CEFAS84210ac6-2209-4616-9c66-86d7cd9843bd 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 2025-02-20T11:38:40 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2022-01-07 revision WGS 84 Benthic macrofaunal abundance data from the Western North Sea collected from 2000 to 2002 2020-07-17 publication 2025-02-20 revision 2020-06-27 creation CEFAS20700 https://data.cefas.co.uk Data contains the abundance of macrofauna in benthic samples obtained from 0.1m2 Hamon or Day grab samples conducted by Cefas in the Western North Sea between 2000-2002. Sampling occurred mainly in spring and early summer of 2000 in the North Sea. Sampling was conducted with a 0.1m2 Day or Hamon grab depending on the sediment type. Macrofauna were identified to species level and enumerated, with macrobenthos density derived. 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 notPlanned Biota abundance, biomass and diversity SeaDataNet P03 parameter discovery vocabulary 2011-03-25 revision Sediment Benthos GEMET, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Deep Circalittoral Water column Benthic boundary Circalittoral 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 Public data - no limitations to reuse English biota -3.50 4.00 50.50 56.25 2000-05-30 2002-05-30 Delimited Geographic Information System Unknown https://data.cefas.co.uk/view/20700 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 Species Distribution – 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 The macrofauna was identified to species level, as far as possible, with the use of a range of standard taxonomic keys. All animals were enumerated, except for colonial organisms which were recorded on a presence/absence basis. The biomass of each taxon was determined as wet blotted weight, and then expressed as ash-free dry weight using conversion factors mainly from Rumohr et al. (1987). Samples for sediment composition and contaminants were taken, either from extra grabs or from the same grab as used for faunal analysis. Samples for analysis of meiofauna were also collected. Data was then used in the Defra ME3112 project, where environmental variables quantified for each station included bathymetry (except North Sea and western Scotland), stratification, bottom temperature and a number of derived granulometric parameters (e.g., % silt, % gravel, sorting coefficient, skewness, kurtosis), together with modelled parameters such as bed tidal stress, wave stress, bottom temperature, a stratification index and satellite-derived surface chlorophyll a (mean values for 2002-07 used). The main objective of the AE1143 project was to provide a strategic evaluation of the status of the benthic communities of the western North Sea, in relation to natural and anthropogenic influences. Sampling of the benthic macrofauna and sediments were collected from 89 total stations in the Western North Sea. While Cefas conducted several Hamon grab samples, other sation samples were provided by FRS, Aberdeen and the Senckenberg Institue, Germany. The English east coast, was sampled by CEFAS from the RV Cefas Endeavour using a variety of methods deemed compatible with the sedimentary habitat being targeted. Sediment sub-samples collected by CEFAS and FRS were analysed for particle size. Additionally, sub-samples at CEFAS stations were analysed for % organic carbon and nitrogen content and the concentrations of a range of trace metals. The ME3112 Project, which made use of this data, assessed the spatial distribution of the macrofaunal assemblages currently around the coast of England, Wales and the west coast of Scotland, together with an assessment of the factors affecting such assemblages. The project was intended to help underpin the State of the Seas report and to help manage the anthropogenic changes in the marine environment. This was part of a large scale sampling programme around the UK, spanning 2000-2009. MEDIN 3.1.1