AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 North Sea Survey Leg-2 Cruise Report, (Kommandor Jack)

This report describes fieldwork operations of the North Sea Strategic Environmental Survey, Leg 2 conducted from S/V Kommandor Jack between 05 May and 21 May 2001 as part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2. The survey objectives were to carry out quantitative seabed sampling and seabed photography in three distinct areas: Area 1 - sand bank / wave study areas, off the Norfolk coast; Area 2 - Dogger Bank transects; Area 3 - South Fladen pockmark study areas. Contains brief description of seabed appearance and fauna. 269 samples were collected.

Tags: Geology, Habitats and biotopes
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Supporting document - An overview of offshore oil and gas exploration and production activities in  the North Sea

This document is intended to provide an introduction for non-specialists to the key activities and potential sources of environmental effects associated with oil and gas exploration and production. It forms part of the information base for the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2) process in the North Sea.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2006 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA7 Economic and Social Baseline Study (NE Atlantic west of Scotland)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA7) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This "Economic and Social Baseline Study" provides baseline information on the key economic activities in the SEA7 area, namely: offshore oil and gas; ports, ferries and shipping services; fishing; aquaculture tourism; other marine-related activities. A separate report (SEA7 Socio-economics) by the same authors assesses the socio-economic implications of further oil and gas licensing in the SEA7 area.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2005 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Investigation of the origin of shallow gas in Outer Moray Firth open blocks 15/20c and 15/25d

As part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2), this report briefly describes the evidence for the origin of shallow gas in Outer Moray Firth open blocks 15/20c and 15/25d. Sea floor pockmarks are known to occur within these blocks, and they indicate the seepage of gas from shallow levels into the local water column. An environmental concern is that any industry activity in these blocks must not plumb into any component of the system that is sustaining the gas seepages at sea bed. The study area covers two part-blocks within the eastern part of the Witch Ground Graben within the UK Central North Sea. This study follows on from the DTI 2001 SEA research on pockmarks.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - A review of pockmarks in the UK part of the North Sea, with particular respect to their biology

As part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2), this report reviews pockmarks in the North Sea. Pockmarks frequently contain unusual densities of fish, typically large gadoids such as cod, torsk and ling. High densities of fish otoliths have been found in one North Sea pockmark. The existence of cemented sediment in the base of pockmarks can provide a refuge for fish and a hard substrate for colonisation by epifauna such as anthozoa. Deep active pockmarks, such as the three studied in block 15/25, are known to contain species dependent on high sulphide concentrations, originating from seepage or enhanced sedimentation. Some of these species are not found elsewhere in the open North Sea. The 20 m deep "Scanner" pockmark in block 15/25 is the only pockmark in the UK sector of the North Sea whose biology has been studied in detail. It is the only known habitat of the gutless nematode Astononema southwardorum.

Tags: Geology, Habitats and biotopes
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - North sea fish and fisheries

This report is a contribution to the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2, which covers the mature oil and gas fields of the Southern, Central and Northern North Sea. The report reviews the impact of human activity on fish and fisheries in the North Sea and is relevant to both SEA 2 and SEA 3 areas. The North Sea is one of the world's most important fishing grounds.  In the central and northern parts there is a mixed demersal fishery that targets cod, haddock and whiting; plaice and sole are trawled in the southern and southeastern North Sea; there are extensive pelagic fisheries for herring and mackerel; crustaceans fisheries for Norway lobster, crab and scallop; and industrial fisheries for sandeel and Norway pout. Commercial fishing itself has the highest impact on fish populations. The various impacts of the offshore oil and gas industry (e.g. seismic surveys, drilling discharges, produced water discharges) are classified as intermediate in scale. The biology of the commercially important fish and shellfish that occur in the offshore waters of the North Sea is discussed. Numerous maps, showing the location of spawning activity and the location of fishing effort, are included.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities, Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - Contaminant status of the North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environment Assessment SEA2 for the North Sea. It draws on a wide range of data sources to provide an overview of the chemicals used in the offshore oil and gas industry, of the chemicals already in the environment and of those released into the environment from other sources. Considering the whole sea area, it should be noted that the water samples with the highest levels of chemical contamination are found at inshore estuary and coastal sites subject to high industrial usage. Approximately 2,000 chemical products are used by the offshore oil and gas industry. In 1999 some 180,000 tonnes of chemicals were discharged into the UK sector of the North Sea. Produced water is now the main source of contaminants, having overtaken drill cuttings since oil-based muds were replaced by less harmful alternatives. 24,286 tonnes of chemicals were reported as discharged to the UKCS in produced water in 1999. As oilfields mature, the amount of produced water increases. The range of chemicals used by the offshore oil and gas industry, the means of regulating them and of monitoring their use, are discussed. Evidence of biological effects caused by the release of contaminants into the sea is reviewed.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - Socio-economic implications of licencing in the North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). SEA2 focuses on the mature areas of the North Sea UK continental shelf which is divided into 3 areas - Northern, Central and Southern North Sea. The socio-economic effects of licensing the SEA2 area are discussed. The scope of the study includes estimates of the reserves which might be discovered and developed, and the related exploration, appraisal, development and decommissioning costs. The possible phasing of these activities through time is also examined. The effects of the development of new fields in extending the lives of existing ones and the implications for the provision of necessary infrastructure onshore are also examined. The employment generated directly and indirectly in the 3 sub-areas is estimated. The distinction is made between employment at the various stages in the exploration, development and production activities. The significance of the employment opportunities provided for the long-term maintenance of a skilled workforce is also considered.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - An overview of plankton ecology in the North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2. It gives an overview of the phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition in the North Sea and how this has fluctuated through the latter half of the 20th Century in response to environmental change. The study is based on a unique long-term dataset of plankton abundance in the North Atlantic and the North Sea acquired by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). The dinoflagellate genus Ceratium dominates the phytoplankton community in the North Sea, but diatoms are also important, especially in the southern part. The normal annual blooms of plankton are discussed, as are harmful algal blooms (HABs), which appear to be on the increase, possibly due to a combination of climatic variability and eutrophication. Among the zooplankton, copepods are particularly important and constitute a major food resource for many commercial fish species, such as cod and herring. Calanus is the dominant copepod genus in the North Atlantic. Other important components of the plankton, meroplankton, picoplankton and megaplankton are also reviewed. Very small picoplankton (~1 micron in diameter) and much larger gelatinous members of the megaplankton (e.g. jellyfish and ctenophores) are poorly sampled by the CPR. Although the picoplankton represents a sizeable fraction of total primary production, its role in the marine ecosystem is poorly understood. The introduction of non-indigenous plankton in ship's ballast water has been in progress for about a century. There is growing concern about the risk of alien species, and the importance of protecting native biodiversity.

