UK estuaries: Blackwater, Humber, Mersey, Ribble, Southampton, Tamar, Colne, Crouch, Essex, Roach, Salcott, Wash, West Mersea, Thames, Tees, Conwy.

Radioactivity in biota; Habitat characterisation; Habitat extent; Sediment grain size parameters; Dissolved metal concentrations in the water column; Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column; Concentration of other hydrocarbons in the water column; Optical backscatter; Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column; Salinity of the water column; Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents); River flow and discharge; Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples; Radioactivity in water bodies; Spectral wave data parameters; Wave height and period statistics; Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column; Sea level; Geological sample radioactivity; Turbulence in the water column; Metal concentrations in biota; Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column; Sediment water content, porosity and surface area; Terrestrial mapping; Coastal geomorphology; Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water column; Silicate concentration parameters in the water column; Bathymetry and Elevation; Temperature of the water column; Inorganic chemical composition of sediment or rocks

Sea level recorders; current meters; optical backscatter sensors; single-beam echosounders; nutrient analysers; benthos samplers; discrete water samplers; laser altimeters; salinity sensor; sediment grabs; manual biota samplers

The dataset contains a diverse range of environmental data ranging from estuary properties including geomorphology, water depth and habitat characterisation to detailed time series of parameters such as salinity and chemical and nutrient concentrations. The data are stored in a database containing a directory of existing data sources for estuaries; data for the broad properties of 79 UK estuaries; and detailed hydrodynamic, bathymetric, and sedimentary information for six estuaries: Blackwater, Humber, Mersey, Ribble, Southampton Water and Tamar. The data range from 1965 to 2002 and include both historic datasets and those collected during a recent effort (1997-2002) to enhance our knowledge of estuaries. Data collection employed a variety of instrumentation and techniques, including water, biota and sediment sample collection and analysis and the deployment of hydrographic instruments such as sea level, temperature, salinity and optical backscatter recorders. The Estuaries Research Programme (ERP) began in 1997 with the EMPHASYS project, which aimed to improve our understanding of processes operating in estuaries and use this knowledge to enhance broad scale modelling techniques that can be applied to estuarine processes. This work was funded by the Environment Agency/Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Flood and Coastal Defence Research and Development Programme. The data are managed by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) and are available on CD-ROM.

British Oceanographic Data Centre
Joseph Proudman Building 6 Brownlow Street
Liverpool
Merseyside
L3 5DA
United Kingdom