AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Coastal management (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). It provides an overview of the various management plans which have been developed for the coastal zone, coastal defence, estuaries, biodiversity and coastal habitats in the SEA3 area of the North Sea. Numerous dynamic processes, both natural and man-made, affect the SEA3 coastline. After reviewing these processes, the report reviews the various coastal initiatives and management strategies which have been established to minimise their detrimental effects. Various coastal fora provide a lead in developing management strategies for the enhancement and protection of the environment in their areas. Plans include European marine site management schemes, shoreline management plans prepared by coastal defence authorities, estuary management plans, coastal habitat management plans and biodiversity action plans.

Tags: Habitats and biotopes
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Socio economics of hydrocarbon licensing (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 study provides forecast information on probable activity levels, capital expenditure, tax revenues and employment resulting from exploration and production in the SEA3 area. The SEA3 area comprises 330 blocks or part blocks in the Central and Southern North Sea. Estimates were made of the reserves which might be discovered or developed. A cautious view was taken of the number of new developments which might emanate from licensing the area. The related exploration, appraisal, development and decommissioning costs were then estimated. Economic modelling was undertaken for different oil and gas prices to calculate for each development gross revenues, development costs, operating costs, and decommissioning costs. The taxation implications were also calculated. The impact of licensing the SEA3 area on the level of employment in the UK has been calculated. The proposed licensing would make a modest but worthwhile contribution towards moderating the downward trend of employment in the North Sea industry.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Archaeology (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). The report documents the known and likely occurrence of prehistoric archaeological remains across the whole floor of the North Sea including the SEA3 area, and makes suggestions on how to enhance the finding and reporting of such artefacts. Sea level change associated with the retreat of the last glaciation led to almost the whole floor of the North Sea being dry land at some time or another in the past 20,000 years. Similar exposure of the North Sea floor was also associated with earlier glacial cycles. Thus prehistoric submarine archaeological artefacts can occur over a wide area of the North Sea floor, as far north as the latitude of the Shetland Islands. While artefacts dating from the last 12,000 years are most likely, human or proto-human artefacts as old as half a million years may have survived in places. Submarine archaeological studies in the Danish Archipelago have established that coastal sites were an optimal place for prehistoric human occupation. Similar coastal sites existed over many parts of the North Sea floor in the past. The potential impact of oil and gas operations on submarine archaeological remains is discussed. Pipe entrenching is the most likely process to uncover prehistoric archaeological deposits.

Tags: Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Existing economic activities (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). The report is a synthesis of information on human activities which might have an impact on, or themselves be affected by, further oil and gas developments in the SEA3 area of the North Sea. The activities include shipping, energy (both existing oil and gas developments and renewable energy), telecommunications, military activities, waste disposal, dredging and aggregate extraction, marine archaeological sites and wrecks.  The SEA3 area hosts a wide variety of different users. Some have been there for centuries, others are more recent arrivals. Among the older industries and activities are fisheries, ports and shipping, military activities and sea bathing. The offshore oil and gas industry has developed into a major player in the North Sea since the late 1960s, with considerable infrastructure of pipelines and coastal gas terminals in the SEA3 area. The number of submarine telecommunication cables across the North Sea has grown enormously in the past ten years, with the advent of the fibre optic cable and the growth of the Internet and e-commerce. The next twenty years may see considerable development of offshore wind farms in the SEA3 area.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2004 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA5 Sample Analysis, Macrofauna (Moray Firth)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA5) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Macrofaunal analysis was carried out on sediment samples collected in the Moray Firth between September and October 2003.

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

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 008 - North Sea Geology, covering subsurface geology, sea-bed sediments, sediment mobility and seismicity." by same authors. The geology of the North Sea from the Palaeozoic era to the present day is reviewed, with reference to petroleum geology. Geological factors affect the environmental consequences of oil and gas exploitation in many different ways. For example, in the case of the Ekofisk oilfield in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, oil production led to seafloor subsidence of a few metres due to its chalk reservoir, but production-related subsidence on this scale is atypical. The evolution of the geomorphology and composition of the shallow and seabed sediments is discussed. The distribution of mud, sand, gravel and hard substrates influence the nature of the benthos and can affect the way in which contaminants are accumulated and transported. Shallow seabed sediments support the foundations of structures ranging from platforms to pipelines. Hydrogeological conditions and the risk of pollution to aquifers are also reviewed.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2002 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA3 Technical report - Marine mammals, North Sea (Addendum to SEA2 report)