Tags: Habitats and biotopes, Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - Background information on marine mammals in the North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2. Eight marine mammal species occur regularly over large parts the North Sea: harbour seal, grey seal, harbour porpoise, bottlenose dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, killer whale and minke whale. A further 15 cetacean species and five pinniped species are reported less frequently in the region. This report describes the distribution and abundance of these mammals and their ecological importance. The harbour porpoise is the most numerous marine mammal in the North Sea, with a population estimated at 268,000 in summer 1994. The northern and central SEA2 areas are particularly important areas for the harbour porpoise. Marine mammals make use of sound for a variety of purposes: finding prey, detecting predators, communication and probably navigation. The offshore oil and gas industry generates underwater noise at every stage of the process: during exploration seismic surveys, drilling, production and decommissioning. The effects of these different sources of underwater noise on marine mammals are discussed. The use of explosives for underwater cutting and demolition during the decommissioning of platforms and installations may pose a serious threat to some marine mammals. The effects of pollution on seals and cetaceans are discussed, including the effects of oil spills. Large whales can be killed by being struck by ships; increased shipping traffic in an area would increase this threat.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - North Sea Geology, covering subsurface geology, sea-bed sediments, sediment mobility and seismicity.

This report is a contribution to the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2. This review presents a summary of published data and their interpretation from areas in the mature oil and gas areas of the UK North Sea. The basis for this review is the premise that the modern environment is a synthesis of past environmental conditions. The purpose is to review: the evolution of the deeply buried sediments with reference to the petroleum geology and production-related seabed subsidence; the evolution of the shallow seabed sediments with reference to present sediment distributions and seabed features; the evidence for possible hydrogeological exchange across selected onshore/offshore areas; and the history of earthquakes and the hazard that they may pose. It is intended that the review will provide a basis for a better understanding of the impacts of possible future changes in the natural environment.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 Technical report - Cephalopods, covering overview of cephalopod population, ecology, fisheries, sensitivity in the North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). SEA2 focuses on the mature areas of the North Sea UK continental shelf which is divided into 3 areas - Northern, Central and Southern North Sea. This paper provides an overview of cephalopods - squid, octopus, cuttlefish in the SEA2 area. Cephalopods are short-lived, carnivorous animals that have rapid growth rates and play an important part in oceanic and coastal food webs. They are preyed on by cetaceans, fish and seabirds, and are predators themselves, feeding on fish, crustaceans, molluscs and cephalopods. Knowledge of cephalopod distribution in Scottish waters is mainly based on information from commercial whitefish vessels that catch squid as a by-catch. The loliginid squid Loligo forbesi is the predominant species. English cephalopod landings are dominated by cuttlefish caught in the English Channel outside the area of interest. The benthic octopod Eledone cirrhosa, though a highly valued species in southern Europe, is usually discarded by fishermen in Scottish waters. Fishery management statistics indicate that the areas of highest abundance of Loligo forbesi and of Eledone cirrhosa lie outside the SEA2 area. Cephalopods naturally accumulate high levels of trace metals. The potential of drilling operations to introduce trace metals into the sea is discussed. It is concluded that the overall impact on cephalopods and cephalopod fisheries in the SEA2 area by further oilfield development would be slight.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 North Sea Survey Leg-3 Cruise Report (Vigilance)

This report describes fieldwork operations of the North Sea Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2) Survey, Leg 3 (crests survey) conducted for he Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) from R/V Vigilance between 14 and 22 June 2001. The survey objectives were to carry out quantitative seabed sampling and seabed photography in SEA2 Survey Area 1 (sand bank / wave study areas, off the Norfolk coast). The report contains a brief description of seabed appearance and epifauna. 82 samples were collected.

