Intertidal Monitoring of Eelgrass (Zostera noltii) Beds in the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) 2004 and 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 Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is therefore required to report on a regular basis on whether features are in favourable conservation status. Seagrass beds develop in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas on sands and muds. They may be found in marine inlets and bays but also in other areas, such as lagoons and channels, which are sheltered from significant wave action. Zostera noltii generally occurs higher on the shore than the other two Zostera species found in the UK and occurs in low/variable salinity areas. Seagrass beds have important biological functions and are of conservation and economic importance; however human activity in the coastal zone (pollution, dredging boat mooring etc) can affect its distribution or even destroy the beds completely. The work expressed here is both to trial the methodology and to establish a reference condition for the eelgrass beds at Foryd Bay and Traeth Lafan in the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC. The purpose of this data capture was to determine and map the extent, density and condition of Zostera noltii identified at Traeth Lafan and Foryd bay in previous years, record the presence of epiphytes and ephemeral algal species on the beds, record other conspicuous biota within the Zostera beds, record any damage or disease of the Zostera and develop and test an index of damage.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS102007
- Alternative Title
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- 2005 CCW / IECS Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC Zostera noltii monitoring MRCCW3020000001C
- 2004 CCW / IECS Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC Zostera noltii monitoring MRCCW30200000008
- Monitro Rhynglanwol: Zostera noltii yn ACA Y Fenai a Bae Conwy 2004 a 2005
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
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Both sites were surveyed over one tide cycle working three hours either side of low water. Extent of the beds was recorded using portable dGPS to map boundaries. Sampling points at each site were chosen based on a grid system. Transect lines (Foryd Bay = 100 m apart, Traeth Lafan = 50 m apart) were chosen to correspond to specific Ordnance Survey easting lines and sampling was carried out at 25 m (Foryd Bay) or 50 m (Traeth Lafan) intervals along these transect lines. At each point GPS coordinate and photograph were taken and a 50 cm x 50 cm quadrat was used to record percentage cover of Zostera, cover of Ulva sp., description of substratum, mussel crumble and evidence of disease. Z. noltii beds were identified at Traeth Lafan and Foryd Bay during the CCW intertidal Phase 1 survey in 2001. All GPS positions are expected to be +/- 5 metre accuracy. All surveyors familiar with the attributes to be recorded during these surveys. Confidence of the accuracy of the data is high.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2009-01-31
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- Wales (WLS)
))
Vertical Extent
- Medin Extent Keyword
- benthic boundary layer
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
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Documents
()
- Specification
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[A] Digital versions of the contract report: Microsoft Word document(s); and an equivalent Adobe Portable Document Format version [B] Excel Spreadsheets of data: - - MSCB Z_noltii percent covers.xls - MSCB Z_noltii Foryd Bay Zostera.xls - MSCB Z_noltii TraethLafan All zostera.xls [C] Marine Recorder file: MRCCW3020000001C, MRCCW30200000008 [D] A series of MapInfo GIS layers in MapInfo Native format (Tables): - Translations from the above MapInfo Tables are retained in ESRI Shapefile and MapInfo Interchange formats.
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Documents
()
Quality
Data quality
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Lineage
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Both sites were surveyed over one tide cycle working three hours either side of low water. Extent of the beds was recorded using portable dGPS to map boundaries. Sampling points at each site were chosen based on a grid system. Transect lines (Foryd Bay = 100 m apart, Traeth Lafan = 50 m apart) were chosen to correspond to specific Ordnance Survey easting lines and sampling was carried out at 25 m (Foryd Bay) or 50 m (Traeth Lafan) intervals along these transect lines. At each point GPS coordinate and photograph were taken and a 50 cm x 50 cm quadrat was used to record percentage cover of Zostera, cover of Ulva sp., description of substratum, mussel crumble and evidence of disease. Z. noltii beds were identified at Traeth Lafan and Foryd Bay during the CCW intertidal Phase 1 survey in 2001. All GPS positions are expected to be +/- 5 metre accuracy. All surveyors familiar with the attributes to be recorded during these surveys. Confidence of the accuracy of the data is high.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
- NRW Thesaurus
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- Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC
- marine biology (subtidal biology) (littoral biology) (sublittoral biology)(intertidal biology)(see also seashore)
- Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) - SAC monitoring
- Foryd Bay [Y Foryd]
- Lafan sands (Lavan sands)(Traeth Lafan)
- seagrasses (see also potamogetonaceae and hydrocharitaceae)
- zostera
- posidoniaceae
- eelgrass
- zostera marina
- zostera angustifolia
- zostera noltii
- sediment flats
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2023-12-31
Keywords
- SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
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- Habitat extent
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Revision)
- 2021-01-06
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
- NRW Related Title
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Intertidal monitoring of zostera noltii in the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC in 2004/05
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 2009. 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.
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313032303037 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Parent Identifier
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Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Marine Benthic Species and Habitat Collation Held in Marine Recorder
NRW_DS114501
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2024-12-09T12:33:31.5Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
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1.0