CORY 14/04B: 2004 Western English Channel Groundfish Survey with 108 Species

Cefas conducted the CORY 14/04B survey from September 7 to October 11, 2004, as part of the annual Western English Channel Groundfish Survey series. The survey aimed to provide fisheries-independent abundance indices for sole and plaice, sampling 80 stations with a 4m beam trawl. It recorded catches of 108 different species from the English waters of the Western Channel.

Use Cases

• Tuning ICES stock assessments based on fisheries-independent abundance indices mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing species composition and biodiversity based on the recorded catch of 108 different species.
• Studying spatial distribution of groundfish across 80 sampled trawl stations in the Western English Channel.
• Estimating recruitment indices for sole and plaice age groups as referenced in the survey's stated aim.

Strengths

• Survey operations were undertaken on 80 stations, providing spatial coverage.
• 108 different species were recorded, indicating broad taxonomic coverage.
• Part of a long-term survey series running from 1984 to 2013, suggesting methodological consistency.

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.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas)

Collection Method

Survey undertaken on chartered commercial fishing vessels (Bogey 1 and Carhelmar) using a 4m beam trawl, with Cefas staff on board.

Time Range

2004-09-07 to 2004-10-11

Freshness

Data is from a specific survey in 2004; the series ended in 2013.

Geography

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