The Dorset Marine Biodiversity Database
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An electronic record of the species and habitats found off the Dorset coast
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Background
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Rock cook
Photo: Richard Edmonds
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Despite being a county with a superb coastline, up until June 2001 Dorset
had no central database for their marine records. Thanks to the
Joint Dorset Marine Committee this is no longer the case.The
Dorset Marine Biodiversity Database originated at
the Dorset Wildlife Trust in June 2000 as the Dorset Central Marine
Database. It was transferred to DERC in June 2001 where work has been
progressing to draw together, in an electronic format, all the marine species
and habitat data from surveys that have been undertaken within Dorset waters.
Since December 2001, there has been a full-time Marine Database Officer
working on inputting the backlog of marine records, developing the database
and establishing new contacts for obtaining data.
Currently the Marine Biodiversity Database holds over 33,000 records, dating
from 1802 to the present.
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Data exchange
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Male cuckoo wrasse and Anemones
Photo: Richard Edmonds
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DERC are establishing data exchange systems with many national marine
organisations, most notably, The Conchological Society and The UK Marine
Fish Recording Scheme. Locally, data exchange agreements are established
with Durlston Marine mammal project, Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve, Dorset
Seasearch, Poole Harbour Study Group, Fleet Study Group, Dorset Wildlife Trust,
Southampton Oceanography Centre, English Nature and the Dorset
Coast Forum.
Marine Literature database
A
searchable literature database of all the surveys, reports and literature relating
to the Dorset coast is available online. The database is maintained by the Joint Dorset
Marine Committee of the Dorset Coast Forum.
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Marine Network
We have close links with:
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Clients
Previous clients have included:
- Local Authorities
- English Nature
- National Marine Service (EA)
- Royal Haskoning
- Scott Wilson
- Bournemouth University
- Conservation Consultants Ltd
- New Forest District Council
- BMT Cordah Ltd.
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Funding
This project would not have been possible without funding from:
- QinetiQ;
- SCOPAC (Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline);
- Dorset County Council;
- English Nature (Dorset Team);
- Environment Agency;
to whom we are grateful.
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