Skip to Content

Resource hub

The identification of possible marine SPAs for seabirds in the UK: The application of Stage 1.1–1.4 of the SPA selection guidelines 2012

Abstract

Between January 2007 and October 2011, JNCC conducted a series of analyses to inform the identification of possible marine Special Protection Areas in the UK, based on data in the European Seabirds at Sea database.

A first series of analyses took place between 2007 and 2010 and identified a suite of eight important areas for seabirds. This was a three-step process involving the generation of continuous seabird density distribution maps from point data using Poisson kriging, the delineation of seabird hotspots based on the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic, and the application of UK SPA selection Stages 1.1–1.3. The guidelines were applied to assess whether species fulfilled the guidelines of regular occurrence and meeting a 1% minimum population threshold. This work was presented in JNCC Report No. 431.

This critical analysis resulted in the identification of a restricted number of locations for a small number of species, addressing only part of their annual life-cycle; hence a second series of analyses was carried out to identify additional areas that might be considered under Stage 1.4 of the UK selection guidelines. The full application of Stage 1.4 of the UK SPA selection guidelines will involve the evaluation of these additional areas based on ecological criteria outlined in Stage 2 of the guidelines (e.g. population size and density, species range, and multi-species areas).

Resource type Publication

Topic category Oceans

Reference date 2012·09·01

Citation
Kober, K., Wilson, L.J., Black, J., O'Brien, S., Allen, S., Win, I., Bingham, C. & Reid, J.B. 2012., The identification of possible marine SPAs for seabirds in the UK: The application of Stage 1.1–1.4 of the SPA selection guidelines. JNCC Report No. 461, JNCC, Peterborough.

Lineage
JNCC conducted a series of analyses between January 2007 and October 2011, to inform the identification of possible marine Special Protection Areas in the UK, based on data in the European Seabirds at Sea database.

Responsible organisation
Communications, JNCC publisher

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Available under the Open Government Licence 3.0

Metadata date 2020·05·22

Metadata point of contact
Communications, JNCC

Back to top