DEFRA MCZ Fulmar Survey: Multibeam and Benthic Data from Northern North Sea (2012)

A 2012 marine survey collected multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, Hamon grab samples for infaunal analysis and Particle Size Analysis (PSA), and video and still image data in the Northern North Sea. Raw and processed data, including georeferenced mosaics and GeoTiffs, were delivered to the UK's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). The data is archived with the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) Data Archive Centres.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor topography and substrate types based on multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data.
• Analyzing benthic infaunal community composition based on Hamon grab samples.
• Classifying seabed habitats and features based on video and still image data.
• Conforming marine survey data to standard charting and analysis frameworks based on WGS84 coordinates and Chart Datum depth corrections.

Strengths

• Data includes multiple complementary modalities: acoustic (multibeam), physical (grab samples), and visual (video/stills).
• Survey methodology followed client specifications, including crosslines run at 20 times the spacing of main lines for quality control.
• Data is archived with authoritative national repositories (MEDIN DACs) including BGS, DASSH, and UKHO.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single 5-day survey in 2012.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS), archived with the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN).

Collection Method

Marine survey using multibeam sonar, Differential GPS, Hamon grab sampling, and video/still imagery.

Time Range

06/05/2012 to 10/05/2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 08:33:20.126977; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern North Sea