2005 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA6 Technical Report - Geology. Irish Sea, seabed and surficial geology and processes
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report discusses the seabed geology and the surficial geology and processes of the SEA6 region of the Irish Sea. The East Irish Sea Basin is at a mature exploration phase, having produced oil and predominantly gas since 1985. The hydrocarbon geology of the region is reviewed. Other prospectivity plays in the SEA6 area are the Caernarfon Bay Basin and the Cardigan Bay Basin. The seabed sediments, seabed sedimentary processes and the corresponding diverse range of seabed habitats in the area are described, drawing upon published data and on the new information acquired from surveys specifically conducted for this SEA in 2004.
Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) data portal
The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) data portal provides free access to available data and reports which have been produced through the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change SEA process. The site is run and managed by BGS on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Many files can be downloaded directly from this website. Those that are too large to download can be ordered via the website for postal delivery from BGS.
The report was prepared by the British Geological Survey as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. The report data have been compiled and presented in the figures using the Arc9 geographical information system (GIS) based on spheroid and datum WGS 84, UTM zone 30 projection and origin 3 degrees west. The data incorporated into the BGS series of published 1:250,000 maps provide much of the seabed information presented in the GIS. This report also incorporates the data generated from the new seabed surveys completed in August 2004 during Survey Vessel Meridian Cruise A.
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Analysis of macroinvertebrate samples from the Northern Triangle area (north UKCS)
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and it presents results from the macrofaunal analysis of sixty-three macrobenthos samples. The samples were from a range of depths in the SEA4 Northern Triangle area, at the northernmost extent of British waters. Most of the samples were rich in terms of numbers of taxa and individuals and all major benthic invertebrate phyla were represented in the survey. The fauna included several taxa that are likely to be undescribed species and many have been recorded by nominal names. Several groups have also been left at higher taxonomic levels. Data analysis was not included for this part of the project. A preliminary literature list for deep-sea taxonomy was compiled for the project and provided in the report. A spreadsheet of data is also available.
Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed
Samples were taken by a variety of methods (mostly day grabs or megacores) during summer 2002 from S/V Kommandor Jack by Geotek as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. ERT (Scotland) Ltd. Were responsible for the initial storage of the SEA4 samples at their Edinburgh laboratory. Samples were forwarded for analysis by Unicomarine Ltd. The samples were sieved in the laboratory over a 0.5mm mesh and fauna and fragments were removed from the sediment. Laboratory sample processing was carried out according to Unicomarine standard operating procedures (Worsfold and Hall, 2002). Fragments of animals were extracted, including colonies of non-countable taxa. There were no specific instructions on which taxa were to be extracted so in-house policy was adopted. In general, all animal material was removed, though Foraminifera were extracted as representative examples only. Animals were transferred to 70% industrial methylated spirits (IMS), except bryozoa, which were dried. Taxa were tentatively separated into major groups at the extraction stage.
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Conservation sites (north UKCS)
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The report identifies coastal and near-shore conservation sites within the SEA4 area which are protected by international, national and local conservation designations as well as describing the sites and reasons for their protected status. At the northern extremity of Britain, the SEA4 area combines very productive waters with spectacular and distinctive coastal scenery. The combination of rich food sources and relative lack of disturbance make it host to abundant bird populations, including rare species not found elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Among the conservation sites are sea inlets, mud and sand flats, lagoons, salt marshes, sand dunes, shingle, sea cliffs, fresh water bogs and marshes, heath, scrub and grassland.
Report prepared by Aberdeen Institute of Coastal Science and Management University of Aberdeen with Hartley Anderson as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Much of the information utilised by the report including site descriptions, mapping information and species inventories has comes from the JNCC and Scottish National Heritage. Other sources of information include various non-governmental conservation organisations including the National Trust for Scotland, RSPB and Scottish Wildlife Trust.
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Coastal management (North Sea)
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). It provides an overview of the various management plans which have been developed for the coastal zone, coastal defence, estuaries, biodiversity and coastal habitats in the SEA3 area of the North Sea. Numerous dynamic processes, both natural and man-made, affect the SEA3 coastline. After reviewing these processes, the report reviews the various coastal initiatives and management strategies which have been established to minimise their detrimental effects. Various coastal fora provide a lead in developing management strategies for the enhancement and protection of the environment in their areas. Plans include European marine site management schemes, shoreline management plans prepared by coastal defence authorities, estuary management plans, coastal habitat management plans and biodiversity action plans.
