UKSeaMap The mapping of seabed and water column features of UK seas David Connor MESH UK stakeholders workshop London, 19 October 2006.

UKSeaMapUKSeaMapThe mapping of seabed and water The mapping of seabed and water

column features of UK seascolumn features of UK seas

David ConnorDavid Connor

MESH UK stakeholders workshopMESH UK stakeholders workshopLondon, 19 October 2006London, 19 October 2006

www.searchMESH.net

OutlineOutline

Origins of UKSeaMapOrigins of UKSeaMapData and methods usedData and methods usedOutcomesOutcomesApplicationsApplications

Focus on seabed mappingFocus on seabed mapping

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Origins of the projectOrigins of the project

Roff and Taylor Roff and Taylor (2000)(2000)

Review of Marine Review of Marine Nature Nature ConservationConservation

Irish Sea PilotIrish Sea PilotUKSeaMap began UKSeaMap began

November 2004November 2004Completed 2006Completed 2006

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Funding partners & project teamFunding partners & project team

JNCC project team:JNCC project team:

David ConnorDavid ConnorNeil GoldingNeil GoldingKirsteen McKenzieKirsteen McKenziePaul RobinsonPaul RobinsonDylan ToddDylan ToddEmma VerlingEmma Verling

A contribution to:A contribution to:

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UKSeaMap - aimsUKSeaMap - aims

To provide To provide broadscale maps of broadscale maps of all UK seas via all UK seas via modellingmodelling

To use existing To use existing physical and physical and hydrographic datahydrographic data

To produce maps of To produce maps of ecological relevance ecological relevance for regional and for regional and national management national management and planningand planning

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Doesn’t MESH have it all Doesn’t MESH have it all mapped?mapped?

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Seabed features

Topographicfeatures

Coastalphysiographic

features

Modelledseabedtypes

The elements of the marine landscape map

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Data typesData types Used:Used:

SlopeSlope SubstratumSubstratum Light penetrationLight penetration DepthDepth Bottom temperatureBottom temperature Wave-baseWave-base Near-bed stressNear-bed stress

Also considered:Also considered: Tidal rangeTidal range OxygenOxygen NutrientsNutrients pHpH SalinitySalinity Wave exposureWave exposure

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CanyonCanyon

Subtidal Subtidal sediment sediment

bankbank

Shelf Shelf troughtrough

Deep Deep ocean riseocean rise

Iceberg Iceberg plough-mark plough-mark

zonezone

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Coastal featuresCoastal features

Estuary -Estuary -Severn Severn EstuaryEstuary

Embayment -Embayment -Langstone Langstone

HarbourHarbour

Lagoon -Lagoon -The FleetThe Fleet

Bay -Bay -Poole BayPoole Bay

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Modelling seabed typesModelling seabed types

Seabed substrata Seabed substrata (British Geological Survey)(British Geological Survey)

Light attenuation Light attenuation (Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)(Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)

Depth Depth (Gebco & SeaZone)(Gebco & SeaZone)

Wave base Wave base (Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)(Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)

Bottom temperature Bottom temperature (ICES)(ICES)

Tidal bed-stress Tidal bed-stress (Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)(Proudman Oceanographic Lab.)

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Substratum

Depth Zone

Bed Stress

Rock

CoarseSediment

MixedSediment

Sand Mud

Photic

Shallow Shelf

Deep water

Aphotic Cold

Weak StrongModerate

Warm

Modelling seabed typesModelling seabed types

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www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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Depth zonationDepth zonation

1.1. Photic zonePhotic zonefrom coastline to photic depth (rocky substrata only)from coastline to photic depth (rocky substrata only)

2.2. Shallow zoneShallow zonefrom coastline to wave basefrom coastline to wave base

3.3. Shelf zoneShelf zonefrom wave base to shelf break (200m depth)from wave base to shelf break (200m depth)

4.4. Deep water zoneDeep water zone>200m depth>200m depthWarm water > 4ºCWarm water > 4ºCCold water <4ºCCold water <4ºC

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www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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ºC

www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

www.searchMESH.netSource Proudman Oceanographic Laboratorywww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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0.1 decimal 0.1 decimal degreesdegrees

0.02 decimal 0.02 decimal degreesdegrees

No. of cellsNo. of cellsCoarse – 5,908Coarse – 5,908Fine – 1,292,276Fine – 1,292,276

