4. Results
4.4 Fine filter mobile species test
The series of maps shown in figures 4.12 to 4.15 display the current and potential future MPAs that include / are being proposed to include the protection of mobile species, together with data layers indicating areas of importance for mobile species.
The areas of Additional Pelagic Ecological Importance data layer (figure 4.12) was produced by the Wildlife Trusts during the UK MCZ process. This layer combines multiple datasets to provide an indication of areas of pelagic biodiversity around the UK. Specifically, the APEI layer combined the following:
Thermal front data.
RSPB foraging radius data around seabird colonies.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society data for important areas for marine mammals.
Cefas and ICES nursery and spawning data based on plankton surveys.
Marine Conservation Society and Shark Trust basking shark sightings.
The higher scoring components of the APEI layer tend to cluster around the coast. The current MPA network covers some of these areas, particularly around the Welsh and north-east Scottish coasts, though neglects the Northern Irish Sea and much of the south-west where there are large areas with high scores. The Scottish Areas of Search for mobile species cover significant areas with high scores.
Data on the frequency of occurrence of summer sea surface temperature fronts is a significant component of the APEI score. The data on thermal sea surface temperature fronts, which was derived from satellite sea surface temperature data collected over several years (Miller and Christodoulou 2014, Miller et al. 2010), is mapped in figure 4.13. As with the APEI layer, many areas where thermal fronts frequently form in the summer months is not covered by current MPAs. Again, the Scottish Areas of Search contribute to this around the Scottish coast, but the south-west and eastern channel lack coverage (though the Wight-Barfleur Reef SAC covers a large area of frontal activity).
Basking shark sightings, which where another component or ‘input’ data layer for the APEI scores, are shown in figure 4.14. Sightings tend to be clustered around the south-west coast, Isle of Man, western Scottish coast, the Orkneys and Shetland. With the exception of limited parts of the Scottish coast, these sightings fall almost completely outside of the existing MPA network. The Skye to Mull Scottish Area of Search covers an area containing a significant number of sightings.
The European Seabirds at Sea database held by the JNCC is a comprehensive database holding over a million records from ship-based and aerial surveys of offshore seabirds. A comprehensive analysis of the information in this database was beyond the scope of this analysis. Figure 4.15 shows a database extract, filtered on the basis of observations marked as birds displaying foraging behaviour (but not filtered for species, season, or year of survey). It is important to note that these data have not been corrected for survey effort. The majority of the foraging bird sightings extracted from this database are around Eastern England and Scotland, with other areas around the Welsh coast and northern Irish Sea. Significant areas of high foraging count are covered by the existing MPA network, especially the Moray Firth SAC, SPAs around the Solent and the Firth of Forth and other SPAs around the Scottish coast. Potential future MPAs would add coverage to areas with particularly high counts.
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Figure 4.12. Current MPAs with mobile species listed as interest features, mapped with areas of Additional Pelagic Ecological Importance (showing combined information about the spatial distribution of seasonal sea surface temperature fronts, seabird colonies and foraging radiuses of seabirds, spawning and nursery grounds, and mammal sightings).
0°
5° W
10° W
15° W
58° N
54° N
50° N
Potential MPAs
MPA search location for mobile species (Scotland)
Possible MPA for mobile species (Scotland)
Current MPAs
SAC w ith mobile features SPA
0 65 130 260Kilometers
0 30 60 120Nautical Miles
Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic Reference: ED 50
Not to be used for navigation Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright
and database right 2014. MPA boundaries acquired from the statutory nature conservation bodies.
Other coastline: GSHHG (NOAA, 2013).
ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/shorelines/gshhs.html, consulted 2013-03-05.
APEI layer provided by the Wildlife T rusts, 2014-03-26.
APEI score 1 2-4 5 6 7 8 9 10-13
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Figure 4.13. Current MPAs with mobile species listed as interest features, mapped with areas where sea surface temperature fronts form frequently (Miller and Christodoulou 2014).
0°
5° W
10° W
15° W
58° N
54° N
50° N
Potential MPAs
MPA search location for mobile species (Scotland)
Possible MPA for mobile species (Scotland)
Current MPAs
SA C w ith mobile features SPA
0 65 130 260Kilometers
0 30 60 120Nautical Miles
Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic Reference: ED 50
Not to be used for navigation Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright
and database right 2014. MPA boundaries acquired from the statutory nature conservation bodies.
Other coastline: GSHHG (NOAA, 2013). ngdc.noaa.gov/
mgg/shorelines/gshhs.html, consulted 2013-03-05.
Frontal data: Miller, P.I. & Christodoulou, S. (2014) Frequent locations of ocean fronts as an indicator of pelagic diversity: application to marine protected areas and renewables. Marine Policy. 45, 318-329.
doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2013.09.009
Seasonal frequent front metric: Summer, 1 km resolution
High : 100 Low : 0
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Figure 4.14. Current MPAs with mobile species listed as interest features, mapped with basking shark sightings (Bloomfield and Solandt 2008).
0°
5° W
10° W
15° W
58° N
54° N
50° N
Potential MPAs
MPA search location for mobile species (Scotland)
Possible MPA for mobile species (Scotland)
Current MPAs
SAC w ith mobile features SPA
0 65 130 260Kilometers
0 30 60 120Nautical Miles
Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic Reference: ED 50
Not to be used for navigation Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and
database right 2014. MPA boundaries acquired from the statutory nature conservation bodies.
Other coastline: GSHHG (NOAA, 2013).
ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/shorelines/gshhs.html, consulted 2013-03-05.
Marine Conservation Society compiled basking shark data from: Manx Basking Shark Watch, T he Wildlife T rusts, T he Shark T rust, T he Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, RSPB, Seawatch & Seawatch SW.
Basking shark sightings
1 - 19 20 - 62 63 - 97 98 - 131 132 - 192 193 - 322 323 - 4479
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Figure 4.15. Current MPAs with mobile species listed as interest features, mapped with an extract of data from the ESAS database (records of foraging seabirds, all species, all seasons, all years combined).
0°
5° W
10° W
15° W
58° N
54° N
50° N
Study area
MPA search location for m obile species (Scotland)
Possible MPA for m obile species (Scotland)
SAC with m obile features SPA
0 65 130 260Kilometers
0 30 60 120Nautical Miles
Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic Reference: ED 50
Not to be used for navigation Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright
and database right 2014. MPA boundaries acquired from the statutory nature conservation bodies.
Other coastline: GSHHG (NOAA, 2013).
ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/shorelines/gshhs.html, consulted 2013-03-05.
European Seabirds at Sea (ESAS) bird sightings from 1980 to 2003. Data owned by ESAS partners and data suppliers. Provided by JNCC, April 2014.
Count sightings of foraging birds
1 - 65 66 - 349 350 - 1010 1011 - 5940
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