Benthic Ecology of Carmarthen Bay (1998)
The 1979 European Commission Directive (79/409 EEC) on the Conservation of Wild Birds requires Member States to notify the Commission of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) that are of particular importance to the conservation of wild birds.
For some time there had been an increasing body of evidence that Carmarthen Bay was an important site in Britain for wintering common scoters (Melanitta nigra), one of the species protected by the ‘Birds Directive’. This project was stimulated by concern for the Carmarthen Bay macrofaunal communities, on which the wintering population of the Common scoter depend, following the Sea Empress oil spill of February 1996.
This dataset contains the results of a project on the benthic ecology of Carmarthen Bay undertaken by Andrew Woolmer as part of his PhD to investigate the benthos and Scoter populations of Carmarthen Bay.
The purpose of this data capture was to describe quantitatively the distribution of the macrofaunal communities in Carmarthen Bay to provide accurate baseline data, and to assess the distribution and density of potential prey species of Common scoter in an internationally important over- wintering site.
The project comprised of four main areas of study:
1) Macrofaunal communities of Carmarthen Bay
2) Growth, abundance and spatial models of the Tellinacean bivalve Fabulina fibula
3) Macrofaunal response groups: a multivariate method for isolating indicator species along environmental gradients
4) Temporal variability, structural redundance, and the long term persistence of the Carmarthen Bay Tellina Community
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS111141
- Alternative Title
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- 1998 - CCW Carmarthen Bay Infaunal/Scoter Survey MRCCW30000000004
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
-
The baseline survey of Carmarthen Bay was carried out from 1 - 3 June 1998 using the Bangor University Research Vessel (RV) Prince Madog. This stratified survey consisted of 29 quantitative and 31 qualitative grab stations.
The quantitative grabs allow the accurate description of community type and composition.
The qualitative grabs were taken to identify boundaries between communities and enable more accurate interpolation between them in the construction of a community map.
A further eight qualitative beam trawls were taken to assess populations of large epifauna. Sampling methods and procedures described here ensure the specimens obtained are in the best possible condition, a prerequisite for precise identification and enumeration.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2003-10-31
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- Wales (WLS)
))
Vertical Extent
- Medin Extent Keyword
- benthic boundary layer
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
-
-
Database
(
Unknown
)
- Specification
-
[A] The data collected are presented in the report (see 'related titles' above) [B] Species and biotope data collected from sediment analysis are also stored in Marine Recorder (Survey number:MRCCW30000000004)
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Database
(
Unknown
)
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
-
This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
- Degree
- false
- Lineage
-
The baseline survey of Carmarthen Bay was carried out from 1 - 3 June 1998 using the Bangor University Research Vessel (RV) Prince Madog. This stratified survey consisted of 29 quantitative and 31 qualitative grab stations.
The quantitative grabs allow the accurate description of community type and composition.
The qualitative grabs were taken to identify boundaries between communities and enable more accurate interpolation between them in the construction of a community map.
A further eight qualitative beam trawls were taken to assess populations of large epifauna. Sampling methods and procedures described here ensure the specimens obtained are in the best possible condition, a prerequisite for precise identification and enumeration.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
-
NRW Thesaurus
-
- melanitta nigra
- macrofauna
- common scoter (black scoter)
- Carmarthen Bay
- benthic species
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2025-01-08
Keywords
-
SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2024-06-19
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
- NRW Related Title
-
The benthic ecology of Carmarthen Bay
Constraints
Constraints
Limitations on Public Access and Use
- Restriction type
- Other restrictions
Access Constraints Directive
- Limitations
- no limitations
Access Constraints Text
- Other constraints
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This data is jointly owned by NRW and A.P. Woolmer. 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 and A.P. Woolmer. 2003. 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 the copyright of NRW/A.P. Woolmer. 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
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Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. © A.P. Woolmer. 2003.
Licence
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313131313431 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Parent Identifier
-
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Marine Benthic Species and Habitat Collation Held in Marine Recorder
NRW_DS114501
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2026-03-03T12:51:09.068Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
-
1.0