Regional Environmental Characterisation Projects
The Marine ALSF has commissioned series of regional surveys to
develop understanding of Britain's submerged habitats and
heritage.
The seabed around our coast holds a wealth of marine life
and habitats as well as a huge range of historic finds; ancient and
modern from shipwrecks to prehistoric landscapes, submerged as sea
levels rose after end of the Ice Age and Britain became an island.
However the seabed is also subject to pressure from a range of
uses, including marine aggregate extraction, fishing and wind
farms.
The aim of the Regional Environmental Characterisation
(REC) surveys is to acquire data, of the highest quality and detail
possible; to enable broadscale characterisation of the seabed
habitats, their biological communities and potential historic
environment assets within the regions.
The Regional Environmental Characterisations (RECs) are
being conducted in the following areas.
- South Coast
- Outer Thames
- East Coast
- Humber
Up to 1400 kilometres (*3000 kilometres for the East Coast
& Humber regions) of acoustic survey data will be acquired in
each region, as well as seabed samples, video and photographs.
The South Coast and
Thames surveys were undertaken in 2007
(geophysical and biological survey data and survey operations
report are available at www.marinealsf.org.uk ). The
data is currently being interpreted for production of final reports
and seabed maps (see current projects for more
info).
The East Coast and the
Humber surveys were completed in June
2009. The geophysical survey data is now available (1 October
2009) at www.marinealsf.org.uk. The biological
survey data is expected to be available in February
2010. The projects are due to produce final reports and
seabed maps February 2011 (see current projects for more
info).
For detailed information of the geographical locations of RECs
please see the following:
Geographical Locations of
RECs