Identification

Title

Kent and Essex IFCA Cockle Surveys 1994 - present ongoing data

Abstract

Cockle stock assessment data including density, biomass and stock size from the populations within the Kent and Essex IFCA district. The data is collected in the intertidal areas using either shore based or vessel based survey methodologies for the purposes of; informing the necessary Appropriate Assessment for this fishery as it operates within a designated site, and informing the annual management of the fishery.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

KEIFCA000001

codeSpace

http://www.kentandessex-ifca.gov.uk

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2008-01-06

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2009-11-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-09-01

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2012-02-14

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

0.5548

East bounding longitude

1.4996

North bounding latitude

51.8120

South bounding latitude

51.2722

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-06-18

code identifying the extent

Southern North Sea

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

31F0

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

31F1

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

1994-01-01

End position

2011-04-10

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-04-10

date type

creation

effective date

2011-04-10

date type

revision

effective date

2011-04-10

Frequency of update

continual

Quality and validity

Lineage

Although the surveys have been conducted prior to 1994, survey methodology changed to the current methods in that year. Data from years prior to 2000 is not currently digitised. No end date was given as the survey is ongoing. The publish date for the 2011 research report relates to when the report was placed on the KEIFCA website. Several hundred 0.1m day grab samples and quadrat samples are taken across the area throughout the year with the exact time of year depending on the specific site. Quad bikes are used to carry out the shore surveys to allow large areas of the cockle beds to be covered during the limited time periods of low water exposure. Samples are collected using a randomly placed 0.1m² quadrat dug to a depth of 6cm. Each sample is placed into a 5 mm square meshed sieve to be separated from the sediment by passing water through the sieve. On shore the cockles are separated into different year classes, identified by the number of growth rings visible on the outside of the shell. The cockles are enumerated and retained for further analysis. Vessel based sampling is carried out in a similar manner but with the initial sampling phase being collected by day grab rather than by quadrat.

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Data is freely available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced, charts are not to be used for navigation.

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

No restrictions to public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

organisation name

Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

email address

dominic.bailey@kentandessex-ifca.gov.uk

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

organisation name

Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

email address

dominic.bailey@kentandessex-ifca.gov.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

organisation name

Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

email address

dominic.bailey@kentandessex-ifca.gov.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2021-02-15

Metadata language