Developing the least damaged/more natural data

layer

Least damaged/more natural workshop

Pete Chaniotis

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

What is ‘least damaged/more natural’?

• A policy approach from Sustainable Seas for All

• Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines will be applied to least damaged/more natural areas first before being applied more widely

– Identification of areas containing features which are potentially in better condition

– Identifying opportunities in areas of least activity

How was the least damaged/more natural layer developed?

• Features are sensitive to pressures that may be associated with activities

• Need to know: – The degree to which MPA search features are

sensitive to pressures– Which activities may be associated with those

pressures

• Collation of marine activities data to provide information on the extent of pressures occurring in Scotland’s seas:

• Range of sources:

– Defra-led contract ‘MB106’– JNCC data verification work– State of Scotland’s Seas

How was the least damaged/more natural layer developed?

• Assigning physical extent/pressure footprints to marine activities data

– Effects of activities may extend beyond the area over which they are undertaken

• Not possible in all cases:– Marinas, ports and harbours, coastal quarrying sites,

beach replenishment sites, munitions dumping ground points, power stations

• Represents activities currently taking place in Scotland’s seas

• Interpreted within the context of future interest areas

How was the least damaged/more natural layer developed?

Methodology

Principles

• Areas of approximately one grid cell or less were generally removed

• Areas which overlapped with known existing activity not incorporated into the production of the layer were generally removed

• Intertidal areas/thin coastal strips removed due to scale/data resolution issues

• Removal of areas which were heavily divided, e.g. subdivisions of some sea lochs by fishing activity/parts of the North Sea by oil and gas activity

• Larger, offshore areas subdivided using large scale units or common bathymetry

Mersehead Sands and Outer Solway Firth

Wigtown Bay

East Orkney

Norwegian boundary sediment plain

Montrose Field

East of Gannet Field

Greater & Lesser East of Marr & Montrose Bank

St Andrews Bay & Eden Estuary

Faroe-Shetland Channel

North Orkney to Fair Isle

North-east of Fair Isle

Waters around Roussay

Inshore South Isles - Orkney

Loch Sween

Loch Nevis & Loch Hourn

Loch Long & Loch Duich

Loch Carron

Loch Torridon

Loch Tarbert

Lochs a Chairn Bhairn, Glencoul & Glendhu

West MPA Region (islands and offshore)

Stanton Banks to South West St Kilda

Between Monach Islands and St Kilda

West of Outer Hebrides

North West Islay & Laggan Bay

East of Benbecula & North Uist

North West Tiree inc. Skerrymore

Darwin Mounds

Rockall Basin

Anton Dohrn Seamount

North West Rockall Bank

Sediment plain North of George Bligh BankHatton-Rockall

Basin

Hatton Bank

Far West Approaches

Limitations and caveats

• The data– Recognised gaps – Represents a snapshot of where and how Scotland’s seas

are being used– High-level assessment as opposed to something more

detailed

• The method– Intensity at which activities occur not considered – Cumulative effects not considered

marineconservation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk - Scottish watersmpa@snh.gov.uk - Territorial watersscottishmpas@jncc.gov.uk - Offshore waters