Realm: Marine
Climate: Temperate
Biome: Temperate Shelf and seas ecoregions
Central latitude: 56.630000
Central longitude: 3.150000
Duration: 6 years, from 1996 to 2011

10039 records

294 distinct species

Across the time series Amphiura filiformis is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

Data are part of a monitoring program required by the Norwegian government to assess the impacts of the offshore petroleum industry on the Norwegian continental shelf. Macroinvertebrate data are from soft-sediment macrobenthos, sampled along with chemical and physical characteristics of the sediment from regional stations collected at the southern part of the Norwegian continental shelf. The sampling frame spanned approximately 130 km in a south-north direction and approximately 70 km from east to west (56° 02? to 57° 08? N, 2° 30? to 3° 49? E). The sampling was conducted in MayJune, starting in 1996 with a repetition every third year, i.e., data from six sampling occasions (19962011). Water depth (m) at the regional stations was similar (ranging from 65 to 72 m), and the sediment was dominated by fine sand. Different consulting companies conducted the fieldwork at the different sampling occasions. The faunal identification for each monitoring year was performed by one of two consulting companies (hereafter called laboratory A or B), but sometimes with additional assistance by other national or international experts. Authors used a version of the MOD-database from March 2013. In Region I, there have been some changes in the number of regional stations over time. Authors selected 11 regional stations based on the criteria that the regional stations should have been investigated at least five times. Biological, physical, and chemical samples were taken from the bottom sediments with a 0.1-m2 van Veen grab. At each of 11 sampling stations, five replicates for analyses of macrobenthos were taken each year from 1996 to 2011. Biological samples are sieved on a 1-mm round-hole diameter sieve, and retained fauna is fixed in formalin for later identification. Three additional grabs are taken at each station for analyses of sediment variables. Sub-samples are taken from the upper 5 cm of the sediment for analyses of physical sediment characteristics and from the upper 1 cm for chemical analyses. Sample station positioning employs a differential global positioning system (GPS, accuracy of < 10 m) with the vessel held in position with a dynamic positioning (DP) system.

Citation(s)

@Article{BioTIME_cit428, Study_id = {696}, Citation_id = {428}, Author = {Ellingsen, Kari E. and Yoccoz, Nigel G. and Tveraa, Torkild and Hewitt, Judi E. and Thrush, Simon F.}, Journal = {Environmental Monitoring and Assessment}, Pages = {595}, Title = {Long-term environmental monitoring for assessment of change: measurement inconsistencies over time and potential solutions}, Volume = {189}, Year = {2017}, Doi = {10.1007/s10661-017-6317-4}, Language = {English} }