Cefas Western English Channel Groundfish Survey: 58 Trawl Stations, October 2000

Cefas conducted the Western English Channel Groundfish Survey from 1984 to 2013 to provide fisheries-independent abundance indices for sole and plaice. This specific survey, part of the series, was carried out on the vessel Carhelmar between 12 and 18 October 2000, sampling 58 trawl stations. The survey caught 59 different species using standardized 4-meter beam trawls.

Use Cases

• Estimating recruitment indices for sole and plaice based on the survey's stated aim.
• Analyzing species composition and biodiversity from the 59 species caught.
• Tuning ICES stock assessments using the fisheries-independent abundance indices generated.
• Studying spatial distribution of groundfish across the 58 sampled trawl stations.

Strengths

• Survey operations were undertaken on 58 stations, providing a structured spatial sample.
• The survey caught 59 different species, indicating a multi-species record.
• The survey series ran from 1984 to 2013, suggesting a long-term, standardized methodology.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas)

Collection Method

Standardized trawl survey conducted from a chartered commercial fishing vessel (Carhelmar) with Cefas staff on board.

Time Range

Survey conducted 12/10/2000 to 18/10/2000; series ran 1984-2013.

Freshness

Survey data is from a specific event in October 2000; the series ended in 2013.

Geography

English waters of the Western English Channel, specifically the main sole grounds.