SAC Monitoring: Lamprey in the River Usk (2011)
River lamprey, brook lamprey, and sea lamprey are listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora). Six rivers in Wales, including the River Usk in South Wales, are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for lamprey species.
The Countryside Council for Wales, and now Natural Resources Wales, is responsible for monitoring the condition of lamprey populations within SACs and ensuring the maintenance of favourable conservation status at designated sites.
The main aim of this project was to undertake a condition assessment of the population attribute for the brook lamprey, river lamprey, and sea lamprey SAC features of the River Usk SAC during the second Habitats Directive reporting cycle (2007-2012).
A total of 35 survey sites were selected throughout the Usk catchment. Only a small number of sites contained optimal habitat, with sub-optimal habitats predominating across the catchment. Sampling was carried out between 10 October and 16 November 2011.
The data are used to assess the population attribute of all three lamprey species. The results of the four attributes outlined in the Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) Guidance for Freshwater Fauna provide an indication of the overall condition of the lamprey populations and contribute to the overall condition assessment.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS115168
- Alternative Title
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- Lamprey Monitoring, River Usk 2011 - CCW – Science Report No. 11/8/6 CCW000800000000M
- River Usk Population Attribute Condition Assessment for Brook, River and Sea Lamprey 2011
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
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Similar work was previously undertaken in 2004/2005. Fieldwork was conducted by Environment Agency staff using standard electrofishing methodologies.
Condition assessments were carried out using the JNCC Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) Guidance for Freshwater Fauna. The sampling strategy for the monitoring programme for sea, river, and brook lamprey followed the protocols developed for the LIFE in UK Rivers project (Harvey & Cowx, 2003).
Quantitative quadrat surveys were undertaken in both optimal (very silty) and sub-optimal (more rocky) habitats. Electrofishing techniques were used within 1 m² quadrats to encourage lamprey to emerge from the silt, rather than stunning and trapping them within the sediment.
Sampling of quadrats in optimal habitats was undertaken three times, whereas quadrats in sub-optimal habitats were sampled once only. The original dataset contains both positive and negative samples.
- Additional Information
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(Ffynnon DCT-12-523868) River Usk Population Attribute Condition Assessment for Brook, River and Sea Lamprey 2011. CCW Staff Science Report No. 11/8/6 CCW. Bangor.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2012-11-30
Temporal Extent
- Begin date
- 2011-10-10
- End date
- 2011-11-16
- Topic category
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- Biota
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- CASNEWYDD - NEWPORT
- Geographic Extent
- TOR-FAEN - TORFAEN
- Geographic Extent
- SIR FYNWY - MONMOUTHSHIRE
- Geographic Extent
- POWYS - POWYS
))
Distribution
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
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Binary
(
Unknown
)
- Specification
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Raw data spreadsheet provided by the Environment Agency; Analysed/worked-up dataset created by Heather
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Database
(
Unknown
)
- Specification
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Recorder 6 species dataset (Lamprey Monitoring, River Usk 2011 - CCW – Science Report No. 11/8/6 CCW000800000000M)
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Documents
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Unknown
)
- Specification
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Report in Word and PDF format; Paper field notes
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Geographic Information System
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Unknown
)
- Specification
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GIS layers in MapInfo format
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Image
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Unknown
)
- Specification
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Report images, maps, and histograms; Field survey photos
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Binary
(
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
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This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
- Degree
- false
- Lineage
-
Similar work was previously undertaken in 2004/2005. Fieldwork was conducted by Environment Agency staff using standard electrofishing methodologies.
Condition assessments were carried out using the JNCC Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) Guidance for Freshwater Fauna. The sampling strategy for the monitoring programme for sea, river, and brook lamprey followed the protocols developed for the LIFE in UK Rivers project (Harvey & Cowx, 2003).
Quantitative quadrat surveys were undertaken in both optimal (very silty) and sub-optimal (more rocky) habitats. Electrofishing techniques were used within 1 m² quadrats to encourage lamprey to emerge from the silt, rather than stunning and trapping them within the sediment.
Sampling of quadrats in optimal habitats was undertaken three times, whereas quadrats in sub-optimal habitats were sampled once only. The original dataset contains both positive and negative samples.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
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NRW Thesaurus
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- lampreys (river lamprey, brook lamprey and sea lamprey)
- petromyzon marinus
- lampetra planeri
- Lampetra sp.
- lampetra fluviatilis
- brook lamprey
- sea lamprey
- river lamprey
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2026-08-27
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
- NRW Related Title
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River usk population attribute condition assessment for brook, river and sea lamprey 2011
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 2011 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. 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 CCW'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
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Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved.
Licence
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313135313638 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Parent Identifier
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Condition monitoring of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales
NRW_DS110194
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2026-10-01T14:05:33.709Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
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1.0