476f8c47d02e625a102a47fdfed1f49e English dataset Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Data contact Marine.InfoRequests@daera-ni.gov.uk pointOfContact 2018-06-14 MEDIN Discovery metadata standard 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 DAERA Annual Estuarine Fish Survey 2009 2018-06-12 publication 2009-11-01 creation 2018-06-12 revision DAERA-FSH2009 http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk The DAERA estuarine fish survey is an annual assessment of fish communities in seven river estuaries in Northern Ireland. Data is collected primarily for the purposes of reporting to Water Framework Directive (WFD), although a subset of the data is reported to the MERMAN database for inclusion in the Clean Seas Evidence Group (CSEG) work programme. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Data contact Marine.InfoRequests@daera-ni.gov.uk originator Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Data contact Marine.InfoRequests@daera-ni.gov.uk custodian notPlanned Delimited Marine Environmental Data and Information Network NDGO0005 Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-01-06 revision Fish abundance in water bodies Fish biomass in water bodies Fish taxonomy-related counts SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary 2009-11-16 revision Data is freely available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced. otherRestrictions No restrictions to public access 100 English biota Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Irish Sea Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Minches & Western Scotland ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 39E2 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 37E3 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 39E3 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 37E4 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 38E4 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 39E4 International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas 1954-01-01 creation Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas 1954-01-01 creation Irish Sea and St. George's Channel ICES Statistical Areas 2014-05-16 creation VIIa ICES Statistical Areas 2014-05-16 creation VIa SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords 2010-01-01 revision infralittoral -7.3833 -5.2739 53.9639 55.3492 2009-05-06 2009-10-27 Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Data contact Marine.InfoRequests@daera-ni.gov.uk distributor http://www.appsd.daera-ni.gov.uk/marinemapviewer/ Northern Ireland Marine Mapviewer A link to the web service or dataset http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk DAERA website A link to the general host site dataset MEDIN data guideline for fish and benthos data by trawl and dredge 2011-02-02 publication Dataset contains all mandatory metadata and data fields to comply with this guideline true MEDIN data guideline for static net, pot and trap data 2011-02-02 publication Dataset contains all mandatory metadata and data fields to comply with this guideline true The ichthyofauna of each transitional water is sampled using a variety of methods. These include seine netting, fyke netting and beam trawling. This multimethod approach is adopted to ensure that all representative habitats and species are sampled within each estuary. All netting is conducted from a 3.4 m inflatable boat equipped with a 15 hp outboard engine. The seine net is 30 m long by 2 m deep with a 14 mm mesh body and a 5 m long x 3 m deep central panel of 6.5 mm mesh. Seine netting is limited to unobstructed areas with gently sloping banks and is typically deployed in waters less than 1.5 m. Where possible, seine netting is conducted during the two hour period either side of low tide. A fleet of double fyke nets are set in each system. Each trap is 0.5 m high, 2.5 m long with a 10 mm mesh cod end and is joined by a 6 m long x 15 mm mesh leader. The fyke nets are deployed in deeper waters by boat and are laid diagonally across the flow of the river. They are anchored out of the main channel to avoid passing boat traffic and are retrieved after 24 hours. A lightweight shoeless beam trawl is used to sample benthic and demersal fishes. The mouth of the net is 1.5 m wide with a height of 0.5 m, the body of the net is constructed of 14 mm mesh and is 3 m long, tapering to a width of 0.5 m. A 1.0 m long x 0.5 m wide cod end of 6.5 mm mesh is attached to the end of the net. The beam trawl is towed 20 m behind the boat and is deployed and retrieved by hand. Towing speed is between 1 and 2 knots with each tow lasting approximately 5 minutes and covering a distance of between 150 and 300 m. Where possible, all fishes are processed alive in the field and returned to the water. Specimens are identified, measured (mm Total Length (TL)), and weighed (g) before being released. Specimens that cannot be identified in the field are placed in labelled plastic bags and kept cool for transport to the laboratory where they are frozen. Fishes are identified in the laboratory at a later date by reference to published taxonomy texts such as Wheeler (1969), The Fishes of the British Isles and North Western Europe. Scientific and common names of fishes follow those provided in Maitland and Herdson (2009), A Key to the Marine and Freshwater Fishes of Britain and Ireland. All species are counted, and batch weighed to the nearest 0.1 g. Specimens are also measured (mm TL) and grouped into 10 mm size classes. Where large numbers of a particular species are captured, a sub-sample of at least 50 specimens are measured and weighed, the remaining sample is then batch weighed and the total number of individuals estimated using an average specimen weight. The total number of species and their numerical contribution to the total catch is determined for each transitional water. Competency of taxonomic identification is assessed twice yearly by completing the NMBAQC fish component of the ring test programme.