CEFAS69289a97-9c8b-4d6a-9858-911b672cdafa English dataset Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk pointOfContact 2026-04-24T01:42:21 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2022-01-07 revision WGS 84 Whelk metrics data from The Wash between 2021 and 2025 2026-04-24 publication 2026-04-24 revision 2025-08-21 creation CEFAS22301 https://data.cefas.co.uk Between 2021 and 2025 Cefas conducted a pilot study to investigate which common whelk (*Buccinum undatum*) metrics may be informative to collect for English waters stock delineation purposes, and at what spatial resolution. These metrics primarily include shell length distributions and associated sampling metrics (haul coordinates, gear type, pot soak times). Select samples were sent to Bangor University for dissections, providing further biometrics including; shell dimensions (length, width, aperture), weights (whole animal, gonad, foot), sex, maturity, estimated ages. Mark-Recapture Surveys were conducted in 2022 and 2024 in The Wash where tag numbers, positional/temporal data for release/recapture, and environmental parameters (sea depth and temperature) were recorded alongside shell length distributions. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk originator Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk custodian Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk distributor Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk owner Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) data.manager@cefas.co.uk owner notPlanned Shellfish Mollusc Sample GEMET, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Shellfish morphology, age and physiology SeaDataNet P02 parameter discovery vocabulary 2011-03-25 revision Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Unknown SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2010-05-18 revision Marine Environmental Data and Information Network MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication data.gov.uk MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication otherRestrictions noLimitations otherRestrictions Publicly available data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 ( `https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/`_ ) – Please note the applicable attribution statement is as follows: ‘includes Crown copyright, Cefas 2026' .. _`https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/`: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ English environment 0.00 1.00 52.75 53.25 2021-04-01 2025-03-31 Delimited Geographic Information System Unknown https://data.cefas.co.uk/view/22301 Cefas Data Portal download The Cefas Data Portal contains metadata records and data sets available to download and connect to in support of our commitment to open science. Data is available in the following formats: CSV, ESRI Shapefile. The data can also be accessed via the WFS and WMS protocols. dataset INSPIRE Data Specification on Habitats and Biotopes – Technical Guidelines 2013-12-10 publication false See the referenced specification 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 2010-12-08 publication true See the referenced specification These data were obtained via both a fisheries-dependent pilot sampling programme and several fisheries-independent surveys. Samples obtained via the fisheries-dependent monitoring programme do not cover the full extent of the fishing ground, as initial high engagement was not sustained for the duration of the project. Samples obtained via the fisheries-independent surveys only provide a snapshot of the fishery, so should be considered as complementary to the fishery-dependent sampling. The Mark-Recapture surveys encountered low recapture rates and so the original aim to calculate growth rates for sampled sites could not be realised. MEDIN 3.1.1