Surveys of Potential Oystercatcher Prey, Pembrey Sands (2011)
The Burry Inlet Special Protection Area (SPA) supports nationally and internationally important populations of wildfowl and waders. The former Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), now part of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), are studying the food requirements of oystercatcher and knot, to develop monitoring targets and to assess the implications of shellfish fisheries on the bird populations. This data was captured to provide data on abundance and distribution of potential oystercatcher prey on Pembrey Sands. The data collected and its results will primarily be used for site monitoring and also for casework. As part of that study, surveys of the cockle and mussel stocks in the Burry Inlet have been carried out every autumn since 2004, using a standard methodology. Significant populations of oystercatcher also feed in the Three Rivers and along Pembrey Sands and it is known that they are part of the same population that feed in the Burry Inlet SPA. Data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on oystercatcher distribution along the Pembrey coast showed that they concentrate in the central section of the Sands and confirmed that they are feeding at low tide. Sediment fauna that are found along the Pembrey coast include a variety of shellfish (but not cockles and mussels) and a number of large bodied polychaete worms that may be potential prey for oystercatcher. A survey of potential oystercatcher prey along the Pembrey Sands was carried out in late September 2009. It showed high densities of the bivalves Donax vittatus and Angulus vittatus and the polychaetes Lanice conchilega and Owenia fusiformis, distributed across the lower and middle shore. A repeat survey was commissioned by CCW in autumn 2011. In the future this data may be combined with data gathered on bird foraging behaviour, together with site specific data on bird numbers and used in an individual behaviour based model to predict the food requirements of a bird population.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS114766
- Alternative Title
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- Arolygon o ysglyfaeth posibl piod mor, Traeth Pen-bre, 2011
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
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The methodology for Pembrey Sands was adapted from that used for the cockle surveys in the Burry Inlet. 94 stations with 250 m spacing were sampled in 2011 using a 0.1m2 quadrat / 2mm mesh sieve. Bivalves and polychaetes retained in the sieve were measured (length) and counted; enabling the production of distribution / density maps and estimates of the total population for each species. All data was collected by staff with a background in Biological Sciences. All data entry was subject to auto-validation and conditional formatting. Data was also checked by the project manager for errors. The data was put through a rigorous series of verification procedures to ensure that there were no inconsistencies between the field records, the shellfish measurements and the sub-sample records.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2011-04-30
Temporal Extent
- Begin date
- 2011-09-27
- End date
- 2011-09-28
- Topic category
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- Biota
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- SIR GAERFYRDDIN - CARMARTHENSHIRE
))
Vertical Extent
- Medin Extent Keyword
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benthic boundary layer
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
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Documents
Documents
()
- Specification
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[A] Raw data held in MS Excel and MapInfo [B] Summary statistics and calculations held in MS Excel [C] Report - MS Word and pdf
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Documents
Documents
()
Quality
Data quality
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Lineage
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The methodology for Pembrey Sands was adapted from that used for the cockle surveys in the Burry Inlet. 94 stations with 250 m spacing were sampled in 2011 using a 0.1m2 quadrat / 2mm mesh sieve. Bivalves and polychaetes retained in the sieve were measured (length) and counted; enabling the production of distribution / density maps and estimates of the total population for each species. All data was collected by staff with a background in Biological Sciences. All data entry was subject to auto-validation and conditional formatting. Data was also checked by the project manager for errors. The data was put through a rigorous series of verification procedures to ensure that there were no inconsistencies between the field records, the shellfish measurements and the sub-sample records.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
- NRW Thesaurus
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- prey
- waders (see also specific species)
- oystercatchers
- haematopus ostralegus
- bivalve molluscs
- lamellibranchia (pelecypoda) (bivalvia)
- bird food
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2023-12-31
Keywords
- SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
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- Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Revision)
- 2021-01-06
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
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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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.
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313134373636 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2024-05-31T09:43:38.931Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
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1.0