Marine_Scotland_FishDAC_856 eng dataset Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) +44 (0)300 244 4000 marinescotland@gov.scot pointOfContact 2024-09-02 MEDIN Discovery Metadata Version 2.3.7 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 OGP Marine Scotland Reports - Marine Environment - Scotland's Marine Atlas Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for the national marine plan. Marine Scotland 2011-03-16 publication Marine_Scotland_FishDAC_856 Scotland’s vision is for ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive, biologically diverse marine and coastal environments, managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people’. This assessment of the condition of Scotland’s seas has been based on scientific evidence from data and analysis, supported by expert judgement. Climate Change and Ocean Acidification The climate shows considerable variation over short and long timescales. However, in recent years there has been a marked increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere of the Earth and, at the same time, sea surface temperature has risen as have sea levels. Changes in the biological components of the seas have been observed including earlier plankton blooms, a northward movement of some species and a reduction in seabird populations, all of which have been linked to climate change. At the same time, the seas are becoming more acidic, the consequences of which, especially for calcareous organisms, could be significant. Reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases are required and Scotland has set ambitious targets. However, even with such reductions, it is highly likely that further impacts of climate change on the marine environment will be observed. Clean and Safe Scotland’s seas are mainly clean and safe, although there are some localised areas where there is contamination or hazards to human health. For example, sediments in several harbours and estuaries remain contaminated with hazardous substances, a legacy of past industrial discharges. Water quality in the Forth and Clyde estuaries is compromised by discharges of industrial effluent and treated sewage although effluent treatment has improved resulting in returning populations of residential and migratory fish. The use of historical contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tributyl tin (TBT) has been banned, and monitoring continues to assess their continued environmental decline. Information is being gathered on a range of other contaminants, including endocrine disrupters and brominated flame retardants, to assess their environmental impacts. Diffuse inputs of nutrients and bacteria have given rise, respectively, to some localised issues in small east coast estuaries and at bathing beaches. Action plans have been put in place to tackle these issues. Concerns such as marine litter and underwater noise have become more broadly recognised and will be addressed through the operational response to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Generally the effects of noise remain unquantified and unknown. Healthy and Biologically Diverse Scotland’s seas support a diverse array of habitats and species and contain nationally and internationally important populations of certain species such as the northern feather star, the burrowing sea anemone, the northern sea fan and cold water corals. There is evidence that certain habitats have been impacted, for example shallow and shelf subtidal sediments (including burrowed mud habitats). This stems largely from the effects of fishing over large areas of the seabed and more localised impacts from activities such as aquaculture. The low abundance of some demersal commercial fish species across the west coast of Scotland is a major concern and is being addressed through various initiatives. Improved knowledge of fishing activity and its impact on the marine environment would be beneficial. Establishment of new fisheries should only be undertaken following careful assessment of the viability and future sustainability of the fishery, especially given the sensitivity of some, particularly deep water, species to fishing and against a background of historic over-exploitation. Sharks, skates and rays face further declines and are severely depleted all around the coast, although the number of sightings of basking sharks has increased in recent years especially in the Minches and Malin Sea. These declines are largely the consequence of historically unsustainable catches in both target and non-target fisheries and their long-lived, very low fecundity life cycle. Many of these, for example, porbeagle and common skate, can no longer be targeted commercially. Populations of some seabirds, harbour seals and some fish species have declined. Possible reasons include climate change, a number of different human activities and competition from other species. These declines may be associated with broader changes in the food web. For example, the decline in availability of sandeels has had a major influence on recent changes in seabird numbers on the east coast and in the Northern Isles. Although, in general, the current assessment for cetaceans suggests there are no specific concerns, this has been made against a background of a very high level of uncertainty and little power to detect concerns if they currently exist. Productive Scotland’s seas are economically productive. Official figures show that the core marine sector, less the extraction of oil and gas, contributed £3.6 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2008 (at 2009 prices), about 3.5% of overall Scottish GVA. About 39,800 people were employed, 1.6% of Scottish employment. The extraction of oil and gas had a GVA of £13.3 billion in 2007 (at 2009 prices). Fishing takes place in all Scottish sea areas but some, such as Hebrides, North Scotland Coast and East and West Shetland, are far more economically productive than others. Aquaculture, both finfish and shellfish, predominates on the west coast and