Additional Annex I Marine Habitat SACs
JNCC and
the country conservation agencies are looking to identify
additional SACs for four habitat types listed on Annex I to the
Habitats Directive:
These four habitats are subject to a scientific reserve
in the EU Atlantic Biogeographic region, which means that
additional SACs may be required for their
adequate protection.
JNCC is identifying areas of these habitats in UK offshore
waters and assessing whether they are suitable for designation
as SACs. Sea caves are not known to occur in UK waters
away from the coast and therefore offshore SACs
are unlikely to be identified. For information on
the identification of Annex I habitat SACs within 12 nautical
miles of the coast, please contact the relevant country conservation agency.
If you would like information on the potential Annex I habitat
shapefiles please contact our offshore survey team. These
shapefiles are subject to licencing agreements and therefore to
obtain them you will need to purchase licences for British
Geological Survey UK Seabed Sediments (DIG SBS 250K) and SeaZone
Bathymetry data either in the form of a SeaZone Hydrospaital or
SeaZone Bathymetry Topic layer.