Toxic Phytoplankton Counts in Jersey Shellfish Waters, 2004-2019

The States of Jersey provides cell counts per litre of potentially toxic phytoplankton from water samples. Data covers designated shellfish growing areas around the coast of Jersey for the period from April 2004 to March 2019. Samples were analyzed using the Utermöhl method with light microscopy.

Use Cases

• Monitor trends in harmful algal blooms based on cell counts per litre over a 15-year period.
• Assess shellfish safety and public health risks based on toxic phytoplankton presence in designated growing areas.
• Model environmental drivers of algal blooms based on long-term time-series data from coastal waters.
• Establish baseline levels for potentially toxic species in a specific geographic region.

Strengths

• Data covers a 15-year time range from April 2004 to March 2019.
• Samples are from designated shellfish growing areas, providing a clear environmental and regulatory context.
• Analysis method (Utermöhl with light microscopy) is a standardized technique for phytoplankton counting.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

The States of Jersey, via the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Water samples analyzed using the Utermöhl method with light microscopy.

Time Range

April 2004 to March 2019.

Freshness

Data collection ended in March 2019; the dataset is a historical record.

Geography

Designated shellfish growing areas around the coast of Jersey.