Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF) Multibeam and Sampling Survey 2005/6_MEPF: MALSF Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map Study (26/Jul/2005 to 06/Aug/2005)

This CEFAS sampling survey took place during July/August 2005 in the Eastern English Channel aboard the RV CEFAS Endeavour. This survey was undertaken for the Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map study (EECMHM) as part of a series of four surveys. The EECMHM study was funded by the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) a marine component of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). The main cruise objective was to collect groundtruthing samples from up to 150 sites in the Eastern English Channel in order to validate acoustic data collected in May/June 2005. All 150 sites were sampled with a HamCam (Hamon grab with camera fitted) and ~40 with a 2m Jennings type Beam trawl. Stills and video imagery were collected from ~40 sites using either a towed video sledge or drop camera frame. Multibeam bathymetry data were collected on the transits between sampling stations. During this survey, benthos and sediment samples were also collected for a time-series study at 10 EARS sites in the Eastern English Channel using the HamCam, and UWTV sledge. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs) including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics, the DASSH DAC for biological data. The multibeam data are not part of the archived dataset. Where they hardcopy records/samples exist these have been archived by CEFAS. For further information on the surveys and general information on the EECMHM see the final report (James et al, 2007. Cefas Science Series Technical Report No. 139).