Tags: Habitats and biotopes
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Plankton ecology (Addendum to SEA2 report), North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and has been written as an addendum to the more comprehensive SEA2 document. The two papers give an overview of the phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition in the North Sea and how this has fluctuated through the latter half of the 20th Century in response to environmental change. The study is based on a unique long-term dataset of plankton abundance in the North Atlantic and the North Sea acquired by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). The dinoflagellate genus Ceratium dominates the phytoplankton community in the North Sea, but diatoms are also important, especially in the southern part. The normal annual blooms of plankton are discussed, as are harmful algal blooms (HABs), which appear to be on the increase, possibly due to a combination of climatic variability and eutrophication. Among the zooplankton, copepods are particularly important and constitute a major food resource for many commercial fish species, such as cod and herring. Calanus is the dominant copepod genus in the North Atlantic. Other important components of the plankton - meroplankton, picoplankton and megaplankton - are also reviewed. Very small picoplankton (~1 micron in diameter) and much larger gelatinous members of the megaplankton (e.g. jellyfish and ctenophores) are poorly sampled by the CPR. Although the picoplankton represents a sizeable fraction of total primary production, its role in the marine ecosystem is poorly understood.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Cephalopods (Addendum to SEA2 report), North Sea

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and is an addendum to "SEA2 Technical report 009 - Cephalopods, covering overview of cephalopod population, ecology, fisheries, sensitivity" by same authors. This paper provides an overview of cephalopods - squid, octopus, cuttlefish - in the SEA2 and SEA3 areas of the North Sea. Cephalopods are short-lived, carnivorous animals that have rapid growth rates and play an important part in oceanic and coastal food webs. They are preyed on by cetaceans, fish and seabirds, and are predators themselves, feeding on fish, crustaceans, molluscs and cephalopods. Knowledge of cephalopod distribution in Scottish waters is mainly based on information from commercial whitefish vessels that catch squid as a by-catch. The loliginid squid Loligo forbesi is the predominant species. English cephalopod landings are dominated by cuttlefish caught in the English Channel  outside the area of interest. The benthic octopod Eledone cirrhosa, though a highly valued species in southern Europe, is usually discarded by fishermen in the SEA2 and SEA3 areas. Fishery management statistics indicate that the areas of highest abundance of Loligo forbesi and of Eledone cirrhosa lie outside the SEA2 and SEA3 areas. Cephalopods naturally accumulate high levels of trace metals. The potential of drilling operations to introduce trace metals into the sea is discussed. It is concluded that the overall impact on cephalopods and cephalopod fisheries in the SEA2 and SEA3 areas by further oilfield development would be slight.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Conservation sites and habitats (North Sea)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report summarises the large number of existing conservation sites and potential sites of conservation importance in the SEA3 area of the North Sea. The SEA 3 area displays a wide variety of habitat types, from those of a coastal nature, such as estuarine mudflats and sandflats, saltmarsh, sea cliffs and reef habitats, to those associated with the offshore environment. Some of these habitats are rare in a national and/or international context, and many support important numbers of birds, insects and other animals. Existing coastal and nearshore conservation sites are protected by international, national and local conservation designations. Statutory sites are legally protected whilst non-statutory sites rely on the planning process to confer protection. The UK Government is currently taking steps to implement the EC Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive in offshore waters. A process to designate Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, both within territorial waters and out to the limits of the UKCS, is under way. Potential offshore conservation sites are reviewed.

Tags: Habitats and biotopes, Protected sites Sea regions
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Other designated areas (North Sea)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report summarises sites which are protected for reasons other than nature conservation in the SEA3 area of the North Sea. They include sites of geological importance, archaeological importance, sites of designated water quality for bathing, and areas of bivalve shellfish production. Sites of geological importance include Geological Conservation Review sites (GCRs), geological Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological sites (RIGS). Sites of archaeological importance include wrecks and scheduled monuments. A large number of wrecks exist in the SEA3 area, most uncharted. The majority of wrecks are found in coastal waters. Important historic wrecks in UK waters are protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. Water samples are regularly taken from numerous beaches along the east coast for physical, chemical and microbiological analysis. Bathing beaches are classified according to national and European standards for quality. In the UK, shellfish for human consumption must be harvested from designated production areas.

Tags: Geology, Protected sites Sea regions
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2004 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA5 Analysis of seabed sediment samples for heavy metals (North Sea)

As part of the UK Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) ongoing sectorial Strategic Environmental Assessment a seabed survey programme (SEA5) was undertaken between August and early October 2003 for the UKCS areas lying between Scotland and Orkney and Shetland. This report summarises the sediment trace metal data generated from the analyses of selected samples from the study areas detailed: Fair Isle; Outer Moray Firth A; Outer Moray Firth B;  Smith Bank; Southern Trench.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)