1 1.10 Application of estuarine and coastal classifications in marine ...

structures, photic reefs, aphotic reefs, sea mounds and deep-water channels. The study
demonstrated that existing legal mechanisms on which the proposed zoning scheme was based
do not provide adequate protection to important nature conservation features, particularly the
rare seascapes within the Irish Sea. In fact, most nature conservation sites actually function as
multi-use areas and the highest levels of protection occur in sites designated for sectoral use, but
with stringent regulatory measures (e.g., Military areas). Using the seascape maps, the analysis
highlighted visually and descriptively the extent to which the existing planning and governance
framework is able, or unable, to meet the increasing pressures of activities and developments
within the marine environment. The study recommended, a network of areas be designed that
include representation of all seascape types, and in which the conservation requirements of the
important features inform the decision making. This study highlighted the need for informationbased
delineation of conservation priority areas needs to be an integral component of marine
spatial planning.
Marine Spatial Planning will be introduced nationally across UK waters under the Marine
and Coastal Access Act which came into force in 2009. The Act (and similar legislation in
Scotland) additionally requires the development of a network of marine protected areas. To
support both of these initiatives, the marine maps prepared in 2006 for UKSeaMap (Connor et al.
2006) have been updated, using improved data sets and modeling techniques creating two maps
covering all UK waters:
• A modeled map of EUNIS habitats (at EUNIS level 3 or 4), based on substratum,
bathymetry, light penetration, wave and current energy, temperature data layers
• A seascapes map (sensu stricto), encompassing coastal features, offshore topographic
features and plains.
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