Intertidal Monitoring of Eelgrass (Zostera) Beds in Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) 2009 dataset https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=007_NRW_DS114943 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. Eelgrass (Zostera marina), is considered to be scarce (present in 16-100 ten km squares) is protected through the EC Habitats Directive and is classed as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Habitat. Data is captured to support reporting on conservation status of the piddock feature. Carmarthen Bay SAC was designated for five Annex I intertidal habitat features: Estuaries; Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide; Large shallow inlets and bays; Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand; Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco- Puccinellietalia maritimae). Specific areas of interest include areas of eelgrass Zostera noltii in the Burry Inlet and the monitoring aimed to map the area covered by Zostera at the two sites; sample points on a grid across those areas identified to have Zostera to estimate the cover of surface species. 20120630