Eelgrass Beds - Forillon

This dataset concerns monitoring of the Penouille eelgrass beds. Because of the ecological importance not only of eelgrass beds, but also of the animal communities they support, eelgrass beds are often used as indicators of coastal ecosystem health. Two sets of data deal more specifically with animal species, mainly fish, which use this habitat for different stages of their life cycle. They contain data related to each of the three sites sampled in the spring and fall using fyke nets since 2013. The west beach eelgrass bed is sampled annually, while those of the south beach and the Penouille marsh are sampled alternately every two years. The fish and invertebrates harvested are then counted on the beach and up to 30 individuals per species are measured. A first dataset shows the length of the fish while a second shows the total count for all species harvested. Two other datasets deal more specifically with vegetation parameters indicating the expanse and condition of eelgrass beds at sites sampled since 2013. This monitoring requires the installation of three 50-metre transects parallel to the beach in the heart of each eelgrass bed. The data collection is carried out in 36 quadrats measuring 50 cm by 50 cm, in which the percentage of total vegetation cover and of each of the plant species found there are recorded, as well as the height and condition of the eelgrass plants. Photographs are also taken using a submersible camera. Water depth and sediment type at the ends and centre of each transect are also taken into account.