Cefas surveys in Marine Protected Areas: From verification to monitoring

Dr Alex Callaway

29th November 2016Oil & Gas U.K. – Environmental Seminar

World Class Science for the Marine and Freshwater Environment

Aims

• Where are the U.K.’s MPAs?

• Verification and monitoring

• Consideration of industry

• Implications of decommissioning

Marine Protected Areas

• SAC/SCI

• MCZ/NCMPA

• SPA

• EMS

• Ramsar

• SSSI

Cefas’ role

• Co-ordination of survey effort

• Co-ordination of sample processing

• Management and delivery of reports

• Implementation of monitoring strategies

MCZ verification

• 20 vessels utilised

• >2,000 grabs

• 1,300 video tows

• 8,000 km2 MBES data

MCZ verification

• 20 vessels utilised

• >2,000 grabs

• 1,300 video tows

• 8,000 km2 MBES data

MCZ verification

• 20 vessels utilised

• >2,000 grabs

• 1,300 video tows

• 8,000 km2 MBES data

Monitoring strategies

• Sentinel

• Operational

• Investigative

Kröger, K. and Johnston, C. 2016. The UK marine biodiversity monitoring strategy v4.1.

Available from: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/Marine_Monitoring_Strategy_ver.4.1.pdf

Monitoring targets

• General management approach – Maintain / Recover

• Feature extent

• Feature structure and function

Monitoring strategies

• Baseline data collection

• T0 for future comparison

• Proposed management subject to T1, T2, T𝑥

Partnerships

• The Joint Nature Conservation Committee & Natural England

- MPA data acquisition

- Mapping

- Reporting

• Hartley Anderson Ltd.

- Fladen grounds SEA

Implications for industry

Implications for industry

• Business as usual

Implications for industry

• Business as usual

• Modification if change observed

• Business as usual

• Modification if change observed

• Possibility for partnership

Implications for industry

Decommissioning

• Indirect protection loss?

• Good Environmental Status?

• Immediate degradation?

Thank you for listening

World Class Science for the Marine and Freshwater Environment

Contact

alex.callaway@cefas.co.uk

http://www.cefas.co.uk

@CefasGovUK

www.linkedin.com/company/cefas