Designated Offshore SACs and Candidate SACs

To date five offshore SACs have been submitted to the European Commission. These were submitted on 31st August 2008 and are currently candidate SACs (cSACs). A cSAC is one that has been submitted to European Commission, but has not yet had formal approval from Europe.

The five sites that have been submitted are Braemar Pockmarks and Scanner Pockmark in the North Sea, Haig Fras off western Cornwall and Stanton Banks and Darwin Mounds off western Scotland.

Braemar and Scanner Pockmarks have been submitted as examples of submarine structures made by leaking gases. Haig Fras, Stanton Banks and Darwin Mounds have been submitted for their bedrock and biogenic reef communities.

JNCC provides advice on the management of Annex I habitats and Annex II species associated with offshore SACs to Defra and other Competent Authorities. JNCC is not responsible for the management of sites, or for producing management plans for them, these are the responsibilites of the Competent Authorities.

There are three downloads associated with each cSAC:

SAC Selection Assessment Document - Detailing the scientific justification for the site;
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations - Providing, in draft format, guidance to the Competent Authorities in managing human activity on the site so as not to damage the protected feature;
GIS boundary for the cSAC.

The Impact Assessments, which assess the economic costs and benefits of designating the site, (undertaken by JNCC on behalf of Defra) are also available.

Braemar Pockmarks

Braemar Pockmarks © Hartley Anderson Ltd The Braemar pockmarks are a series of crater-like depressions, two of which contain submarine structures made by leaking gases. Also within the site boundary, and to the south-west of these pockmarks, there is an additional submarine structure that is not associated with a pockmark. These large carbonate blocks and pavement slabs are formed during the oxidation of methane gas. The habitat created supports chemosynthetic organisms that feed off the bubbling methane and provides shelter for fish species such as wolf-fish and cod.

Braemar Pockmarks SAC Selection Assessment Document (809 KB)

Braemar Pockmarks Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations (594 KB)

Braemar Pockmarks boundary

Scanner Pockmark

Urticina feline © Sue Scott Scanner Pockmark is a seafloor depression containing submarine structures made by leaking gases. The large carbonate blocks lie in the base of the pockmark, supporting animals usually associated with rocky reef, such as squat lobsters and anemones and providing shelter for fish such as haddock and hagfish. As at Braemar Pockmarks, chemosynthetic organisms are present feeding off the bubbling methane. The gutless nematode Astomonema southwardorum is thought to occur only at the Scanner Pockmark.

Scanner Pockmark SAC Selection Assessment Document (650 KB)

Scanner Pockmark Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations (580 KB)

Scanner Pockmark boundary

Haig Fras

Haig Fras © Ivor Rees

Haig Fras is an underwater rock outcrop 95 kilometres north-west of the Isles of Scilly. The site supports a diverse bedrock reef community including species such as Devonshire cup coral, jewel anemones, sponges and Ross coral.

Haig Fras SAC Selection Assessment Document (772 KB)

Haig Fras Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations (599 KB)

Haig Fras boundary

Stanton Banks

Stanton Banks © MESH Stanton Banks are a series of granite ridges up to 130 metres tall that protrude from the seabed to the south of the Outer Hebrides. The site has been designated for its bedrock reef community. The tops of these ridges are smooth and covered in encrusting species such as red algae and small sponges. The rougher sides of the ridges support species such as featherstars, dead man's fingers and hydroids. Further details of the 2003-2006 JNCC surveys to Stanton Banks are also available.

Stanton Banks SAC Selection Assessment Document (1,786 KB)

Stanton Banks Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations (561 KB)

Stanton Banks boundary

Darwin Mounds

At the Darwin Mounds site sandy mounds on the seafloor are topped with thickets of the cold water coral Lophelia pertusa. This is a unique situation as the coral is growing on sand rather than attached to a hard surface. The thickets range in size from one to several metres in diameter and support many other species such as starfish and sponges.

Darwin Mounds SAC Selection Assessment Document (2,717 KB)

Darwin Mounds Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations (462 KB)

Darwin Mounds boundary