Marine Datasets

Species records
Key datasets

Species Records

Species records to date include:

UK Biodiversity Action Habitat Plans for Sabellaria reefs, seagrass beds, serpulid reefs and saline lagoons
UK Biodiversity Action Species Plans for Eunicella verrucosa (Pink Sea-fan), Ostrea edulis (Native Oyster) and Armandia cirrhosa (Lagoon sandworm)

Plumose anemone

Photo: Richard Edmonds

Dahlia anemone

Photo: Richard Edmonds

Key datasets

The database already holds a number of reports including:

The Dorset Underwater Surveys
(1976 – 1978)
The first comprehensive subtidal surveys to take place in Dorset and provide a useful baseline on which present records can be compared

Durlston Marine Project records
(1998 - present)
The Durlston Marine Project was established in 1998 to monitor the abundance of cetaceans, particularly bottlenose dolphins, found in Dorset waters.

Seasearch records
(1995 - present)
Seasearch is a national project for volunteer sports divers who have an interest in what they're seeing under water, want to learn more and want to help protect the marine environment.

Dr. K Collins et al
(ongoing)
Surveys for maerl, worm reefs, bream nests sea grass, sea fans, sea pens and brittlestars.

Lyme Bay Environmental Study
(1995)
The survey was commissioned by Kerr McGee Oil (UK) and consisted of 17 volumes, including ‘The Fleet Lagoon’, ‘Cobble & boulder shores’, ‘Sand & mud shores’ ‘Rocky shores’ and ‘Epibenthos’, all of which have been entered onto the marine database.

Studland Bay Baseline Study
(1990)
The Oceanography Dept, University of Southampton, was commissioned by BP Exploration to undertake this environmental survey of Studland Bay. Fourteen sites were examined by divers and the epifauna recorded. Additionally, six sites were sampled for infauna. This data has been entered onto the Dorset database.

Furzey Island Hydrocyclone: 1998 Benthic Survey
(1998)
This report was produced by Fawley Aquatic Research Labs Ltd for BP Exploration Ltd. It gives the findings of a benthic survey carried out in July 1998 - the first post-commissioning study of the hydrocyclone facility. Six sites were surveyed, with three replicate 'Day' grab samples taken from each site.

ERT Ltd - Marine Environmental Survey of the Dorset Coastline within UKCSBlock 97/14 & 15 - Diving and Macrobenthic Survey
(1994)
The survey incorporated both remote sampling of sediments by grab and dredge, and direct observation of sedimentary and rocky habitats by divers (report presents diving survey results). 29 stations sampled between Portland Harbour to Clavel Tower, Kimmeridge Bay. Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) survey protocols were used.