Seagrass Beds in Northern Ireland: Subtidal and Intertidal Polygons

Geospatial polygon data maps subtidal and intertidal seagrass beds in Northern Ireland. The data was created by the Marine Monitoring and Assessment Team using methods including dive surveys, towed cameras, and high-spec GPS logging. The dataset is published by the Government Digital Service under an open government license.

Use Cases

• Modeling habitat extent for conservation planning based on digitized seagrass polygons.
• Analyzing changes in coastal ecosystems over time based on repeated survey work mentioned in the description.
• Assessing survey coverage gaps for future work based on noted incomplete areas in Larne Lough and Carlingford Lough.

Strengths

• Data includes both subtidal and intertidal seagrass species (Zostera marina and Zostera noltei).
• Polygons were digitized following specific SAC guidance, suggesting a standardized methodology.
• Available in multiple geospatial formats (KML, ESRI SHAPE, GEOJSON) for interoperability.

Limitations

• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and completeness require manual inspection after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Digitized from dive, towed camera, and high-spec GPS surveys conducted by the Marine Monitoring and Assessment Team.

Time Range

The layer shows the latest data from repeated surveys over a number of years; specific years are not provided.

Freshness

The description notes planned survey work for 2020, but the last update date is unknown.

Geography

Northern Ireland, specifically mentioning Ballyhenry Bay, Castleward Bay, Larne Lough, and Carlingford Lough.