Select marine epifauna abundance and taxonomic data collected in the UK continental shelf and wider North Sea between 1987 and 2023

Published by:
Marine Environmental Data & Information Network
Last updated:
16 December 2025
Topic:
Not added
Licence:
None

Summary

This dataset contains records of marine epifaunal communities collected using 2 metre (m) beam trawl surveys between 1987 and 2023 from across the United Kingdom (UK) continental shelf and the wider North Sea. The dataset takes the form of trawl-derived abundance and taxonomic information, harmonised through the OneBenthic database and standardised using the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS_). It was compiled to support large-scale analysis of spatial patterns in epifaunal taxon richness, abundance, and assemblage composition, with the aim of informing marine spatial planning, licensing, and conservation management. Users should note that the dataset excludes pelagic taxa, larval stages, and areas licensed for anthropogenic activities such as dredging and renewable energy.

.. _worms: https://www.marinespecies.org/

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Data links

Link to the data Format File added Data preview
Cefas Data Portal N/A 16 December 2025 Not available

Additional information

View additional metadata
Added to data.gov.uk
2025-12-09
Access contraints
Not specified
Harvest GUID
CEFAS4f6bea1a-5de8-4347-a4fa-9375bc5b0bf0
Extent
Latitude: 60.50° to °
Longitude: -12.00° to 13.00°
Spatial reference system
Dataset reference date
2025-11-28 (publication)
2025-12-09 (revision)
2025-09-01 (creation)
Frequency of update
notPlanned
Responsible party
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) (originator, custodian, distributor, owner); Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (owner); British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) (owner); The Crown Estate (owner); UK Oil and Gas Industry Ltd (owner)
ISO 19139 resource type
dataset
Metadata language
eng
Source Metadata
XML
HTML

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