Southern IFCA Seagrass Survey in The Solent, 2011-Present

2011-present video tracks, GIS maps, and PDF maps on the extent of seagrass beds in The Solent. The data was collected by the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and Hampshire Wildlife Trust using a drop-down camera system from a fisheries patrol vessel over five days during summer. This collection has been used to create a seagrass strategy and a code of conduct for bottom-towed gear.

Use Cases

• Mapping seagrass bed extent and buffer zones based on the assimilated GIS layers.
• Monitoring changes in coastal marine habitats based on the annual survey continuation mentioned in the description.
• Informing fisheries management and gear restrictions based on the code of conduct developed from the data.
• Conducting time-series analysis of seagrass coverage based on the ongoing annual surveys.

Strengths

• Includes multiple data types: video tracks, GIS maps and layers, and PDF maps.
• Data collection involves a specific methodology using a drop-down camera system from a fisheries patrol vessel.
• Supports a specific policy outcome: the creation of the Southern IFCA Seagrass Strategy and a code of conduct.
• Temporal coverage is ongoing, with surveys continuing annually from 2011.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and Hampshire Wildlife Trust.

Collection Method

Collected using a drop-down camera system from Fisheries Patrol Vessel Tenacity.

Time Range

2011-present

Freshness

Surveys continue annually; however, the specific last update date for this dataset is unknown.

Geography

The Solent, specifically areas including Calshot, Ryde, and Beaulieu.