRO - PEMBROKESHIRE
Hyd
Geographic Extent
SIR YNYS MON - ISLE OF ANGLESEY
N
W
E
S
Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset


 

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword

benthic boundary layer

Maint Fertigol
Vertical Extent

Gwerth lleiaf
Minimum value (metres)
-1
Gwerth uchaf
Maximum value (metres)
-14
System Gyfeirio Cydlynu Fertigol
Vertical CRS
 
 

Distribution

Dosbarthiad
Distribution

Fformat - Math a Disgrifiad
Format Type and Description
  • Documents ( Unknown )

    Specification

    Sponge thickness and presence/absence data, and video transcriptions held in Word documents.

  • Delimited ( Unknown )

    Specification

    Excel spreadsheets (NRW generally uses Delimited for tabular spreadsheet data where there isn't a specific spreadsheet option).

  • Image ( Unknown )

    Specification

    JPG images.

  • Movie ( Unknown )

    Specification

    Mini DV tapes and AVI video files.

 

Quality

Ansawdd Data
Data quality

Cwmpas Ansawdd
Quality Scope
Dataset
Dataset
Cydymffurfiad
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

This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree
false
Lineage

Methods at the sites differ due to physical conditions (current and duration of slack water). Transects are marked out at both sites.


At Coleg Nomal and Warrior the depth of the sponge crust along with presence/absence of key sponge species is recorded at 0.5m intervals. Where erect sponge species are found within 150mm of the transect the species and height of the sponge is noted as well as the circumference. This is carried out within a 'deep' and 'shallow' zone.


At Nelsons Columns a diver swims the length of the transect filming the seabed and conspicuous species and communities. The video is used to describe the habitat and specify species. In addition 0.3x0.3m quadrats are placed at 2m intervals along the transect and the quadrat photographed. Photos are taken and archived as a record of the community and may be analysed in future.


Detailed methodologies and descriptions can be found in Marine Monitoring Report 25b (standard operating procedures 3 and 5). Additional monitoring is carried out at the Warrior site (please see the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC reef monitoring metadata entry).
 

Keywords

Allweddair
Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Math
Type
Theme
Theme

Dyfyniad
Citation

Dyddiad (Cyhoeddiad)
Date (Publication)
2008-06-01
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Allweddair
Keywords

NRW Thesaurus
  • Amphilectus fucorum
  • Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC
  • Mermaid's glove
  • Nelson's Column
  • marine monitoring (see also marine surveys)
  • Pembrokeshire Marine SAC
  • breadcrumb sponge
  • Coleg Normal
  • porifera
  • Microciona sp.
  • Halichondria panicea
  • Sponge communities
  • sponges
  • Esperiopsis fucorum
  • Haliclona oculata
  • Shredded carrot sponge
Math
Type
Theme
Theme

Dyfyniad
Citation

Dyddiad (Cyhoeddiad)
Date (Publication)
2026-08-27
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Allweddair
Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
Math
Type
Theme
Theme

Dyfyniad
Citation

Dyddiad (Cyhoeddiad)
Date (Publication)
2024-06-19
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml
 

Spatial Reference System

Code
Latitude and Longitude (EPSG::4326)
 

Content

Gwybodaeth Cynnwys
Content Information

Proffil CNC
NRW Profile

Elfennau CNC
Custom Elements

 

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Math o Gyfyngiad
Restriction type
Other restrictions
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

Cyfyngiadau Defnyddio
Use constraints type
Other restrictions
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.
 

Attribution Statement

Other constraints

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved.
 

Licence

Other constraints
Open Government Licence
 
 
 

Metadata

Metadata

Dynodydd Ffeil
File Identifier
4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313131313334 XML
Laith Metadata
Metadata Language
English
Parent Identifier
Across Wales Diving Monitoring Project (2004)

NRW_DS109743
Math o adnodd
Resource type
Dataset
Dataset
Dyddiad Metadata
Metadata Date
2026-09-30T09:04:59.407Z
Enw Safonol Metadata
Metadata Standard Name
NRW
Fersiwn Metadata
Metadata Standard Version

1.0

Pwynt Cyswllt
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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