Irish Sea Fish Egg and Larval Counts from 2000 Plankton Survey

A 2000 ichthyoplankton survey by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and partner agencies in the Irish Sea. The data includes counts of fish eggs and larvae, zooplankton numbers, positional data, and filtered water volumes, collected between August 6th and September 6th, 2000. The survey targeted cod (Gadus morhua) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) to improve stock assessment via the egg production method.

Use Cases

• Modeling fish population dynamics based on egg and larval abundance data.
• Analyzing spatial distribution of plankton based on the positional data.
• Calibrating the Annual Egg Production Method (AEPM) for stock assessment based on the target species counts.
• Studying zooplankton community composition in relation to fish spawning events.

Strengths

• Data collection was conducted by multiple government science agencies, including CEFAS.
• Survey provides a focused temporal snapshot from a specific month in 2000.
• Target species are clearly identified as cod and plaice, supporting focused analysis.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland, Department of the Marine.

Collection Method

Ichthyoplankton surveys involving net tows and sample analysis.

Time Range

August 6th to September 6th, 2000.

Freshness

Data is from a single survey in 2000; it is a historical snapshot.

Geography

Irish Sea