Report published in August 2002 as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Much of the descriptive information of the SEA 3 coast and the issues that affect it has come from the JNCC Coastal Directory series.
2006 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA7 sample analysis - Physical/chemical analysis of marine sediment samples collected during the SEA7 survey August/September 2005 (NE Atlantic west of Scotland)
This report present the data obtained from the analysis of sediment samples collected during survey operations for the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment programme (SEA7), carried out in August/September 2005. Samples were analysed for: Total organic carbon and nitrogen; Particle size analysis; Hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons; Trace and heavy metals. A spreadsheet of data is included.
Concentration of organic matter in sediments
Concentration of other organic contaminants in sediment samples
Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples
Inorganic chemical composition of sediment or rocks
Sample were collected in August/September 2005 and were held in storage until the analysis in January 2006 by Environment and Resource Technology (Scotland) Ltd as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Samples were analysed for: Total organic carbon and nitrogen - elemental analyser (Dumas method) after removal of Carbonate; Particle size analysis including carbonate and organic matter - by sieving/laser diffraction (grain size), weight loss on acid treatment (carbonate) and loss-on-ignition (organic matter); Hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons; Trace and heavy metals (PAHs; 2 to 6 ring) - by ultrasonic extraction followed by clean-up and GC (hydrocarbons) and GC-MS (PAHs) instrumental analysis; total barium by alkal fusion technique; Trace and heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn) - by aqua-regia digest.
2005 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA6 Technical Report - Hydrography of the Irish Sea
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report describes the physical oceanography of the Irish Sea from St George's Channel in the south to the North Channel and the Clyde Sea in the north. The report covers the topography and depth of the sea floor, the tides, the impact of storms, stratification and its consequences and the mean circulation, all with a view to mean and extreme conditions. The predominant dynamical process is the semi-diurnal tides, with areas of both high and low energy embraced. Superimposed on this is the full range of water column structure areas that are well mixed throughout the year; areas that stratify thermally in summer; areas of freshwater influence from river discharges, leading both to nearshore density gradients and stratification; frontal regions between the well-mixed and stratified regions. The movement of the water and the amount of mixing prescribe physical effects, such as forces on structures and the movement and dispersion of contaminants, but also significantly influence biogeochemical processes including sediment erosion / deposition and movement, particularly of suspended sediment, benthic exchanges and primary productivity (via stratification, nutrient exchanges and light levels).
Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents)
This report was prepared by Dr M. J. Howarth of the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. The two sources for many of the figures in this report are a three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical model of the continental shelf seas around the United Kingdom with a horizontal resolution of 1.8 km, and long term measurements from a site less than a mile west of the Mersey Bar Light, at 53 32 N 3 21.8 W. The water depth at the site is 18.5 m below chart datum, with a tidal range at equinoctial spring tides of about 10 m. The site is part of a project started in August 2002 and expected to last for 5 - 10 years. Measurements include current profiles, waves and surface and bed salinities and temperatures (for more details see http://cobs.pol.ac.uk).
2004 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA6 SV Meridian SEA6 Survey B (or Leg 2) - geophysical survey (Irish Sea)
As part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) a geophysical survey was undertaken on SV Meridian SEA6 Survey B (or Leg 2) in the Irish Sea between Ireland and the Isle of Man and at the north of Wales. Multibeam, sidescan sonar and chirp seismic data were collected. 11 processed gridded multibeam files are available. Raw data are also available. 11 sidescan mosaic tif files available. Raw seismic data are also available. Cruise reports are available.
OSAE Offshore Survey and Engineering Gesellschaft fur Seevermessung mbHwho were contracted to perform offshore survey operations as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Equipment used included a Reson Seabat 8101 multibeam (Swath), Edgetech DF1000 sidescan sonar and Chirp II Cap 6600 3.5kHz sub-bottom seismic profiler. The cruise report were prepared by A G Judd, Geotek Ltd and a survey report was prepared by OSAE Offshore Survey and Engineering Gesellschaft fur Seevermessung mbH.
