From 2000 to 2002, this dataset contains the abundance of macrofauna identified to species level from benthic samples in the Western North Sea. Samples were collected by Cefas using 0.1m2 Day or Hamon grabs, primarily in spring and early summer of 2000. Macrobenthos density was derived from the enumerated species counts.
Use Cases
- Analyze species-level biodiversity and community structure based on enumerated macrofauna.
- Model benthic ecosystem health indicators based on derived macrobenthos density.
- Assess temporal changes in marine populations based on samples collected between 2000 and 2002.
- Study the impact of sediment type on faunal distribution based on the use of different grab samplers.
Strengths
- Species-level identification provides high taxonomic resolution.
- Sampling methodology is explicitly described (0.1m2 Day or Hamon grabs).
- Data covers a defined three-year period from 2000 to 2002.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the primary sampling in spring and early summer of 2000.
Provenance
- Source
- Marine Environmental Data & Information Network
- Collection Method
- Samples obtained from 0.1m2 Hamon or Day grab samples conducted by Cefas.
- Time Range
- 2000 to 2002
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-11 08:11:22.186697; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Western North Sea