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 pSAC.
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.