2014 Natural England Biological Survey of the Intertidal Sediments, South Shore of the Solway Firth
Survey name: 2014 Natural England Biological Survey of the Intertidal Sediments, South Shore of the Solway Firth This is a collation of surveys to gather data and evidence from a variety of marine environments. The survey purposes vary and include recommended Marine Conservation Zone (rMCZ) Phase I or II verification surveys, condition assessments, surveys of features of Natura 2000 sites (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area), Intertidal surveys, Benthic grab surveys and others. All surveys are carried out to specified standards and follow established methodologies. Attribution statement: © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year]. Attribution statement: © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year].
dataset
https://data.nbn.org.uk/Datasets/GA001574
protocol: http
name:
description: Natural England Access to Evidence Catalogue
57ebd6a8-08d0-46c6-9253-547c27854df6
eng
http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/27700
environment
environment
Habitats and biotopes
publication
2008-06-01
-3.45
-3.07
54.98
54.82
2014-07-16
2014-07-17
creation
2016-09-30
publication
2016-09-30
notPlanned
"Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) is undertaken to determine whether the status of the special interest features which underpin the designation of habitats or areas are being maintained, and to guide site management action where appropriate. Natural England have a duty to assess the condition of the SACs features once every six years and have therefore established (in association with other countryside agencies), a series of common standards for the monitoring of sites of nature conservation interest. These common standards apply to a number of statutory designated sites, including SACs, and are used in conjunction with other relevant guidance to ensure that a consistent approach is taken when monitoring these sites.the Inner Solway Firth SAC, the intertidal sandy mud communities which are a sub-feature of the mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide qualifying habitat (Natural England & Scottish Natural Heritage, 2010), fall under the Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) guidance produced for littoral sediment habitats (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 2004). For the purposes of monitoring, each feature of the SAC has an associated series of attributes which are measurable indicators of the condition of the feature at the site. A target is set for each attribute which is considered to correspond to the favourable condition of the feature.Regulation 33 (2)(a) of The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended), Natural England (NE) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have a duty to advise other relevant authorities as to the conservation objectives for the European Marine Site. For the marine qualifying interests of the Solway Firth SAC (of which sandy mud communities are a sub-feature of the mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tidethe conservation objectives provided by NE and SNH (2010) are as follows: Subject to natural change, avoid deterioration of the qualifying habitat (Estuaries, Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time, Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide, Reefs, Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand, and Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae)) thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained and the site makes an appropriate contribution to achieving favourable conservation status for each of the qualifying interests.ensure for the qualifying habitats that the following are maintained in the long term: d{Extent of the habitat on site.of the habitat within site.and function of the habitatsupporting the habitat.of typical species of the habitat.of typical species as components of the habitat.significant disturbance of typical species of the habitat. dSurvey Aims and Objectives dThe Inner Solway is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and the current study therefore forms part of a long term monitoring programme being jointly administered by Natural England (NE), and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) under the requirements of the Habitats Directive (and enabling UK legislation). An intertidal biotope survey was undertaken by IECS on behalf of Natural England (then English Nature) in 2004, with the survey covering both the north and south banks of the Solway (Hemingway et al., 2006). In 2011, the inner Solway together with the middle to outer south shore were again surveyed for biotope composition and extent (Cutts et al., 2011).current survey programme of intertidal biotope mapping work on the south shore of the Solway (survey effort and platform prescribed in the project specification) covered a similar area to that of the previous 2011 survey. The ecological survey work was designed to monitor and assess the mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide (intertidal mudflats and sandflats) of the Solway Firth SAC, and the survey objectives as defined under the project specification were therefore to report the following information: d{Extent of the infaunal communities as estimated from line transects.characteristics (grain size, organic content, and depth of redox layer) along transects, and relationship to observed changes in biological community.biotope detail and spatial extent.and contrast changes in extent and type of biological communities and sediment character within previous studies from the same area (biotope status and change). dMethodology dSurvey dThis involved the in situ field surveying and mapping of the soft sediment habitats of the intertidal zone of the study area in accordance with the agreed survey schedule using a hovercraft survey platform. The survey transects (track files) undertaken during the Phase 1 survey are shown in Maps 2-4, covering the upper inner estuary (Old Graitney to Port Carlisle), lower inner Solway (Cardurnock Flatts & Moricambe), and the middle estuary/open coast from Blitterlees Bank to Dubmill Point. As noted above, the current methodology required a two phase survey effort, with the first phase involving a general characterisation of the area. Based on the analysis of information derived from Phase 1, samples were subsequently collected at 20 stations during Phase 2 in order to fully describe the invertebrate and sediment conditions and the associated biotopes present. Maps 2 to 4 show both the Phase 1 transects (with potential biotopes as identified on completion of Phase 1), together with the locations from which Phase 2 samples were taken for more detailed taxonomic analysis.1 sampling was undertaken between 16th to 19th June 2014 (inclusive), with Phase 2 undertaken on the 16th and 17th July 2014. Table 2 above provides tide times (high and low water) for the nearest secondary ports to the survey locations. Detailed In-field SamplingStandard NMBAQC and WFD protocols for sampling of benthic core samples and particle size analysis (PSA) were followed during the Phase 2 survey. Twenty sampling stations were identified in order to provide core samples from each distinct biotope, these covering the inner to middle/outer estuary, and with the greatest sampling effort being in areas of highest biotope diversity.aim of the approach was to provide a combination of spatial coverage together with a degree of statistical robustness, allowing spatial and temporal comparisons with previous data/reports.each sampling station (located approximately in the centre of each distinct biotope or habitat), three replicate core samples (0.01 m2were taken to a depth of 15cm. Samples were placed in pre-labelled plastic bags and transferred to labelled, clean plastic buckets at the end of each survey day. At this point, the samples were fixed using 4% buffered formaldehyde solution. An additional fourth core was taken for Particle Size Analysis with these samples being kept chilled until collection by the analysing laboratory. Laboratory AnalysisInvertebrate taxonomic analysis of the replicate core samples was carried out under contract to Natural England by APEM Ltd (Edinburgh), APEM Report No. 413565-01 issued October 2014. Particle size analysis (PSA) was carried out under contract to Natural England by the National Laboratory Service (Environment Agency), NLS Report ID 20072718 - 1 issued in January 2015. d"
Open format | Comma Separated Values file (CSV)
11
Open Government Licence
There are no public access constraints to this data. Use of this data is subject to the licence identified.
There are no public access constraints to this data. Use of this data is subject to the licence identified.
Natural England
data.services@naturalengland.org.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
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pointOfContact
Natural England
data.services@naturalengland.org.uk
pointOfContact
2023-12-13