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Supervised classificationSupervised classificationClassification tree exampleClassification tree example

Sediment:coarse

Depth:shallow

Bed stress:strong

Shallow coarsesediment plain – strong bed stress

www.searchMESH.netwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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Seabed features

Topographicfeatures

Coastalphysiographic

features

Modelledseabedtypes

The elements of the marine landscape map

www.searchMESH.netwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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Most commonMost common

Landscape typeLandscape type % of % of UKCSUKCS kmkm22

Shelf sand plainShelf sand plain 24.724.7 215,215215,215

UncategorisedUncategorised 13.613.6 118,808118,808

Deep ocean riseDeep ocean rise 10.110.1 87,90787,907

Shelf coarse sediment plainShelf coarse sediment plain 8.88.8 76,49276,492

Deep-sea warm-water mud plainDeep-sea warm-water mud plain 6.56.5 56,32756,327

Shallow sand plainShallow sand plain 5.55.5 48,21848,218

Shelf mud plainShelf mud plain 5.15.1 44,60544,605

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Least commonLeast common

Landscape typeLandscape type kmkm22

LagoonsLagoons 2424

Barrier beachBarrier beach 2929

Deep water mounds (Darwin Mounds)Deep water mounds (Darwin Mounds) 5252

SoundSound 9191

RiaRia 104104

Shelf mixed sediment plain – strong tide stressShelf mixed sediment plain – strong tide stress 285285

Deep-sea cold-water coarse sediment plainDeep-sea cold-water coarse sediment plain 386386

EmbaymentEmbayment 596596

Shallow mixed sediment plain - strong bed stressShallow mixed sediment plain - strong bed stress 952952

Shelf mounds or pinnaclesShelf mounds or pinnacles 11241124

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Biological validationBiological validationPredicted relationship to EUNISPredicted relationship to EUNIS

EUNIS level

EUNIS code

EUNIS name

Lag

oon

Est

uar

y

Ria

Sea

loch

/Voe

Em

bay

men

t

Bar

rier

bea

ch

Sou

nd

or

stra

it

Bay

Ph

otic

roc

k

Ap

hot

ic r

ock

Sh

allo

w c

oars

e se

dim

ent

pla

in -

w

eak

tid

e st

ress

Sh

allo

w c

oars

e se

dim

ent

pla

in -

m

oder

ate

tid

e st

ress

3 A4.7 Features of circalittoral rock 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 -1 1 -1 -1

2 A5 Sublittoral sediment 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 1 1

3 A5.1 Sublittoral coarse sediment 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 1 1

3 A5.2 Sublittoral sand 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1

3 A5.3 Sublittoral mud 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1

3 A5.4 Sublittoral mixed sediments 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1

3 A5.5Sublittoral macrophyte-dominated sediment 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 1 1

3 A5.6 Sublittoral biogenic reefs 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

3 A5.7 Features of sublittoral sediments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 0 0

2 A6 Deep-sea bed -1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

3 A6.1Deep-sea rock and artificial hard substrata -1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

3 A6.2 Deep-sea mixed substrata -1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

Landscape typesLandscape typesHabitatHabitattypestypes

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www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

Sample data usedSample data used

32,000 samples32,000 samples

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Biological validation by landscape Biological validation by landscape typetype

www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap

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ApplicationsApplications

Protection through Protection through better informed end usersbetter informed end users Strategic planningStrategic planning advice to industry advice to industry Essential environmental data forEssential environmental data for marine spatial marine spatial

planningplanning Marine protected areasMarine protected areas – representative network – representative network Monitoring and surveillance programmesMonitoring and surveillance programmes European DirectiveEuropean Directive implementation – Water implementation – Water

Framework Directive & Marine Strategy DirectiveFramework Directive & Marine Strategy Directive Regional seasRegional seas – confirm boundaries – confirm boundaries

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ConclusionsConclusions Successful use of available physical & Successful use of available physical &

hydrographic data to produce first ecological hydrographic data to produce first ecological

map for UK seasmap for UK seas

Recognise limitations in data coverage & Recognise limitations in data coverage &

resolutionresolution

Number of applications at regional & national Number of applications at regional & national

levellevel

Work towards improving data and models to Work towards improving data and models to

refine maprefine map

[email protected]@jncc.gov.uk www.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMapwww.jncc.gov.uk/UKSeaMap