c080c95155645e1c026cd07ae6c1765f English dataset Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Project manager dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk pointOfContact 2022-02-11 MEDIN Discovery metadata standard 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 2012 - 2013 Abundance and biomass of infaunal species as part of Essential fish habitat surveys, Co. Down Coast (Northern Ireland) 2019-01-10 publication 2013-05-07 creation 2021-11-10 revision DASSHSE00000050 This dataset contains information on infaunal abundance and biomass from sediment grab samples off the Co. Down coast in Northern Ireland as part of an Essesntial Fish Habitat (EFH) project. Essential Fish Habitat is defined as those waters and substrata necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity and these can help to form a basis for the designation of Marine Protected Areas such as Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The surveys were carried out on the RV Corystes in 2012 and 2013 off the Co. Down coast using a 0.1m2 day grab. In 2012 there were 88 samples taken and in 2013 there were 48 in 2013. Infaunal analysis, Particle Size Analysis (PSA) and Carbon and Nitrogen analysis were carried out on all samples. The most abundant species in this dataset is the echinoderm, Amphiura filiformis and the most frequently recorded species is the polychaete, Nephtys incisa. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Project manager dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk originator Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Project manager dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk custodian unknown Delimited Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-01-06 revision Zoobenthos generic abundance SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary 2009-11-16 revision Marine UNESCO 2003-01-01 creation Biodiversity GEMET 2011-07-06 creation Open access; CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) otherRestrictions Open access 50 English biota Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Irish Sea SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords 2010-01-01 revision soil and sediment -5.6305 -4.7458 53.8524 54.6898 2012-02-16 2013-05-07 Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Project manager dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk distributor Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Data Manager 01752 633102 01752 633291 Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill Plymouth PL1 2PB dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk distributor https://doi.org/10.17031/wykk77 DOI link A link to the web service or dataset http://https://www.dassh.ac.uk/ A link to the general host site dataset MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos 2011-02-02 publication See the referenced specification true This dataset contains information on infaunal abundance and biomass from sediment grabs carried out off the Co. Down coast in Northern Ireland in 2012 and 2013. This survey was carried out as part of a larger project investigating potential sites of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). EFH is defined as those waters and substrata necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity. It is very important to understand these habitat requirements of fish so effective measures to protect these areas can be put in place in marine spatial planning. These surveys allow scientists to identify overlaps of EFH with commercial activities e.g. gravel extraction and herring spawning grounds overlap. The defining of EFH helps with designating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In 2012 this survey took place from 2012-02-16 to 2012-02-18 and in 2013 this took place between the 6th and 7th of May on board the RV Corystes. In 2012 there were 88 grab samples taken for analysis and in 2013 there were 28, bringing the total number of grab samples to 136 for this survey. The methodology for the day grab is detailed below. • A 0.1m2 day grab was used to take a sample of the sediment and associated infaunal communities. • When the sample reaches the deck, a 250ml sample is taken for PSA and a further 25ml is taken for C and N analysis. The rest of the sample is carefully sieved to reveal any infauna. • Fixed Formalin (4percent buffered formaldehyde) is added to the remains of the sample and these are placed in labelled buckets. • The samples are sent to accredited taxonomic laboratories were they are identified to as high a level as possible and weighed.