Macrobenthos Data from Shoreham, the Tyne and the Thames Estuaries, UK, 2000 to 2006

These data describe counts of macrobenthic infauna (with associated station metadata) taken from sediment samples collected at sites in the Tyne, Thames and Shoreham, UK from 2000 to 2006. For selected samples, wet biomass data is also included per taxon. The samples from the Shoreham site were collected across an aggregate extraction area over 4 years with the aim to test several habitat mapping techniques by documenting the presence of different faunal levels across the area. The samples collected at the Tyne and Thames were initiated at former sewage sludge disposal sites. Cefas conducted annual sampling in these areas during and post cessation of sewage disposal after January 1999 to monitor the benthic macrofauna community. To obtain the macrofauna, sediment samples were collected using a sediment samples collected using a Day Grab (Van Veen, 0.1m2) or a Hamon grab (either 0.1m2 or 0.25m2), depending on the area and nature of the sediments. Samples were then immediately sieved on board with running seawater over a 0.5mm and/or 1mm mesh sieve to remove the sediment. After sieving, the samples were preserved in 5% buffered formaldehyde. On return to the laboratory, the samples were washed to remove the formaldehyde and the macrofauna extracted using light microscopy and preserved in 70% Industrial Methylated Spirit. Animals were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible and each taxon enumerated to generate the abundance information. The in some samples, the same animals were then weighed after blotting (wet weight) to the nearest 0.0001g to obtain biomass information.