the islands. Sixteen major ports handle about 98% of all port traffic with liquid bulk, mainly oil and gas, accounting for 69%. There is significant commercial shipping both to ports and for transit through Scottish waters, as well as domestic and international ferry activity. The seas are also used extensively by the Royal Navy and other armed forces, for exercises and operations, sometimes including international partners. Other activities include cooling water abstraction for power stations and the disposal of treated urban waste water, industrial effluent and dredge spoil. Seabed telecommunications cables carry millions of internet and phone call connections, thereby providing a major communications network. The seas are also used for leisure and recreation, particularly sailing, angling and other sporting activities. Scotland’s historic environment and natural and cultural heritage attract many tourists. The enormous potential of marine renewable energy generation from offshore wind, waves and tides has started to be harnessed. There is also potential for storage of carbon dioxide under the seabed, in ‘carbon capture and storage’ schemes. Also see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/345830/0115128.pdf for maps and further details. Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) +44 (0)300 244 4000 Mailpoint 11, Area 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot pointOfContact Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) +44 (0)300 244 4000 Mailpoint 11, Area 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot custodian Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) +44 (0)300 244 4000 Mailpoint 11, Area 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot distributor Marine Scotland +44 (0)300 244 4000 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot originator Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea ( ACOPS) +44 (0) 207 7993033 11 Dartmouth Street London SW1H 9BN United Kingdom info@acops.org originator British Telecom (BT) enquiries@bt.com originator Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) enquiries@ceh.ac.uk originator Dive Site Directory suggestions@divesitedirectory.co.uk originator DTU Aqua +45 35 88 33 00 Kemitorivet, Building 202 Lyngby Denmark aqua@aqua.dtu.dk originator Global Marine Systems +44 (0)1245 702000 New Saxon House, 1 Winsford Way, Boreham Interchange Chelmsford CM2 5PD United Kingdom info@globalmarinesystems.com originator Historic Environment Scotland +44 (0) 131 668 8600 communications@hes.scot originator Joint Nature Convervation Committee (JNCC) +44 (0) 1733 562 626 Monkstone House, City Road Peterborough PE1 1JY United Kingdom comment@jncc.gov.uk  originator Magicseaweed Ltd general@magicseaweed.com originator Marine Scotland +44 (0)300 244 4000 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot originator Ordnance Survey +44 (0) 3456 05 05 05 customerservices@os.uk originator OSPAR Commission +44 (0) 20 7430 5200 Victoria House, 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4DA United Kingdom secretariat@ospar.org originator Royal Yachting Association +44 (0) 23 8060 4100 RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble Hants SO31 4YA United Kingdom enquiries@rya.org.uk originator Scottish and Southern Energy ( SSE) customerservice@sse.com originator Scottish Enterprise +44 (0)3000 133 385 Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street Glasgow G2 6HQ United Kingdom enquiries@scotent.co.uk originator Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Inverdee  FFMarineScience@sepa.org.uk originator Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW United Kingdom enquiries@snh.gov.uk originator Scottish Power Power Systems ( SPPS) environment@scottishpower.com originator Scottish Water Castle House, 6 Castle Drive, Carnegie Campus Dunfermline KY11 8GG United Kingdom customer.services@scottishwater.co.uk  originator Seazone Solutions Limited +44 (0)870 013 0607 Howbery Park Wallingford OX10 8BA United Kingdom info@seazone.com originator The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) +44 (0)1631 559 000 Scottish Marine Institute Oban PA37 1QA United Kingdom info@sams.ac.uk originator Marine Scotland +44 (0)300 244 4000 1B South, Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ United Kingdom marinescotland@gov.scot originator Not Planned Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Fishery characterisation SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2018-12-12 revision Biota composition Fish SeaDataNet Agreed Parameter Groups 2017-05-03 revision Fisheries and aquaculture SeaDataNet Parameter Disciplines 2017-02-03 revision Open Government License (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/) otherRestrictions no limitations to public access 55000.00 eng biota economy environment inlandWaters oceans transportation utilitiesCommunication -13 3 54.5 63.5 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 40D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 41D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 42D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 43D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 44D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 45D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 46D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 47D7 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 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creation 52F0 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 53F0 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 41F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 42F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 43F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 44F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 45F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 46F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 47F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 48F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 49F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 50F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 51F1 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 46F2 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 47F2 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 48F2 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 49F2 ICES Rectangles 1910-01-01 creation 50F2 SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords 2010-01-01 revision The entire body of water between the bed and the atmosphere. 