Stock assessments / Fieldwork / Benthos surveys
IMARES has a rich history of monitoring benthos assemblages. While our main focus has been on stock assessments of commercial bivalve species, we are increasingly involved the monitoring of benthos assemblages in general, often related to ecological studies.
Experience
We have 15 years of experience in organizing, managing and conducting monitoring programs in all Dutch coastal waters and abroad. We carry out surveys on Cockles, Mussels, Razorshell clams and other species. We can assist with survey design (stratification, what sampling devices to use and planning) and survey analysis (stock assessment, spatial and time series analysis with or without explanatory variables on single species, species assemblages or biodiversity indexes).
Tools and devices
We developed a fair number of sampling devices and techniques that can be used for a variety field studies. In addition to conventional devices, such as Van Veen grab or Box corer, we have dredges and hydrolic dredges that sample tracks, integrating the spatial variability of shellfish species. We have grabs that are specifically designed to quantify deep-burying species such as Ensis, Lutraria or Mya. We use Side Scan Sonar and underwater video to quantify sublitoral reefs and do litoral musselbed inspection flights.