CEFAS28b88d5a-3fc2-4c1c-b64d-da1ff3aad61a English dataset Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk pointOfContact 2023-01-31T01:40:50 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2022-01-07 revision WGS 84 Highly mobile fish species distributions in UK waters 2015-10-21 publication 2023-01-31 revision 2011-10-07 creation CEFAS154 https://data.cefas.co.uk Distribution shapefiles of highly mobile species, derived from BS Sample, BSFSM, FSS and data mining and the Environment Agency. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk originator Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk custodian Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk distributor Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk owner notPlanned Biota abundance, biomass and diversity Fish Fisheries SeaDataNet P03 parameter discovery vocabulary 2011-03-25 revision Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Water column SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2010-05-18 revision Marine Environmental Data and Information Network MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication data.gov.uk MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication otherRestrictions noLimitations otherRestrictions Public data - no limitations to reuse English biota -15.00 3.50 48.00 64.00 2010 2010 Delimited Geographic Information System Unknown https://data.cefas.co.uk/view/154 Cefas Data Portal download The Cefas Data Portal contains metadata records and data sets available to download and connect to in support of our commitment to open science. Data is available in the following formats: CSV, ESRI Shapefile. The data can also be accessed via the WFS and WMS protocols. dataset INSPIRE Data Specification on Species Distribution – Technical Guidelines 2013-12-10 publication false See the referenced specification Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 publication true See the referenced specification A consortium[1] led by ABPmer were commissioned (Contract Reference: MB0102) to develop a series of biophysical data layers to aid the selection of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in England and Wales under the Marine and Coastal Access Act and the equivalent MPA measures in Scotland. Such data layers would also be of use in taking forward marine planning in UK waters. The overall aim of the project was to ensure that the best available information is used for the selection of MPAs in UK waters, and that these data layers can be easily accessed and utilised by those who would have responsibility for selecting sites. The Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) allows for the designation of MCZs for conserving marine flora or fauna, marine habitats and features of geological or geomorphological interest. In the case of marine flora and fauna, these are with particular reference to marine species that are “*rare or threatened because of (a) the limited number of individuals of that species, or (b) the limited number of locations in which that species is present*”. To deliver this requirement, the project was divided into a number of discrete tasks, one of which is to map the distributions of highly mobile species of conservation interest. These species were identified from being either listed on the OSPAR List of Threatened and Declining Species, or highlighted as UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species, including the grouped plans for commercial marine fish and for deep-water fish. The report provides a detailed description of the development of the data layers for 40 marine species considered to be highly mobile, and includes 22 species of bony fish (Teleostei), 17 species of shark and skate (Elasmobranchii) and one marine reptile, the leatherback turtle. The overall project aimed to help identify ecologically important areas (including spatially discrete areas) for the selected species, including by life-history stage where data were available. This initial project aimed to examine distribution and relative abundance data in order to identify regions of importance for the various species. The locations of spawning and nursery grounds were examined in a subsequent project (MB5301). Cetaceans were not included within the scope of this contract. The objectives of the project were to map the broad, biogeographical distribution patterns of the identified species around the UK, based on the captures of fish from contemporary fishery-independent groundfish surveys. For those species that were insufficiently abundant in fishery-independent groundfish surveys evidence-based distribution maps based on other data sources (e.g. commercial landings data and historical records) were provided. All layers were provided in a digital GIS ESRI data format. Limitations and caveats of the data have also been outlined in the report, and the users of the GIS data are encouraged to use this information to assist in the interpretation of distribution data. Such caveats include issues on gear selectivity, the timings and locations of surveys, and taxonomic identification in surveys. [1] ABPmer, MarLIN, Cefas, EMU Limited, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) and Bangor University. MEDIN 3.1.1