Details of Historical records of the past distribution, extent and form of European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reef ecosystem
BackDataset identification
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| Title of dataset | Historical records of the past distribution, extent and form of European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reef ecosystem |
| Narrative summary of dataset | This dataset assembles historical information existing in public and private documentary archives. Taken together, these data contribute to the building of a knowledge base of the historical presence, extent and biogenic formations of European flat oyster ecosystems prior to and during the intensification of bottom fishing activities. To identify and recover such information requires significant resources and expertise. The establishment of a Historical Ecology Working Group under the umbrella of the Native Oyster Restoration Alliance in early 2020 presented a unique opportunity to coalesce interdisciplinary expertise and resources from multiple European countries to collate and interrogate historical data sources. To date, this is the only known dataset that evidences the past distribution, extent and characteristics of this seabed ecosystem across its full biogeographic range. The described datasets present qualitative and quantitative extracts from written records published between 1524-2022, which show: (1) estimated locations of past oyster fisheries and/or reef habitat across its full biogeographical range, with associated levels of confidence; (2) recorded extent of past reef habitats, and; (3) species associated with these habitats. This comprehensive historical analysis demonstrates that oyster reefs were once a dominant three-dimensional feature along much of the European coastline and some shallow shelf seas. |
| Summary of processing methodology | Records were sourced from scientific, popular media, government, and archaeological publications and collections published between 1524 and 2022. These provided 1,667 records of oyster fisheries, habitat structure or presence, dating from 200 BC to 2008, with the majority of records (n=823) referring to observations recorded between 1850 and 1899 |
| Start date | 1600-01-01 |
| End date | 1910-12-31 |
Responsible organisations
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Organisation name | University of Exeter |
| Role of organisation | Originator of Dataset |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Organisation name | University of Edinburgh |
| Role of organisation | Originator of Dataset |
| How to cite | Thurstan, R.H., McCormick, H., Preston, J., Ashton, E.C., Bennema, F.P., Bratoš Cetinic, A., Brown, J.H., Cameron, T.C., da Costa, F., Donnan, D., Ewers, C., Fortibuoni, T., Galimany, E., Giovanardi, O., Grancher, R., Grech, D., Hayden-Hughes, M., Helmer, L., Jensen, K.T., Juanes, J.A., Latchford, J., Moore, A.B.M., Moutopoulos, D.K., Nielsen, P., von Nordheim, H., Ondiviela, B., Peter, C., Pogoda, B., Poulsen, B., Pouvreau, S., Roberts, C.M., Scherer, C., Smaal, A.C., Smyth, D., Strand, Å, Theodorou, J.A., zu Ermgassen, P.S.E. (in review) Historical records reveal past distribution, extent and form of a now collapsed biogenic reef ecosystem. |
Dataset availability
| Original dataset download link | https://cloud.emodnet-ingestion.eu/index.php/s/n4f62ZHvlBuwFoN |
| Dataset format | Delimited |
| Geographic Information System | |
| Text or Plaintext | |
| Public access | No limitations |
| License for use | CC-BY 4.0 |
| Type | Dataset |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6884167 |
Locations
| Map | © OpenStreetMap contributors |
| Latitude north boundary | 60.554140329992 |
| Longitude east boundary | 37.367299351617 |
| Latitude south boundary | 35.262833799719 |
| Longitude west boundary | -12.378794398383 |
Data types, collection and processing
| Observation type | Habitat |
| Biota abundance, biomass and diversity | |
| Parameter | SeaDataNet biological format biotic parameters |
| Fishery characterisation | |
| Habitat characterisation |
Process information
| Submitting organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Submission identifier (UUID) | f9ab77bc-11c1-43e1-96ae-b30702159263 |
| Date of dataset creation | 2023-10-17 |
| Date of metadata creation | 2023-10-17 |
| Date of metadata latest revision | 2024-04-07 |
| Date of publishing | 2024-04-25 |
| Processing data centre | Flanders Marine Institute |
| Summary record-ID | 1551 |