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Understanding the marine environment – seabed habitat investigations of the Dogger Bank offshore draft SAC 2009

Abstract

This report details work carried out by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), British Geological Surveys (BGS) and Envision Ltd for JNCC. It was produced to provide the JNCC with evidence on the distribution and extent of Annex I habitat (including variations of these features) on the Dogger Bank in advance of its possible designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The report provides detailed information about the Dogger Bank and evaluates its features of interest according to the Habitats Directive selection criteria and guiding principles. This assessment has been made following a thorough analysis of existing information combined with newly acquired field survey data collected using ‘state of the art’ equipment. In support of this process, acoustic (sidescan sonar and multibeam echosounder) and ground-truthing data (Hamon grabs, trawls and underwater video) were collected during a 19-day cruise on RV Cefas Endeavour, which took place in April 2008. Existing information and newly acquired data were combined to investigate the sub-surface geology, surface sediments and bedforms, epifaunal and infaunal communities of the Dogger Bank. Results were integrated into a habitat map using the EUNIS classification.

Resource type Publication

Topic category Oceans

Reference date 2009·01·01

Citation
Diesing, M., Ware, S., Foster-Smith, R., Stewart, H., Long, D., Vanstaen, K., Forster, R. & Morando, A. 2009. Understanding the marine environment – seabed habitat investigations of the Dogger Bank offshore draft SAC. JNCC Report No. 429, JNCC, Peterborough.

Lineage
This report presents the findings of the JNCC contract 'Understanding the marine environment-seabed habitat investigations of the Dogger Bank offshore draft SAC'.

Responsible organisation
Communications, JNCC publisher

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Available under the Open Government Licence 3.0

Metadata date 2020·06·03

Metadata point of contact
Communications, JNCC

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