Mid St George's Channel Seabed Habitat Map Based on 2013 Survey

A geospatial feature class depicting broadscale seabed habitats for the Mid St George's Channel recommended Marine Conservation Zone. The map results from an integrated analysis of acoustic and ground-truthing data collected in a 2013 survey, using object-based image analysis. It was produced by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling the distribution of 'Subtidal coarse sediment' and 'Subtidal mixed sediments' based on the described habitat classes.
• Assessing habitat complexity for marine conservation planning based on the integrated acoustic and ground-truthing methodology.
• Analyzing the spatial relationship between 'Subtidal sand' and 'Moderate energy circalittoral rock' patches within the conservation zone.

Strengths

• Map is based on a dedicated 2013 survey integrating acoustic and ground-truthing data.
• Habitat classification follows the EUNIS level3 standard, a recognized marine habitat typology.
• Production methodology involved a semi-automated process using object-based image analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The map combines 'A5.1' and 'A5.4' habitats as a complex due to difficulty in separation from acoustic data.

Provenance

Source

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Collection Method

Integrated analysis of acoustic data and ground-truthing from a 2013 survey, using object-based image analysis.

Time Range

Survey conducted in 2013.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-14 09:47:32.462206; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mid St George's Channel recommended Marine Conservation Zone.