Subtidal and Intertidal Seagrass Beds in Northern Ireland
6filesKML
Available on 1 platform
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Description
Polygon data digitized from surveys identifying Zostera marina and Zostera noltei seagrass beds. The data was collected by the Marine Monitoring and Assessment Team using methods including dive surveys, towed cameras, and high-spec GPS logging, with some surveys noted as incomplete. The layer shows the latest data from repeated surveys intended to detect changes in area, density, or species.
Use Cases
Mapping coastal habitat extent based on digitized polygon boundaries.
Monitoring changes in seagrass bed area and density over time based on repeated survey work.
Assessing marine biodiversity by identifying specific seagrass species (Zostera marina and Zostera noltei).
Planning conservation efforts for specific bays like Ballyhenry Bay and Castleward Bay mentioned in the description.
Strengths
Includes data for two distinct seagrass species (Zostera marina and Zostera noltei).
Survey methods are described, including dive surveys, towed cameras, and high-spec GPS logging.
Data is available in multiple geospatial formats (KML, ESRI SHAPE, GEOJSON).
Polygon boundaries were digitized following specific SAC guidance.
Limitations
Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
The description notes incomplete surveys in Larne Lough and Carlingford Lough, and an unmapped bed in Castleward Bay.
Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
Source
Government Digital Service
Collection Method
Digitized from dive, towed camera, and GPS surveys conducted by the Marine Monitoring and Assessment Team.
Time Range
Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated; the layer shows the latest data from repeated surveys.
Freshness
Last updated date is unknown; a planned survey for 2020 is mentioned in the description.
Geography
Likely covers coastal areas of Northern Ireland, specifically mentioning Ballyhenry Bay, Castleward Bay, Larne Lough, and Carlingford Lough.