Eastern Irish Sea Groundfish Catch Data from 1985 Silver Star Surveys

Three 1985 surveys aboard the Silver Star vessel recorded numbers at length for commercial fish species in the eastern Irish Sea. Fishing was conducted using a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for one hour at recorded station positions. The data includes a summary table for two cruises containing catch information for all other species.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical fish population size structure based on the recorded numbers at length by centimetre.
• Studying species distribution and composition in the eastern Irish Sea based on station position data.
• Modeling historical groundfish community changes using the time-series nature of the broader survey program (1976-1991).
• Comparing catch rates and species assemblages between the documented 1985 survey cruises.

Strengths

• Data originates from a systematic survey program conducted over a 15-year period (1976-1991).
• Includes a summary table for two specific cruises (02/85 and 03/85) with catch data for all other species.
• Provides specific spatial context with recorded station positions by area.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Surveys carried out on the fishing vessel Silver Star using a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour.

Time Range

1985 (part of a series from 1976 to 1991)

Freshness

Historical data; last update unknown.

Geography

Eastern Irish Sea