MB0102: Cold Water Coral Reef Distribution Points in UK and Isle of Man

United Kingdom and Isle of Man point records showing the distribution of cold water coral reefs, an OSPAR and Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat. The data was created for the Defra MB0102 contract to support the delivery of a network of Marine Protected Areas, including Marine Conservation Zones. This work also aims to underpin marine planning and licensing activities.

Use Cases

• Identifying potential sites for Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) based on coral reef distribution.
• Supporting marine spatial planning and licensing decisions based on habitat location data.
• Analyzing the distribution of a key OSPAR and Biodiversity Action Plan habitat for conservation reporting.
• Informing the design of Marine Protected Area networks to meet international and national obligations.

Strengths

• Data is explicitly created to support legally mandated Marine Protected Area network delivery.
• Layer is part of a defined contract (Defra MB0102) with a clear purpose for marine planning.

Limitations

• Row count and specific data format are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Likely collected via marine surveys or research cruises, as indicated by 'point records'.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated: unknown

Geography

United Kingdom and Isle of Man