European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

The seabed mapping was carried out on the White Ribbon vessel (British Geological society) using Kongsberg EM3002D multibeam and on the FPV Banríon Uladh using the same multibeam system. The sampling in 2018 (this dataset) was carried out on board the RV Corystes using a day grab. Particle size analysis (PSA) was carried out and the infaunal samples were sent away to accredited taxonomic laboratories to be indentified. The most abundant species recorded was the echinoderm Amphiura filiformis and the most frequently recorded (present in all samples) was the hydrozoan sertulariidae.

"This dataset contains information on infaunal abundance and biomass from grab samples carried out in Belfast Lough on 2018-01-23. This survey is part of a larger, ongoing project (since 2012) joint with Belfast Harbour and the British Geological Society (BGS). The Habitat mapping project of Belfast Lough used the BGS vessel White Ribbon and Fisheries Protect Vessel Banríon Uladh as both of these were fitted with Kongsberg EM3002D multibeam. Most previous/ historic information about the seabed in Belfast Lough were collected using single beam or lead line surveys which are not as accurate as multibeam. Therefore this project is important to allow a more comprehensive and in depth survey to be done of the seabed in Belfast Lough. The multibeam surveys ran from 2013-07-29 to 2013-08-13, with all depths surveyed being less than 0.5m deep. This grab sample survey (2018) is part of a larger project in Belfast Lough to map out the sediment and seabed to provide a baseline for sediment transport studies and to create habitat maps for management. The information in this dataset was collected on board the RV Corystes in 2018 using a 0.1m2 day grab. The methodology used for collecting samples in the day grab is detailed below. • A 0.1m2 day grab was used to take a sample of the sediment & associated infaunal communities. • When the sample reaches the deck, a 250ml sample is taken for PSA and a further 25ml is taken for C & N analysis. The rest of the sample is carefully sieved to reveal any infauna. • Fixed Formalin (4% buffered formaldehyde) is added to the remains of the sample and these are placed in labelled buckets. • The samples are sent to accredited taxonomic laboratories were they are identified to as high a level as possible and weighed. "