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 005 - An overview of plankton ecology in the North Sea" by same authors. 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 the most numerous marine mammal in the North Sea, with a population estimated at 268,000 in summer 1994. The northern parts of the SEA3 area are important for the three most abundant cetacean species in the North Sea: minke whale, harbour porpoise and white-beaked dolphin. Harbour seals occur widely in the SEA3 area. 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)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Fish and fisheries (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). It concerns fish and fisheries of the SEA4 area which covers the area to the west of Shetland and Orkney and most of the UK sector of the Faroe Shetland Channel. Fisheries are very important in the SEA4 area, the mixed demersal fishery for cod, haddock and whiting, the pelagic fisheries for herring and mackerel, and the industrial fishery for sandeel, being the most important. However, there are serious concerns about many fish stocks. This report discusses fish biology, the many different fisheries, trends in fish landings, management efforts to control fishing and achieve sustainable fish stocks, and the interaction between fishing and the oil and gas industry. Relevant aspects of the biology of 28 species or species groups are described. Brief descriptions of the fishery for each species are given, including the method of fishing and long term trends in landings. Statistical information on fish landings available from the International Council for the Exploration of the SEA (ICES) and data for Scottish vessels supplied by Fisheries Research Services are presented. Problems of misreporting and under-reporting are discussed.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Analysis of macroinvertebrate samples from the Northern Triangle area (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and it presents results from the macrofaunal analysis of sixty-three macrobenthos samples. The samples were from a range of depths in the SEA4 Northern Triangle area, at the northernmost extent of British waters. Most of the samples were rich in terms of numbers of taxa and individuals and all major benthic invertebrate phyla were represented in the survey. The fauna included several taxa that are likely to be undescribed species and many have been recorded by nominal names. Several groups have also been left at higher taxonomic levels. Data analysis was not included for this part of the project. A preliminary literature list for deep-sea taxonomy was compiled for the project and provided in the report. A spreadsheet of data is also available.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Sample analysis - Particle Size Analysis and Heavy Metal analysis, Atlantic margin (north UKCS)

This report contains heavy metal concentrations (As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Cd, Fe, Hg, Pb, Mn, Ni, Sr, V and Zn) and sedimentological characteristics (particle-size analysis) which were determined in respectively 61 and 68 samples for the Atlantic margin Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) . A spreadsheet of data is available.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Archaeology (Continental Shelf Area)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and discusses the potential for prehistoric archaeological remains to exist on the continental shelf part of the SEA4 area. The combination of post-glacial sea level rise and the subsidence of the shelf to the north of the Scottish mainland indicates that a large area of the present shelf, out to a water depth of about 150m on either side of the Orkney-Shetland Ridge, may have been dry land over 5000 years ago. Submarine archaeological studies in the Danish archipelago have established that coastal sites were an optimal place for prehistoric occupation. There is a great density of prehistoric sites in the Orkney and Shetland archipelagos, dating back to as early as 6000 years BP. Submerged sites could date back to about 9000 years BP. While shelf sites exposed to strong currents and Atlantic storm conditions are unlikely to have survived, the survival of more protected sites is quite likely. Locations where prehistoric remains might occur and have a high chance of survival are discussed. The potential impact of oil and gas operations on submarine archaeological remains is discussed. Pipe entrenching is the most likely process to uncover prehistoric archaeological deposits.

Tags: Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Report - Temporal variability in benthic populations from the Faroe-Shetland Channel

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and discusses temporal variability in benthic populations from the Faroe-Shetland Channel. The West of Shetland transect is situated between 60 40 N, 2 15 W; 61 20 N - 2 50 W, to the North and West of the Shetland islands. Statistical analyses was carried out on data collected previously.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Benthic ecology (Faroe Shetland Channel)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) . The development of the deep-water oil industry to the west of Shetland led to extensive regional surveys of the seafloor environment, so that the deep-water benthos of the SEA4 area are now at least as well known as in any other deep-water area worldwide. Extensive surveys of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, funded by the Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network and by the Department of Trade and Industry, took place between 1996 and 2002. This report provides an overview of these surveys. The ecology of the benthos in the SEA4 area is strongly influenced by the hydrography of the region, in particular the complex temperature regime, and by the nature of the seabed sediments. Additional files (xls, doc, cdr) are also available.

