Polygon

This layer presents a 30-year (1971-2000) temperature climatology for surface regions of the NW European shelf seas, with a resolution of 1/6 longitude by 1/10 latitude. The data have been extracted from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) data centre and supplemented by additional records from the World Ocean Data Centre (WODC). From the original data, which are irregularly distributed in space and time, the mean monthly temperature and salinity are calculated, as well as the climatic mean annual cycle. The climatology presented here is an improvement upon all existing climatologies presented in the literature for the NW European shelf; covering a wider area on a finer scale and including the surface and near-bed distribution of both temperature and salinity. Comparison of our data with existing climatologies shows good agreement, with differences occurring where our climatology is an improvement. This climatology, which will prove to be valuable to many users in the marine community will be regularly updated and made available to all users via the ICES data centre.

Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs) are bodies that aim to improve the management of Scotland's inshore fisheries (out to twelve nautical miles) and to give commercial inshore fishermen a strong voice in wider marine management developments. Originally six pilot IFGs were established in 2009 (covering the Outer Hebrides, the Clyde, the south east of Scotland, the north west, small isles and Mull, and Moray Firth) and each developed an inshore fisheries management plan for its area. This was followed in 2013 by six Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) covering all of the Scottish coast (except Shetland which has its own management arrangements). The West Coast and North & East Coast RIFGs were established in April 2016 and replace the four IFGs that formerly covered the Scottish mainland coast.

This layer shows the RIFG network, which includes the West Coast, North & East Coast and Outer Hebrides RIFGs, along with the Orkney Management Group and Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation. 

In 2020, the scope of RIFGs was extended to the 12NM limit as part of the Future Fisheries Management (FFM) policy.

Approximate locations where chemical and conventional/explosive munitions were disposed at sea. As some data is derived from historical records, coordinates may be inaccurate. The location of phase 4 chemical disposal sites are unconfirmed. Includes data digitised from OSPAR,  Imperial College London, and Ministry of Defence reports.

On behalf of the Crown Estate, the British Geological Survey mapped the marine aggregate and mineral resources around Scotland. The data has been inferred from geological data, review of relevant literature and interpretation of boreholes.

The marine aggregate resources include:

1. Sand and gravel (aggregate) resources,
2. Prospective areas for Sand and gravel (aggregate) resources,
3. Fill areas where the mud content of the sand is <10% and so is not considered a Sand and gravel (aggregate) resource; but is of value because it is suitable for fill in, for example, land reclamation use.

The mineral resources include:

1. Coal resources
2. Evaporite resources
3. Metallic mineral resources

Each of the 6 resources can be viewed as an NMPI layer.

This layer displays the coal resources around Scotland as mapped, on behalf of the Crown Estate, by the British Geological Survey.