Marine Environmental Resources Mapping and Information Database
(MERMAID)
MERMAID has closed
The MERMAID website has closed: the data previously found here
have been significantly updated and are now available from other
online sources with additional functionality. The MNCR survey data
previously contained in MERMAID gave a static picture of marine
survey data held by JNCC in 2000, and therefore did not present a
complete picture of our data holdings. The information provided by
MERMAID is now available in three places: the NBN
Gateway for species data; the MESH webGIS
for habitat data and other MNCR survey details; and the
JNCC website for the latest version of the Marine
Habitat Classification.
Species data
If you previously used MERMAID to retrieve taxon data (rather
than habitat data), you should now use the NBN Gateway to locate
and download taxon data. The NBN Gateway provides access to a
substantial volume of biodiversity data for the UK, including
downloadable species lists. It allows you to view and use this data
alongside other relevant information on the web. There are 3 ways
of navigating the site; for more details about these please see the
Help on the NBN Gateway website:
- Type a word or phrase into the search box, e.g. search for
species name
- Browse through lists e.g. browse datasets available, find a
site report by name or map
- Use map based navigation e.g. to generate species list for 10km
square
Habitat data, survey details, limited species data
The MESH webGIS is free to use but does require users to
register a few details in order to receive the login details by
email. The MESH webGIS provides access to the MNCR survey data,
together with significant additional data holdings which are stored
in JNCC’s marine database, Marine Recorder. Data have now been
reclassified to the 04.05 version of the marine habitat
classification. You can find records by spatial searches of an
interactive map, rather than searching for the name of a
survey/site/biotope/species. However, the focus of the MESH webGIS
is the delivery of seabed habitat maps (polygon areas rather than
point samples) and it is possible to search these habitat maps for
habitats of interest, as well as to overlay data of numerous
different types to give context to the sample points (such as
depth, sediments, seabed photos). It is not possible to download
data. The table below shows where the information previously
available on MERMAID can be found on the MESH webGIS.
Full details of how to access these different types
of information (PDF). Some additional features of the MESH
webGIS which might be of interest are included:
|
MERMAID
|
MESH webGIS
|
|
Surveys
|
Survey details page: accessible from the JNCC biotope samples
layer in ValidationSamples folder (via Sample details page)
|
|
Sites
|
MNCR site names are not searchable
on MESH webGIS but are available on Sample details page.
Search for an area name: from the
query page (select country, then type, then place name: e.g. UK
> Estuary > Milford Haven)
|
|
Biotopes (=habitats)
|
Sample details page: accessible from
the JNCC biotope samples layer in ValidationSamples folder
Search for habitats: from the query
page
|
|
Species
|
Sample details page species list
with abundance & whether species are characterising: accessible
from the JNCC biotope samples layer in ValidationSamples
folder
Two reports using data from NBN
Gateway species list & diversity summary for selected area:
accessible from any layer
|
|
No equivalent
|
Printable report of habitat details
for selected points: accessible from the JNCC biotope samples layer
in ValidationSamples folder
|
|
No equivalent
|
Printable report of a summary of
habitats for selected points: accessible from the JNCC biotope
samples layer in ValidationSamples folder
|
The updated Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and
Ireland (version 04.05) is available online. It includes the
biotope descriptions, search pages and an expandable hierarchy.
Downloadable documents are also available. The classification was
originally developed by the Marine Nature Conservation Review
(MNCR) and published in two paper volumes in 1997 (Connor et al.,
1997 a,b). The current version of the marine habitat classification
supersedes the 1997 version, as well as the interim version
published on this website in 2003 (version 03.02). The latter
version has now been removed from the website.
References for the two volumes of the 1997 classification:
- Connor, D.W., Brazier, D.P., Hill, T.O., & Northen, K.O.
1997.
- Marine Nature Conservation Review: marine biotope
classification for Britain and Ireland. Vol. 1. Littoral biotopes.
Version 97.06. Joint Nature Conservation Committee Report, No.
229.
- Connor, D.W., Dalkin, M.J., Hill, T.O., Holt, R.H.F., &
Sanderson, W.G. 1997.
- Marine Nature Conservation Review: marine biotope
classification for Britain and Ireland. Vol. 2. Sublittoral
biotopes. Version 97.06. Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Report, No. 230.
Contact details
For questions about data available
on the NBN Gateway, please contact
.
For questions about data available
on the MESH webGIS, please contact
.
For questions about the Marine
Habitat Classification, please contact
.