Tags: Habitats and biotopes, Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Cephalopods (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and provides an overview of cephalopods - squid and octopus - in the SEA4 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, seals, 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. Fishery landings of cephalopods consist mainly of the loliginid squid Loligo forbesi. At present there are no commercial landings of the ommastrephid squids Todarodes sagittatus or Todaropsis eblanae. The benthic octopod Eledone cirrhosa, though a highly valued species in southern Europe, is usually discarded by Scottish fishermen. Various deep-water squid are likely to be present in the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, of which the most important is probably the Arctic squid Gonatus fabricii. Cephalopods naturally accumulate high levels of trace metals. The potential of drilling operations to introduce trace metals into the sea is discussed. But the most likely impact of oil industry activities on cephalopod populations is disturbance of spawning grounds. Although squid in spawning condition are caught every year in the SEA4 area, where they spawn is not known. It is concluded that the overall impact on cephalopods and cephalopod fisheries in the SEA4 area of further oilfield development would be slight.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Conservation sites (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The report identifies coastal and near-shore conservation sites within the SEA4 area which are protected by international, national and local conservation designations as well as describing the sites and reasons for their protected status. At the northern extremity of Britain, the SEA4 area combines very productive waters with spectacular and distinctive coastal scenery. The combination of rich food sources and relative lack of disturbance make it host to abundant bird populations, including rare species not found elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Among the conservation sites are sea inlets, mud and sand flats, lagoons, salt marshes, sand dunes, shingle, sea cliffs, fresh water bogs and marshes, heath, scrub and grassland.

Tags: Geology, Protected sites Sea regions
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Geological evolution pilot whale diapirs and stability of the seabed habitat (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The report describes the field of mud diapirs in the northern part of the SEA4 area, known as the Pilot Whale Diapirs, which were mapped during a multibeam survey carried out in 2002. A diapir is a fold or dome caused by more plastic rocks at depth, such as salt or mud, intruding overlying denser rocks, generally driven by their own buoyancy. Sometimes a diapir breaks through to the seafloor. The diapir field extends over an area some 60 km across, creating a very variable seabed terrain. The largest diapirs have produced elevations at the seafloor of more than 120m. The largest diapirs in the group are thought to have intruded to the seafloor from 500m or more beneath it. The evidence suggests that the diapirism was initiated between 5 and 1 million years ago, but it does not appear to be continuing at the present time.

Tags: Geology
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Socio-economics (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The SEA4 area includes the most northerly part of the UK continental shelf, north of the Shetland Islands between the international boundaries with Norway and the Faroe Islands, and the area to the west of Shetland and the Orkney Islands. Starting with scenarios of possible exploration and development activity in the area provided by the Department of Trade and Industry, this study provides forecasts of oil and gas production, expenditure, employment and tax revenues. The impacts of future oil and gas developments in the SEA4 area on the local economies of Shetland and Orkney will be small in comparison to what has happened in the past. The main impact will be to postpone or to slow down the decline in UK oil production. Nevertheless, production from fields in the area could make significant contributions to overall UKCS production, employment and tax revenues, as well as extending the lives of facilities such as the Sullom Voe and Flotta terminals. It could help to retain employment and population in the area.

Tags: Energy resources, Production and industrial facilities
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)
2003 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA4 Technical report - Marine mammals (north UKCS)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Twelve marine mammal species occur regularly in the SEA4 area: grey seal, harbour seal, hooded seal, harbour porpoise, white-beaked dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Risso's dolphin, long-finned pilot whale, killer whale, minke whale, fin whale and sperm whale. A further eleven cetacean species and four pinniped species are occasional visitors. This report describes the distribution and abundance of these mammals and their ecological importance. The SEA4 area is an important area for cetaceans, but little is known about the abundance or seasonal distribution of many species. 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. However, current understanding of the effects of noise on marine mammals is rudimentary. The effects of pollution on seals and cetaceans are discussed, including the effects of oil spills. The diseases to which they are subject are briefly discussed, as are non-oil management issues such as fisheries bycatch.

Tags: Species distribution
Organization: British Geological Survey (BGS)