2023 FISP: Ecosystem Benefits of UK Oyster Aquaculture Sites Pembrokeshire Sediment Sampli

Survey data from the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships project 'Ecosystem Benefits of UK Oyster Aquaculture Sites'. The project, involving Tethys Oysters Ltd., Atlantic Edge Oysters Ltd., Envision Marine Ltd., and the University of Essex, measured biodiversity and denitrification activity at oyster farms and natural reefs in England and Wales. Surveys in 2022 and 2023 collected underwater imagery, sediment samples, and oyster dredging data to assess ecosystem function and biodiversity.

Use Cases

• Modeling denitrification rates based on sediment and microbial sampling described in the survey.
• Comparing biodiversity metrics between aquaculture sites and control sites with similar environmental conditions.
• Analyzing relationships between oyster abundance and associated macrofauna diversity from sediment samples.
• Assessing particle size distribution and total organic carbon in sediments from different site types.

Strengths

• Data collection involved multiple methodologies including underwater imagery, sediment sampling, and genomic analysis.
• Surveys cover a variety of sites including three oyster farms, one naturalized reef, and a historically restocked site.
• Project involved collaboration between industry (Tethys/Atlantic Edge Oysters), a marine consultancy (Envision Marine), and academic research (University of Essex).

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service (via eu_open_data platform). Project by Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP).

Collection Method

Field surveys including underwater camera recording, sediment sampling, oyster dredging, and ecosystem function sampling for genomic analysis.

Time Range

2022-2023

Freshness

Data collection occurred in 2022 and 2023; last platform update is unknown.

Geography

Oyster aquaculture sites in England and Wales, including Pembrokeshire.