c25edeeb492d845621e3db3d997fc7e9 English series Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Data Manager 01752 633102 01752 633291 Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill Plymouth PL1 2PB dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk pointOfContact 2019-08-09 MEDIN Discovery metadata standard 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 1998-present Inter-Organisation UK Benthos Database 1999-01-01 publication 2011-10-10 creation 2011-10-10 revision DASSHSE00000009 http://www.dassh.ac.uk/ Offshore environmental impact surveys have been carried out by oil and gas operators in the North Sea since 1975, initially as part of corporate environmental management programs and latterly as regulatory requirement. Routine monitoring of the area around the installations to confirm impact hypotheses of the seabed and check the general health of the marine environment is now endorsed in UK Regulations notably under The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002. Monitoring surveys have traditionally been carried out along one or more transects leading away from the installations and following the prevailing current direction. Collection of sediment samples were taken at stations set at varying distances, 500, 800, 1200, 2500 and 5000 meters from the platform along the transects. Sample from reference stations located at 8 to 10 km from the installations would also be collected. The samples would then be analysed for hydrocarbons and metals content and to investigate the seabed biological communities. It is these biological data that are presented in this dataset. This monitoring strategy is designed to measure gradients of environmental effects in the vicinity of the platform. Between 1975 and 1998, it is estimated some 520 seabed surveys were carried out. However, a lack of consistency and standardization in the way these surveys were conducted has led to difficulty in establishing long-term environmental effects. To that purpose, Oil and Gas UK funded a project with the aim of collating and reviewing all seabed monitoring data collected by the UK oil and gas industry from 1975 to 1998. The Oil and Gas UK seabed environmental review was carried out in 3 phases. Phase1. Compilation of an inventory of surveys carried out in the UK sector. Phase2. Production of database files containing detailed biological, chemical and geographical data. Phase3. Examination of the extent of contamination from offshore exploration and appraisal activities and impacts on the biota, and attempt to determine any large-scale trends over wider geographical areas. The final phase was completed in April 2001. Today, techniques have evolved and the focus is more on wide-scale baseline environmental monitoring at a pre-operational stage. This involved screening the development area for any potential ecologicall important habitats and species using side-scan and or multi beam sonar and swathe bathymetry techniques. Data Manager Oil & Gas UK Oil and Gas UK Data Manager +44 (0)20 7802 2400 +44 (0)20 7802 2401 2nd Floor 232-242 Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 1AU info@oilandgasuk.co.uk originator Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Data Manager 01752 633102 01752 633291 Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill Plymouth PL1 2PB dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk custodian annually Database Delimited Documents Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Buildings Human health and safety Land use Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-01-06 revision Marine UNESCO 2003-01-01 creation Industrial discharges Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed Man-made structures Industrial activity SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary 2009-11-16 revision Data is freely available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced. otherRestrictions No restrictions to public access 500 English structure health planningCadastre biota Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Eastern Channel Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Western Channel and Celtic Sea Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Irish Sea Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Southern North Sea Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Northern North Sea Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Minches & Western Scotland Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Scottish Continental Shelf Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Rockall Trough & Bank Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Faroe-Shetland Channel Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Atlantic North West Approaches ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28E6 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29E6 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30E6 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31E6 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28E7 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29E7 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30E7 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31E7 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28E8 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29E8 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30E8 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31E8 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28E9 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29E9 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30E9 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31E9 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28F0 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29F0 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30F0 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31F0 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28F1 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29F1 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30F1 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31F1 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28F2 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29F2 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30F2 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31F2 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 28F3 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 29F3 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 30F3 ICES Rectangles 2009-05-01 creation 31F3 -15.8203 3.2520 48.2832 62.7547 1975-06-01 2019-08-09 http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/knowledgecentre/uk_benthos_database.cfm Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Data Manager 01752 633102 01752 633291 Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill Plymouth PL1 2PB dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk distributor http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/knowledgecentre/uk_benthos_database.cfm UK Benthos Database series MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos 2011-02-02 publication See the referenced specification true Offshore environmental impact surveys have been carried out by oil and gas operators in the North Sea since 1975, initially as part of corporate environmental management programs and latterly as regulatory requirement. Routine monitoring of the area around the installations to confirm impact hypotheses of the seabed and check the general health of the marine environment is now endorsed in UK Regulations notably under The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002. Monitoring surveys have traditionally been carried out along one or more transects leading away from the installations and following the prevailing current direction. Collection of sediment samples were taken at stations set at varying distances, 500, 800, 1200, 2500 and 5000 meters from the platform along the transects. Sample from reference stations located at 8 to 10 km from the installations would also be collected. The samples would then be analysed for hydrocarbons and metals content and to investigate the seabed biological communities. It is these biological data that are presented in this dataset. This monitoring strategy is designed to measure gradients of environmental effects in the vicinity of the platform. Between 1975 and 1998, it is estimated some 520 seabed surveys were carried out. However, a lack of consistency and standardization in the way these surveys were conducted has led to difficulty in establishing long-term environmental effects. To that purpose, Oil and Gas UK funded a project with the aim of collating and reviewing all seabed monitoring data collected by the UK oil and gas industry from 1975 to 1998. The Oil and Gas UK seabed environmental review was carried out in 3 phases. Phase1. Compilation of an inventory of surveys carried out in the UK sector. Phase2. Production of database files containing detailed biological, chemical and geographical data. Phase3. Examination of the extent of contamination from offshore exploration and appraisal activities and impacts on the biota, and attempt to determine any large-scale trends over wider geographical areas. The final phase was completed in April 2001. Today, techniques have evolved and the focus is more on wide-scale baseline environmental monitoring at a pre-operational stage. This involved screening the development area for any potential ecologicall important habitats and species using side-scan and or multi beam sonar and swathe bathymetry techniques.