2006 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA7 Technical Report - Conservation (NE Atlantic west of Scotland)
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA7) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The coastal and marine areas within the SEA 7 boundary are very extensive, longer and more varied than any other SEA area. Stretching westwards into the Atlantic Ocean, the region includes a very large area of relatively shallow continental shelf. There are also a few uninhabited islands to the west of the Outer Hebrides, including St. Kilda with its multiple conservation designations. The Outer Hebrides form one of the oldest geological provinces in Europe and is mainly based on Lewisian Gneiss. A major geological fault runs parallel to the east coast (The Minch coast), whereas the western side is normally a continuation of the continental shelf. These features are prominent in the southern islands, notably the Uists. Harris and Lewis present different topographies which include the high massif with Clisham at its centre and the low peat-covered plateaux of most of Lewis to the north. The east Minch coastline is generally steeper and falls to deeper inshore waters. It is also characterised by several transverse sea lochs which resemble similar fjords on the west mainland coast. Although the legacy of glacial processes are complex, the main effect has been to over-deepen sea lochs and inter-island straits (e.g. Sound of Harris) and deposit great masses of glacial debris, especially sands, on the shallow continental shelf to the west where, with the prevalence of strong onshore Atlantic waves and winds, vast beaches were formed in this post glacial period. Large quantities of organic sand (crushed shells) were added to this volume; as a consequence some of the larger beach and sand dune systems in Britain are found along the west coast. These extensive blown sand systems are called machairs, and provide a unique series of environmental and ecological systems with very high conservational status at European and international levels. The west coast of the Outer Hebrides contains many sites of archaeological interest and retains a distinctive cultural landscape as one of the last strongholds of a historical system of land tenure and working found nowhere else in Europe. This way of life is considered to be one of the prime reasons for the creation and maintenance of many of the significant conservational attributes of the Outer Hebrides.
This report was prepared by Aberdeen Institute of Coastal Science and Management, University of Aberdeen with Hartley Anderson Limited as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Much of the information utilised by the report including site descriptions, mapping information and species inventories has comes from the JNCC and Scottish National Heritage. Other sources of information include various non-governmental conservation organisations, such as the National Trust for Scotland, RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Plankton ecology (Addendum to SEA2 report), North Sea
This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and has been written as an addendum to the more comprehensive SEA2 document. The two papers give an overview of the phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition in the North Sea and how this has fluctuated through the latter half of the 20th Century in response to environmental change. The study is based on a unique long-term dataset of plankton abundance in the North Atlantic and the North Sea acquired by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). The dinoflagellate genus Ceratium dominates the phytoplankton community in the North Sea, but diatoms are also important, especially in the southern part. The normal annual blooms of plankton are discussed, as are harmful algal blooms (HABs), which appear to be on the increase, possibly due to a combination of climatic variability and eutrophication. Among the zooplankton, copepods are particularly important and constitute a major food resource for many commercial fish species, such as cod and herring. Calanus is the dominant copepod genus in the North Atlantic. Other important components of the plankton - meroplankton, picoplankton and megaplankton - are also reviewed. Very small picoplankton (~1 micron in diameter) and much larger gelatinous members of the megaplankton (e.g. jellyfish and ctenophores) are poorly sampled by the CPR. Although the picoplankton represents a sizeable fraction of total primary production, its role in the marine ecosystem is poorly understood.
Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies
Plankton abundance per unit volume of the water column
Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column
This report was prepared by scientists from the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) in August 2002 as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey provides a unique long-term dataset of plankton abundance in the North Atlantic and North Sea, using ships of opportunity to tow the CPR on regular routes, sampling at a depth of approximately 10m (methodology described in full in Warner and Hays 1994). Each sample represents 18km of tow and approximately 3m3 of filtered seawater. The survey records over 400 taxa of plankton, composed of phytoplankton (plants) and zooplankton (animals) entities, many of which are recorded to species level. It is the only biological survey that can monitor long term changes over broad areas, such as the North Atlantic. The survey began in the North Sea in 1931, with computerised records from 1948 (for this report data were extracted from 1960).
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA1 Environmental Survey 2000 - Sample analysis data report: hydrocarbons, total organic carbon/nitrogen (Faroe Shetland Channel)
Sediment samples were collected during the Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA1 (White Zone) Environmental Survey in 2000 at the request of the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This data report collates all the results generated by Gardline Survey Limited. The analysis undertaken on the sediment samples were: total organic carbon and total organic nitrogen; total hydrocarbon and n-alkane content and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content.
Concentration of alkanes in sediment samples
Sediment samples were collected during 2000 as part of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change's Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme. Analyses of the sediment samples were carried out by Gardline Surveys Limited, which resulted in the publication of this report in 2001. The analysis undertaken on the sediment samples were: total organic carbon and total organic nitrogen; total hydrocarbon and n-alkane content by gas chromatography (GC); and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).