Food sources for Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) in Carmarthen Bay

In the UK the Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) is recognised as a nationally threatened species due to its small and declining breeding population. Carmarthen Bay is an internationally important wintering ground for the Common Scoter duck (Melanitta nigra) and is widely regarded as the most important such site in the UK causing the site to be proposed as a Special Protection Area (pSPA) under the EC Birds Directive. Carmarthen Bay is considered to support peak numbers of 17000 - 24000 birds. The Common Scoter is strongly migratory and often travels considerable distances over land making brief stop-overs on inland waters. Its diet consists predominantly of molluscs, especially during the winter, although it occasionally takes other aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans (e.g. barnacles and shrimps), worms, echinoderms, isopods, amphipods and insects (e.g. midges and caddis flies) as well as small fish and fish eggs. An extensive macrofauna sampling survey was undertaken to coincide with an aerial scoter survey. Conservation concerns for the scoter population focus on threats of hunting pressure, breeding habitat disturbance and loss, food chain contaminants, oil spills and the threat to non-breeding habitats represented by offshore developments. The aim of this project was to investigate the biological and physical factors affecting the winter distribution of common scoter in Carmarthen Bay and to identify what component of the benthos they feed upon. The identification of such components is crucial to the future management and monitoring of the Carmarthen Bay Special Protection Area and, to some extent, the Special Area of Conservation.

Identifier: NRW_DS87189

Alternative Title

Ffynonellau bwyd i'r for - hwyaden ddu ym Mae Caerfyrddin

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: Guided by a previous aerial scoter survey on the 25 January 2004, a stratified random sampling strategy was used to sample the benthos in 50 2x2 km grid cells using a Day Grab. In addition a series (8) of 2m beam trawls and 6 intertidal samples were taken to sample potential epifaunal and lower intertidal prey respectively. Biological data were recorded on a suite of epifauna, bivalve and macroinfauna biomass, shell length and bivalve abundance (count) and individual bivalve taxa abundance. An aerial survey was undertaken on the 28th February, 2004.

Additional Information: Previous work on scoters in the Carmarthen Bay include; Woolmer (2003) report and data from Unpublished PhD Thesis - Media 207; ABP (2000) Data from Bristol Channel marine Aggregates: Resources and constraints research project (Wales Assembly Government Report)- Media 207; Woolmer et al (2001) Two PhD studentships investigated the benthos and Scoter populations of Carmarthen Bay, in response to concerns stimulated by the consequences of the Sea Empress oil spill of February 1996- Media 221; Smyth (2003) Unpublished MSc Thesis-Media 227.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2004-10-31

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 2004-02-24

End date: 2004-03-05

Topic category

Biota

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

Swansea University, Dept of Biological Sciences

Singleton Park, Swansea, Abertawe Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales

http://www.swan.ac.uk/

Extent

Geographic Extent: SIR GAERFYRDDIN - CARMARTHENSHIRE

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword: benthic boundary layer

Vertical Extent

Minimum value (metres): -19.3

Maximum value (metres): 0

Vertical CRS

Format Type and Description

Documents Documents ()

Specification

[A] Final report and draft version are held as Word documents. [B] Data is held as spatial data (Tab files) and within Excel spreadsheets.

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
Degree: false

Lineage: Guided by a previous aerial scoter survey on the 25 January 2004, a stratified random sampling strategy was used to sample the benthos in 50 2x2 km grid cells using a Day Grab. In addition a series (8) of 2m beam trawls and 6 intertidal samples were taken to sample potential epifaunal and lower intertidal prey respectively. Biological data were recorded on a suite of epifauna, bivalve and macroinfauna biomass, shell length and bivalve abundance (count) and individual bivalve taxa abundance. An aerial survey was undertaken on the 28th February, 2004.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Species distribution

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

coast (coasts) (coastal) (coastline) (maritime)
common scoter (black scoter)
melanitta nigra
Carmarthen
Carmarthen Bay
benthic marine habitats
marine birds (see seabirds,shorebirds)
marine species

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2023-12-31

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Shellfish morphology, age and physiology
Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance
Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Revision): 2021-01-06

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

NRW Related Title: All Wales common scoter survey : report on 2003/2004 work programme

NRW Related Title: Food sources for common scoter in Carmarthen Bay

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. CCW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CCGC/CCW 2004. 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 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.

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3837313839 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2024-05-31T09:39:03.057Z

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

Full access to the portal and metadata.

Food sources for Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) in Carmarthen Bay

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Vertical Extent

Vertical Extent

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body