Ross Coral Distribution Survey from Handfast to Ballard Point, 1995

Dorset's coastal waters from Handfast Point to Ballard Point were surveyed in 1995 to map the extent of Ross coral colonies. Thirteen drift dives at depths of 15-20 meters, using GPS/Decca navigation and underwater photography, recorded colony locations and substrate types. The project was conducted by the Purbeck Marine Research Unit at Canford School, with a report held by English Nature.

Use Cases

• Modeling species habitat suitability based on substrate type (chalk ridges, cobbles, sand) mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of Ross coral colonies based on GPS-recorded dive transects.
• Studying the relationship between bathymetry and coral abundance from the described depth ranges of 15-20 meters.
• Comparing historical coral extent from 1994 and 1995 surveys for change detection.

Strengths

• Survey methodology is explicitly described, involving thirteen dives with GPS positioning.
• Specific location of greatest coral abundance is provided (50'37.90N 01'55.00W).
• Underwater photography was used extensively, suggesting potential for visual validation.

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

Purbeck Marine Research Unit, Canford School; report held at English Nature (Dorset Team).

Collection Method

Thirteen survey drift dives with GPS/Decca navigation and underwater photography.

Time Range

1995

Freshness

1995

Geography

Coastal waters between Handfast Point and Ballard Point, Dorset, UK.