Saltmarsh Species: Angiosperm Cover in England and Wales Coastal Waters

Environment Agency ground-truthing data records the presence and percentage cover of saltmarsh flowering plants at specific marine monitoring points. These data support the ecological assessment of saltmarsh within transitional and coastal waters of England and Wales, updated as new monitoring becomes available. Monitoring occurs seasonally from June to September, with records updated after the sampling season.

Use Cases

• Monitor changes in saltmarsh plant communities based on percentage cover data.
• Assess the ecological health of transitional and coastal waters based on angiosperm presence.
• Model habitat distribution and biodiversity based on georeferenced monitoring points.
• Ground-truth remote sensing or broader ecological models based on field survey data.

Strengths

• Data originates from the Environment Agency's BIOSYS database, a primary system for biological survey data.
• Records include specific percentage cover measurements for plant species, not just presence/absence.
• Monitoring follows a defined seasonal protocol from June to September.

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 geographic bias inherent to Environment Agency monitoring locations in England and Wales.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency (UK)

Collection Method

Ground-truthing monitoring surveys for ecological assessment.

Time Range

Data updated seasonally; specific temporal coverage is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-06 07:17:56.873039; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Transitional and coastal waters of England and Wales.