Equipment

Grabs

• 0.1m2 Hamon Grab
• 0.1m2 Day Grab
• Anchor Dredge

 Trawls

• 2m  Beam Trawls (CEFAS
• specification)
• Plankton  Trawls (various)

 Intertidal Box Corer

• 20 x 30 x 40 cm

In-House Laboratory

• Fully equipped for enumeration, identification and biomass of macro-invertebrates and fish.  MESL participate in the NMBAQC scheme for quality assurance.

Specialist Resources

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

MESL specialise in the presentation of biogeographic data for fisheries and resources of conservation significance in a GIS format. Many of our recent research reports, Environmental Statements  and benthic biological reports are presented in interactive electronic format. MESL are proficient in the use of MapInfo and ArcGIS software, as well as Eonfusion 4D visualisation, database management and programming for customised applications.

Statistical Analysis

Our staff are fully trained in using the PRIMER  package which allows us to analyse biological and physical survey data with a range of robust, multivariate statistical tests.

Data Management

All our biological data are housed in UNICORN, an MS Access based database system. This system has been specifically tailored for the efficient input, storage and manipulation of marine biological survey data. UNICORN is linked to our internal database which holds all of the associated metadata enabling us to carry out complex data analyses.