Wales provides a spatial dataset detailing the extent and location of marine habitats considered of 'Principle Importance' under Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and those regarded as 'threatened or declining' under the OSPAR Convention for the North-East Atlantic. The dataset includes habitats such as Carbonate Reefs, Saltmarsh, Blue Mussel Beds, and Seagrass Beds. It was produced by the Government Digital Service, superseding a previous duty under the NERC Act 2006.
Use Cases
- Map and analyze the spatial distribution of protected marine habitats based on the listed habitat types.
- Assess habitat overlap for conservation planning based on dual 'Principle Importance' and OSPAR 'threatened or declining' statuses.
- Model potential impacts of coastal development or climate change on specific habitats like Saltmarsh or Seagrass Beds.
- Support reporting and monitoring obligations under the Environment (Wales) Act and the OSPAR Convention.
Strengths
- Legally defined scope under Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.
- Includes habitats with dual status from both Welsh legislation and the international OSPAR Convention.
- Specific habitat types are listed, such as 'Sabellaria spinulosa reef' and 'Maerl Beds'.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
- Row count and file format are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- Government Digital Service
- Collection Method
- null
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Wales, North-East Atlantic