Eastern English Channel large-scale seabed habitat mapping programme
Project description and benefits
Marine habitat maps provide the fundamental information needed to manage offshore resources such as sand and gravel deposits, fisheries and sensitive biological communities. Using the latest technology, a partnership involving Cefas, BGS (British Geological Survey), JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) and MES Ltd is producing the first broad-scale habitat maps for the Eastern English Channel. These maps will be used as management tools to determine areas for economic development, conservation or protection.
Substantial sand and gravel deposits have been discovered in the Eastern English Channel. These resources need to be harvested to meet the growing demand for aggregates, whilst taking nature conservation issues and fisheries interests into consideration. Before any decisions can be made about removing sand and gravel from the sea bed we need to find out the extent of the resource, the physical characteristics of the sea bed and the distribution and nature of the plants and animals that live there. This information can be provided by broad-scale habitat maps.
This project will produce broad-scale habitat maps of the sea bed in the Eastern English Channel. The maps will be based on an inter-disciplinary approach. Geophysical, sediment and biological surveys using the latest acoustic technology will be combined with video and sampling techniques. The results will be made available in GIS format for use by anyone with an interest in the marine environment. In addition, the considerable experience gained from this project will be applied to other areas of marine economic interest.
Cefas contribution
Cefas will support the delivery of the following tasks:
- Review scientific data for the eastern English Channel and identify knowledge gaps
- Conduct geophysical, sediment and biological surveys
- Integrate new and existing geological, geophysical and biological data to provide comprehensive maps of the distribution of marine species and habitats.
- Test causal relationships/correlations between the physical environment and associated fauna.
- Provide additional geophysical, geological and biological data to support the integrated management of offshore resources in the eastern English Channel
- Produce products for managing marine offshore activities now and into the future and, which will also resolve conflicts regarding seafloor use.
- Disseminate interpreted data and maps
Skills and expertise employed
- Acoustic surveys
- Seabed sampling
- Ground truthing
- Data interpretation
- Application of GIS
- Seabed map production
