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UK Atlas of Seabed Habitats: Library of Localised Maps 2025

Abstract

The UK Atlas of Seabed Habitats Library of Localised Maps is a standardised collection of individual, ground-truthed habitat maps from various sources.

Various sectors including research, government and industry create habitat maps focussed on a specific local area, termed a ‘localised map’. These maps are created using a variety of data schemas and habitat classification systems, and at a variety of scales.

To make this wealth of data findable and reusable, JNCC gathers and ingests habitat maps from all available sources before cleaning and conforming them into the European standard classification, EUNIS v2007-11.

Each localised map is openly available to view and download via the EMODnet Map Viewer.

Newly ingested maps are also translated to the standard national classification scheme, the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland v22.04. We are also in the process of translating the historical collection to this scheme.

The Library of Localised Maps forms part of the UK Atlas of Seabed Habitats (UKASH), a suite of mapping products, offering the most complete characterisation of seabed habitats in the UK in the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland and the European standard classification system, EUNIS. UKASH is composed of:

  • UKASH Library of Localised Maps: A standardised collection of individual, ground-truthed habitat maps from various sources.
  • UKASH Mosaic of Localised Maps: A unified, non-overlapping map product that prioritises the most reliable maps from the UKASH Library of Localised Maps.
  • UKSeaMap Predictive Map: A seamless, full-coverage predictive map of physical seabed habitats in the UK.
  • UKASH Combined Map: The UKASH Mosaic of Localised Maps, with gaps filled by the UKSeaMap Predictive Map.

Resource type Dataset

Topic category Oceans

Reference date 2025·04·10

Lineage
This is a collection that is updated in September and March each year on EMODnet

Responsible organisation
Digital and Data Solutions, JNCC custodian

Limitations on public access No limitations on public access.

Use constraints Available under Open government Licence v3.0 (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) This product contains data from a variety of sources and attribution statements for each map are provided in their individual metadata records available via the EMODnet Products Catalogue.

Metadata date 2025·04·25

Metadata point of contact
Digital and Data Solutions, JNCC

Temporal extent 1968·01·01 2020·12·31

Spatial extent
North 60.862681
South 48.115059
East 2.89474
West -14.409424
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