The Eastern English Channel (2005-2006)
JNCC was a collaborative partner on this project, working with
Cefas, the British Geological Survey and Marine Ecological Surveys
Ltd. The survey was funded by the Marine Environment Protection
Fund. The aim of the project was to produce regional habitat maps
to support management of planned exploitation of large marine
aggregate resources in this area and to identify areas of Annex I
bedrock and/or stony reef. The study covered an area approximately
5,090 km2 between Selsey Bill and Dungeness and out to
the UK/France median line, concentrating on aggregate licence
application areas.
The surveys collected approximately 6,000 km of geophysical data
(multibeam, sidescan sonar and sub bottom profiling) in 38
corridors up to 120 km long and spaced between 2 and 16 km apart.
This data was then used to identify groundtruthing sites for Hamon
grabs, 2 m beam trawls and drop down camera. 225 grab samples, 73
beam trawls and 65 video stations were collected.
Analysis of the grabs, trawls, photographs and videos were
undertaken to identify similar habitats that could be assigned to
biotopes under the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and
Ireland v 04.05. Analysis of the results from the grab samples
resulted in the identification of ten infaunal biotopes. Analysis
of the beam trawls identified fourteen epifaunal groups. Analysis
of the photo and videos identified seven broad biotope classes.
The geological processes and features evident across the study
area influenced the nature of the seabed and the distribution of
sediment and biotopes. The physical nature of the seabed was one of
the most important factors in controlling the form, diversity and
frequency of the species with distinctions between areas of sand
and gravel/cobble dominance, the latter having more diverse
biological communities associated with them.
No extensive areas of Annex I bedrock reef were found in this
study area but Annex I sandbanks which are slightly covered by
seawater all the time were found in the study area which
extended into the western part of the Bassurelle
Sandbank cSAC.
Further Reading
- James, J.W.C., Coggan, R.A., Blyth-Skyrme, V.J., Morando, A.,
Birchenough, S.N.R., Bee, E., Limpenny, D.S., Verling, E.,
Vanstaen, K., Pearce, B., Johnston, C.M., Rocks, K.F., Philport,
S.L., Rees, H.L. 2007. Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map.
Sci. Ser. Tech. Rep., Cefas
Lowestoft, 139: 191pp.
Project Partners
If you have any further questions about JNCC's offshore survey
work then please contact us.