SOUT 1/84: 1984 Young Fish Survey of Sole and Plaice on the UK South Coast

A 1984 fisheries survey conducted by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between September 3 and 23. It was part of the International Young Fish Survey, collecting station, catch, length, and biological data for Sole and Plaice from 143 stations around the British Isles. The survey recorded 54 different species using a 1.5m push net and a 2m beam trawl.

Use Cases

• Modeling recruitment trends for Sole and Plaice based on the survey's biological data.
• Analyzing species abundance and diversity from the catch data recorded at 143 stations.
• Studying the spatial distribution of young fish along the UK's South and East coasts.
• Comparing fishing gear efficiency using data from the 1.5m push net and 2m beam trawl operations.

Strengths

• Survey operations were undertaken on 143 stations, providing a substantial spatial sample.
• Data includes biological information specifically for Sole and Plaice, key commercial species.
• The survey recorded 54 different species, indicating broad taxonomic coverage.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey in September 1984.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas)

Collection Method

Field survey using a 1.5m push net with tickler chain and a 2m beam trawl.

Time Range

1984-09-03 to 1984-09-23

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Geography

British Isles, predominantly the South and East coasts of the UK.