Marine Monitoring Network Review 2012

In December 2011, Marine Scotland initiated a review of the existing Scottish marine monitoring network, to identify its capabilities and to identify gaps in marine environmental data that are required to inform offshore wind, wave and tidal energy SEA, HRA and MSFD assessment and monitoring requirements. Halcrow Group Ltd (Halcrow) was commissioned to complete a Review of the Scottish Marine Monitoring Network to inform development of offshore renewable energy in Scottish waters, with the project running from January to April 2012.

Objectives of the Review

The key aims of this project are to:

  • provide a review of the current capabilities of the existing marine monitoring network in Scotland
  • examine the suitability of marine monitoring data to report on trend information
  • set out recommendations on changes to the current monitoring network

in relation to the requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) to support offshore renewable wind, wave and tidal energy development plans, in Scottish waters.

This information page is part of the theme: 
Monitoring
Marine Monitoring Network review map - Copyright © Marine Scotland

The data download available from the table below contains several ESRI shapefile GIS layers Including:

  • Leased Wave & Tidal Areas
  • Leased Wind Sites
  • Offshore Wind Plan Regions
  • Regional Locational Guidance (RLG) Wave and Tidal Sites of Opportunity
  • Regional Locational Guidance (RLG) Wind Scoping Areas

These layers contain:

  • shape files for leased, demonstration, operational and search areas/areas of opportunity for wind, wave and tidal sites
  • site polygons hold attributes tables which include high level detail on the site reference, lease holders, and the monitoring programmes/points/transects within the site area
  • each polygon has been assigned a 2 nm buffer around the site, which also holds an attributes table on programmes within the buffer area
  • shape files provided by Marine Scotland (January 2012) do not include potential updates or revisions from current work to refresh Regional Locational Guidance  

Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptors

  • Shape files linking monitoring programmes to nine of the 11 MSFD Descriptors
  • Recent UKDMOS work has linked programme parameters to MSFD indicators, criteria and descriptors
  • UKDMOS stress a caveat on these layers as only having the potential to inform MSFD assessments, for example, the MSFD descriptor on biological diversity is linked to all programmes which monitor biological parameters, and the MSFD descriptor on seabed integrity is linked to all programmes which monitor sediment-related parameters

Monitoring Programmes

  • Shape files for each monitoring programme with points/transects/areas plotted against latitude/longitude extracted from UKDMOS files
  • Each programme layer holds an attributes table outlining the monitoring frequency and reference information for each point, and the parameters monitored by the programme
  • Any point/transect/area can be selected and the table will provide the reference information for that point and the range of programme parameters monitored

MPA Search Areas

  • Shape files for Marine Protected Area (MPA) areas of search
  • Site polygons hold attributes tables which include basic information on the search area name, the MPA project recommended action and the monitoring programmes/points/transects within the site area
  • Files provided by Marine Scotland (February 2012) do not include potential updates or revisions from ongoing MPA project work

Scottish Sea Areas

Shape files for the 15 Scottish sea regions

  • Each region holds an attributes table that lists the baseline assessment of pressures/status/trends from Scotland’s Marine Atlas
  • The table lists the pressures and the high level status and trend assessments, more detailed information requires users to refer to the Atlas

12 Nautical Mile Limit

  • Polygon shape file representing the 12 nm area limit around Scotland

Scotland

  • Polygon shape file of Scotland
Thursday, March 24, 2016 - 11:31
Tags: 
marine monitoring network review, Monitoring