Zooplankton abundance survey using a WP2 net with 200 micron mesh with a 0.159m2 opening. Net was dragged vertically from sea floor to the surface at one location (Skomer MCZ) at different times. Skomer Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) is the only MCZ in Wales and sits within the Pembrokeshire Islands marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Natural Resources Wales has a duty to monitor these sites and plankton is not only a feature of the MCZ, but also a fundamental part in understanding the functioning of all the marine habitats that form features of the SAC. Skomer was a Marine Nature Reserve (Wildlife and Countryside Act) but since 2009 is now a Marine Conservation Zone which was designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act.