2010-01-01 2011-03-16 See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/295194/0114629.pdf for full list of references, Baxter, J.M., Boyd, I.L., Cox, M., Donald, A.E., Malcolm, S.J., Miles, H., Miller, B., Moffat, C.F., (Editors), 2011. Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for the national marine plan. Marine Scotland, Edinburgh. pp. 191, ISBN 987 0 7559 8254 7 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-marine-atlas-information-national-marine-plan/pages/5/ download Electronic - SEPA Data usedi n Atlas V1 - Excel, and GIS dataset Aim of Scotland’s Marine Atlas The first ‘Marine Atlas’ presents data spatially to assist with the introduction of marine planning. It does so based around the elements of the government’s vision for the sea: clean and safe, healthy and biologically diverse and productive. The Atlas presents the assessment of condition and summary of significant pressures and the impacts of human activity required for the national marine plan. It also represents a contribution to the initial assessment required for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)(1) by July 2012. Area covered and scale of data The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010(2) and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2 009(3) provide for marine planning of Scottish waters out to 200 nautical miles and give new marine conservation responsibilities. So this Atlas presents data over this whole area, including for policy areas which are reserved to Westminster, to ensure that policies developed in the national marine plan are informed by the fullest data possible. The Atlas refers to a variety of boundaries and spatial scales: • 200 nautical miles – the maximum limit for fisheries and renewable energy powers. Marine planning and nature conservation powers can extend further. • 12 nautical mile territorial sea – limit of Scotland as defined in the Scotland Act. • 3 nautical miles - the limit to which Water Framework Directive measures have been implemented in Scotland. Data can be aggregated to different scales for different purposes, so its presentation has to consider the purpose. This Atlas presents data at the most relevant scale available to illustrate the main issues for national marine planning. There is provision for future marine plans to be developed for Scottish marine regions. These regions have yet to be decided. However, the 15 sea areas used in this Atlas, based on areas previously adopted for certain environmental monitoring programmes, are likely to be of a similar scale as marine regions. The data from these 15 areas can be presented regionally and also reasonably aggregated to form a national picture and to develop information for the two main areas required for the MSFD initial assessment: the Greater North Sea (Area II) and the Celtic Seas (Area III) which are existing sea areas used by OSPAR (the Oslo Paris Convention for the Protection of the North East Atlantic)(4). How this Atlas has been compiled The Atlas has taken Scotland’s Seas: Towards Understanding their State, published in 2008(5), and developed its contents to provide a spatial assessment where possible. Much effort has been taken to map data sets and present graphs around them. It is recognised that there are some areas where this is not yet possible so the provision of spatial data suitable for marine planning will be an evolutionary process. A data annex available online, lists the various data sources used for this Atlas. The preparation of the Atlas has been a collaborative effort. Marine Scotland led the work on chapters 2, 5 and 6, with SEPA in the lead for chapter 3 and SNH, with assistance from JNCC, leading chapter 4. Each contributor also developed the appropriate part of the overall assessment. A valuable contribution was also provided by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland (MASTS)(6) to all work. The Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute; Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science; Countryside Council for Wales; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Environment Agency; National Oceanography Centre; Natural England and Northern Ireland Environment Agency all reviewed Atlas material. A variety of data sources have been used. The key data sets are from the range of established monitoring programmes undertaken by the various contributing organisations for their main responsibilities, for example, to meet legal obligations. For much of the productive seas data, existing data from regularly published government statistics have been used. Most data have required some re-working to be presented at the level of the sea areas used. Data used for Charting Progress 2 (CP2)(7), published in July 2010, have also been heavily relied on here. CP2 was the second assessment of the UK seas and involved the same contributing Scottish scientists as this Atlas. This Atlas draws on the four CP2 Feeder Reports adding more detail where necessary and appropriate to map Scottish seas. To make the Atlas easily accessible and to focus on portraying information spatially, the material has been restricted to summaries and short text, complimented by images and graphs. For many topics, further information is available from a variety of sources and these are referenced. Full references are available in an online annex. Also see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/345830/0115121.pdf for more detail.