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Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) with marine components (all UK waters) 2024

Abstract

This resource contains boundary, site and feature information for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) with marine components in UK waters.

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) with "marine components" protect habitat and/or species associated with the marine environment. More information on SACs with marine components can be found on our SACs with marine components page. SACs with marine components are a subset of the UK's full suite of SACs – data for all UK SACs can be download from our website.

JNCC collates information on SACs with marine components on behalf of the Country Nature Conservation Bodies (CNCBs) to create a dataset of inshore and offshore sites across the UK. Please note, the CNCBs periodically update SAC boundaries (e.g. when natural features of the coastline shift position) and these subtle changes may not be captured in JNCC’s datasets. For the latest inshore SAC boundaries, please visit the relevant CNCB website.

A shapefile and spreadsheet are available for download. The shapefile contains site boundaries and associated site attribute information, including: site code, site name, site status, country and CP2 region. The spreadsheet provides the same site attribute data as well as information on the sites' protected features.

For further information please see the shapefile metadata and spreadsheet read-me (within the files).

Resource type Dataset

Topic category Boundaries

Reference date 2024·12·13

Lineage
Recent updates: 20241217 – Sound of Barra and Hatton Bank changed designation from CSAC to SAC; 20200527 – Braunton Burrows added to dataset; 20191105 (spreadsheet only) – Feature attribute changes for Chesil and the Fleet SAC, Dee Estuary/ Aber Dyfrdwy SAC, Orfordness – Shingle Street SAC and Solent Maritime SAC; 20190905 – Change of status for Croker Carbonate Slabs from cSAC/SCI to fully designated SAC. Full version history is included in the metadata (shapefile) or version control table (spreadsheet).

Responsible organisation
Digital and Data Solutions, JNCC distributor

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Re-use of the data is subject to the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 including attribution of the relevent copyright holders. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ The site boundaries include sections of UK Exclusive Economic Zone © Crown copyright. The exact limits of the EEZ are set out in The Exclusive Economic Zone Order 2013. If you re-use this information you must acknowledge the source in your product or application by including or linking to the following attribution statement: Contains Joint Nature Conservation Committee data © copyright and database right [2020]. Contains Natural England data © copyright and database right [2020]. Contains NatureScot data © copyright and database right [2020]. Contains Natural Resource Wales data © copyright and database right [2018]. Contains Northern Ireland Environment Agency data © copyright and database right [2019]. Contains UK Hydrographic Office data © copyright and database right [2020]. Contains Ordnance Survey data © copyright and database right [2020].

Metadata date 2026·04·30

Metadata point of contact
Digital and Data Solutions, JNCC

Temporal extent 2010·08·20 2024·12·13

Spatial extent
North 60.808195
South 49.849107
East 3.249861
West -19.25
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