db927a89556b0e2eb33678469bc760dd English dataset f2c1f1dab0fde71f208ff076275bc66c Data Archive for Marine Species and Habitats 01752 633291 dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk pointOfContact 2025-04-15 MEDIN 3.1.2 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision WGS 84 2022-2024 FISP: Ecosystem Benefits of UK Oyster Aquaculture Sites Exe Underwater Imagery Survey 2024-06-25 publication 2023-07-09 revision 2023-07-09 creation ENV-2022-1007_EXE2023_Imagery https://dassh.ac.uk As part of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) project ‘Ecosystem Benefits of UK Oyster Aquaculture Sites’, project partners Tethys Oysters Ltd. / Atlantic Edge Oysters Ltd., Envision Marine Ltd. and the University of Essex have collaborated in a research project to determine ecosystem benefits provided by oyster aquaculture by measuring biodiversity and denitrification activity at a variety of sites in England and Wales. Surveys were undertaken by ENVISION in 2023 to measure the biodiversity associated with three oyster farms and one naturalised rock oyster reef in comparison to control sites with similar environmental conditions, as well as ecosystem function (nitrification/denitrification activity) at these sites. Recognising the importance of conservation and restoration of native oyster populations, surveys were also carried out in 2022 and 2023 to measure oyster abundance and associated biodiversity at an historic native oyster site, commercially restocked with native oysters in 2021. Survey works included recording of underwater imagery, sediment sampling, oyster dredging and ecosystem function sampling. Underwater camera systems were used to record the diversity of biota around the oysters during submersion. Sediment samples were taken for measurement of diversity of macrofauna, particle size distribution and total organic carbon, and the ecosystem function testing involved sampling of sediment and swabs of oysters/hard surfaces to determine the abundance and activity of denitrifying/nitrifying microorganisms on oyster site substrates, through genomic analysis. The results of the denitrification and biodiversity services provided by oyster aquaculture were communicated to consumers, industry and decision makers to increase understanding and promote awareness of the ecosystem benefits provided by aquaculture. Alison Benson Envision Marine Ltd a.benson@envision.uk.com owner Data Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data Manager 01752 633291 dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk custodian Alison Benson Envision Marine Ltd a.benson@envision.uk.com originator Data Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data Manager 01752 633291 dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk distributor notPlanned Marine Environmental Data and Information Network MEDIN metadata record availability 2025-05-13 revision NDGO0005 NDGO0005 2025-05-13 revision Land cover Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2021-09-28 revision Biodiversity indices Seabed photography SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2021-09-28 revision Aquaculture SeaDataNet PO3 Agreed Parameter Groups 2002-06-12 revision otherRestrictions OGL - https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ otherRestrictions Open Government Licence English 8-bit variable size UCS Transfer Format, based on ISO/IEC 10646 biota geoscientificInformation oceans -3.4494 -3.4218 50.6355 50.6470 SeaVox salt and freshwater body gazetteer 2021-01-06 creation Lyme Bay ICES Rectangles 2021-01-06 creation 30E6 ICES Statistical Areas 2021-01-06 creation VIIe 2023-07-07 2023-07-09 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision littoral Delimited https://doi.org/10.17031/666c58da349f3 DOI Landing Page A link to the web service or dataset dataset 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 false MEDIN data guideline for video surveys of species and benthos 2018-01-23 publication false This dataset was collected by ENVISION as part of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) project 'Ecosystem Benefits of UK Oyster Aquaculture Sites'. MEDIN compliant imagery analysis was undertaken post data collection period. This data has been reviewed against the DASSH Quality Assessment Criteria (http://doi.org/10.17031/64ccec5c7ba72) and been categorised as high quality.