Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Monitoring 2005

The Habitats Directive establishes that the management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) should aim to achieve the favourable conservation status of habitat and species features listed within its Annex I and Annex II.


For SACs in Wales, the former Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), now part of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), is therefore required to report on a regular basis on whether features are in favourable conservation status. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are among the rarest seals in the world: the UK population represents about 40 percent of the world population and 95 percent of the EU population. Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol SAC is home to one of the largest populations of grey seals around the west coast of the UK.


The purpose of this data capture was to record, document and report indicators of the condition of grey seals within the SAC. In addition to this, monitoring is also used to document and report on the impact of human activities, assessment of supporting habitat, and used in the estimations related to the population and structure (age and sex). The data collected will contribute to an estimate of whole site (SAC) production using indices developed following the 1992-94 seal census.

Identification

Identifier
NRW_DS87116
Metadata Language
English
Lineage

Natal sites were scanned thoroughly and systematically using binoculars (10x40 or 8x 40) from the standard observation points. At each monitoring site, abundance, estimated age, sex and behavioural categories were recorded. Environmental conditions were recorded, including date, time, wind, cloud cover and sea conditions (sea state and swell). Recent wind, sea and tidal conditions were also recorded as field notes. The 1992-94 West Wales seal Census established a 'population' baseline for the area between Caldey Island in the southeast and Aberystwyth in mid Cardigan Bay. The pupping data for Skomer Island is the longest running dataset for the area (beginning 1974, then annually since 1983). The data set for the Skomer MNR as a whole runs from 1991 to the present.


This project will continue the work previously carried out in Pembrokeshire by Strong (1995, 1996, 1998) in an effort to be comparable to the previous work and concurrently address monitoring objectives. Images collected at sites within and outside the key study area, using pelage photography techniques, will be used to evaluate seal movements, abundance estimates and distribution of adults in future work.
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2006-12-31
Owner
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
Originator
  Pembrokeshire College, Coastal Zone and Marine Environment Research Unit -
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1SZ, Wales
http://coast.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/
 

Extent

Extent

Geographic Extent
Pembrokeshire (45)
Geographic Extent
Wales (WLS)
N
W
E
S
Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset


 

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword
littoral
 
 

Distribution

Format Type and Description
  • Image ( Unknown )

    Specification

    [A] Dataset consists of: Digital versions of the contract report: Microsoft Word document(s); and an equivalent Adobe Portable Document Format version. Digital photographs (in .jpg format) - A series of 13 photos showing survey sites used for data collection. - A series of 68 grey seal pelage photos from N.Pembrokeshire mainland sites. - A series of 86 grey seal pelage photos from Ramsey Island sites. [B] An index of grey seal pelage photography filenames in Microsoft Word format (as reproduced in Appendix 5 of the report). [C] A series of 8 MapInfo (GIS) tables in MapInfo format (.dat, .id, .map, .tab). [D] A series of 4 Microsoft Excel spreadsheets containing raw survey data.

 

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

Natal sites were scanned thoroughly and systematically using binoculars (10x40 or 8x 40) from the standard observation points. At each monitoring site, abundance, estimated age, sex and behavioural categories were recorded. Environmental conditions were recorded, including date, time, wind, cloud cover and sea conditions (sea state and swell). Recent wind, sea and tidal conditions were also recorded as field notes. The 1992-94 West Wales seal Census established a 'population' baseline for the area between Caldey Island in the southeast and Aberystwyth in mid Cardigan Bay. The pupping data for Skomer Island is the longest running dataset for the area (beginning 1974, then annually since 1983). The data set for the Skomer MNR as a whole runs from 1991 to the present.


This project will continue the work previously carried out in Pembrokeshire by Strong (1995, 1996, 1998) in an effort to be comparable to the previous work and concurrently address monitoring objectives. Images collected at sites within and outside the key study area, using pelage photography techniques, will be used to evaluate seal movements, abundance estimates and distribution of adults in future work.
 

Keywords

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
  • halichoerus grypus
  • seals (see also specific species)
  • Pembrokeshire Marine cSAC
  • Ramsey Island
  • seal breeding census
  • grey seals
  • pinnipedia (pinnipeds)
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2025-01-08
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
Type
Theme

Citation

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

Spatial Reference System

Code
British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
 

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

NRW Related Title

Cetaceans recorded by the west Wales grey seal census 1992 - 1994
NRW Related Title

Field observations on the disturbance of grey seals in North Wales 2003
NRW Related Title

Grey seal pup production monitoring, Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1995
NRW Related Title

Grey seal pup production monitoring, Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1996
NRW Related Title

Grey seal pup production monitoring: Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1997
NRW Related Title

Pembrokeshire marine SAC grey seal monitoring 2005
 

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type
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

Use constraints type
Other restrictions
Other constraints

© 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.
 

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

File Identifier
4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3837313136 XML
Metadata Language
English
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2026-03-03T15:02:00.719Z
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