Identification

Title

1994 Purbeck Marine Research Unit Canford School, Swanage Dorset, Ross Coral Mapping Drift dive transect surveys

Abstract

All these records relate to "Powell (ed) (1994) - Ross Coral Mapping Project (Preliminary Report) 1994" A copy of the report is held at English Nature (Dorset Team). This survey aimed to map the distribution and record the abundance of Ross coral (Pentapora foliacea) in the area off Swanage between Handfast Point and Ballard Point. The survey confirmed that Ross coral occurs much further east along the English Channel than previously recorded. Due to strong tidal flows in the area, drift dives were used to make transects of the area. 12 dives were undertaken, 10 of which recorded Pentapora, and have been entered on this database. The largest colonies were 30cm or more in diameter and occurred on outcrops of chalk and large boulders in the south western part of the survey area. Within the area investigated, several thousand colonies were recorded, making Ross Coral locally abundant. GPS/Decca navigation was used to pinpoint the position of the dive support boat at the start, during (following the diver's surface marker buoy) and at the end of the dive allowing a habitat map along the line of the dive to be constructed. The survey also highlighted an area of significant marine interest with a species rich animal turf on the chalk and rubble sea floor off Ballard Point. Underwater photography was used to supplement written records and to aid identification of other species. Reference was made to two records further east, off the Isle of Wight, one occurring in water 65-70m deep.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

MRLRC00100000508

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::27700

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

imageryBaseMapsEarthCover

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

effective date

2009-11-16

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-1.9286

East bounding longitude

-1.9046

North bounding latitude

50.6448

South bounding latitude

50.6248

30E8

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

1994-05-09

End position

1994-10-12

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2013-02-14

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Survey run by Purbeck Marine Research Unit, Canford School Dorset. All these records relate to "Powell (ed) (1994) - Ross Coral Mapping Project (Preliminary Report) 1994" A copy of the report is held at English Nature (Dorset Team). This survey aimed to map the distribution and record the abundance of Ross coral (Pentapora foliacea) in the area off Swanage between Handfast Point and Ballard Point. The survey confirmed that Ross coral occurs much further east along the English Channel than previously recorded. Due to strong tidal flows in the area, drift dives were used to make transects of the area. 12 dives were undertaken, 10 of which recorded Pentapora, and have been entered on this database. The largest colonies were 30cm or more in diameter and occurred on outcrops of chalk and large boulders in the south western part of the survey area. Within the area investigated, several thousand colonies were recorded, making Ross Coral locally abundant. GPS/Decca navigation was used to pinpoint the position of the dive support boat at the start, during (following the diver's surface marker buoy) and at the end of the dive allowing a habitat map along the line of the dive to be constructed. The survey also highlighted an area of significant marine interest with a species rich animal turf on the chalk and rubble sea floor off Ballard Point. Underwater photography was used to supplement written records and to aid identification of other species. Reference was made to two records further east, off the Isle of Wight, one occurring in water 65-70m deep.

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.

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

No restrictions to public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Headmaster

organisation name

Canford School

email address

office@canford.com

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Natural England

full postal address

Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green

York

YO1 7PX

telephone number

+44 (0)300 060 3900

facsimile number

+44 (0)300 060 2356

email address

enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

Living Seas Manager

organisation name

Dorset Wildlife Trust

email address

Enquiries@derc.org.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2021-05-05

Metadata language

eng