Native Oyster Bed Potential

Summary: Most Native Oyster Bed Potential areas are derived from seabed sediment and current energy criteria. Some 'Additional' areas have been identified through consultations with local experts. The data also contains a subset of 'preferred' sites. 'Preferred' sites include areas which have minimal overlap with pressures and activities, which may hinder restoration. Guidance and Limitations: The Native Oyster Bed Potential Area layer provides a national ‘high level’ indication of where native oyster reefs could potentially be restored based on some key environmental variables with a subset of ‘preferred sites’, identifying areas of minimal overlap with pressures and existing activities that may hinder restoration. It should be considered as an initial aid to identifying sites. The areas identified are based on outputs from large scale models and should not always be assumed to be precise at the local level. The location of significant activities (such as dredging), marine assets (such as submarine cables) and ecological risks (such as disease control areas), which could restrain a location’s potential, have not been factored in in the creation of the overall layer, but have been considered for sites listed in the preferred sites attribute. The presence of such activities and structures should of course be considered at an early stage before making any local selection of suitable sites. It should not be assumed that all the areas identified meet all environmental conditions required to re-establish native oyster bed habitat, or that native oysters only currently exist within these areas. Instead it aims to provide an initial attempt to identify potential areas at a national level. Furthermore, it is probable that there are some areas outside the areas identified that could be suitable for restoration. Description: Native oyster reef potential areas were primarily derived from the EMODnet 2016 current energy models, the Natural England Marine Habitats and Species Open Data and a portion of the JNCC EUNIS Level 3 seabed habitat map integrating data originating from maps and field surveys and the EUSeaMap model v8.3. These datasets were combined to determine potential native oyster bed habitat areas. Selection Criteria used habitat preferences for Ostrea edulis identified by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) as follows: Current = Low Energy, <130 Nm-2, (mean of annual 90th percentile values over six years); Broadscale Habitat Type = Subtidal mixed sediments (EUNIS Level 3 = A5.4).These criteria produced an area, which was refined further using an Environment Agency intertidal layer to ensure all intertidal areas were excluded. The area was also clipped to within Wafer Framework Directive water body boundaries (typically within 1 nautical mile of coastline). Any discrete areas less than 1ha in size were removed. Some further areas were removed based on expert judgement and their close proximity to major ports. Finally, each polygon was assigned a water body and river basin district based on the WFD cycle2 Transitional and Coastal Water Body layer. The 'preferred sites' attribute identifies a subset of native oyster reef potential areas where oyster restoration may be more successful because there are minimal overlapping pressures (such as dredging) or other marine activities that may hinder restoration. The 'additional sites' attribute incudes sites which have been identified through consultation with local experts but may not sit entirely within the environmental variable criteria described above. Native oyster reef potential areas were primarily derived from the EMODnet 2016 current energy models, the Natural England Marine Habitats and Species Open Data and a portion of the JNCC EUNIS Level 3 seabed habitat map integrating data originating from maps and field surveys and the EUSeaMap model v8.3. These datasets were combined to determine potential native oyster bed habitat areas. Selection Criteria used habitat preferences for Ostrea edulis identified by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) as follows: Current = Low Energy, <130 Nm-2, (mean of annual 90th percentile values over six years) Broadscale Habitat Type = Subtidal mixed sediments (EUNIS Level 3 = A5.4) These criteria produced an area, which was refined further using an Environment Agency intertidal layer to ensure all intertidal areas were excluded. The area was also clipped to within Wafer Framework Directive water body boundaries (typically within 1 nautical mile of coastline). Any discrete areas less than 1ha in size were removed. Some further areas were removed based on expert judgement and their close proximity to major ports. Finally, each polygon was assigned a water body and river basin district based on the WFD cycle2 Transitional and Coastal Water Body layer. The 'preferred sites' attribute identifies a subset of native oyster reef potential areas where oyster restoration may be more successful because there are minimal overlapping pressures (such as dredging) or other marine activities that may hinder restoration. The 'additional sites' attribute incudes sites which have been identified through consultation with local experts but may not sit entirely within the environmental variable criteria described above. Guidance & Limitations: The Native Oyster Bed Potential Area layer provides a national ‘high level’ indication of where native oyster reefs could potentially be restored based on some key environmental variables with a subset of ‘preferred sites’, identifying areas of minimal overlap with pressures and existing activities that may hinder restoration. It should be considered as an initial aid to identifying sites. The areas identified are based on outputs from large scale models and should not always be assumed to be precise at the local level. The location of significant activities (such as dredging), marine assets (such as submarine cables) and ecological risks (such as disease control areas), which could restrain a location’s potential, have not been factored in in the creation of the overall layer, but have been considered for sites listed in the preferred sites attribute. The presence of such activities and structures should of course be considered at an early stage before making any local selection of suitable sites. It should not be assumed that all the areas identified meet all environmental conditions required to re-establish native oyster bed habitat, or that native oysters only currently exist within these areas. Instead it aims to provide an initial attempt to identify potential areas at a national level. Furthermore, it is probable that there are some areas outside the areas identified that could be suitable for restoration. Any potential native oyster restoration project that would take place within a preferred site identified in these layers would require all the standard licence and permission requirements following guidance from the competent authorities. Where a polygon overlaps with a marine protected area, any potential project would need to demonstrate that the oyster restoration would have no adverse effect on other site interest features. Credits: Information has been derived from data that is made available under the European Marine Observation Data Network (EMODnet) Seabed Habitats EMODnet broad-scale seabed habitat map for Europe (2016), licensed under CC-BY 4.0 from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) Seabed Habitats initiative (www.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu), funded by the European Commission. Information has been derived from data that is made available in EUNIS level 3 seabed habitat map integrating data originating from maps from field surveys and the EUSeaMap model v8.3. Collated and published by JNCC © Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0. Contains derived data from BGS © NERC. Contains derived data from Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright. 100019741 (2013). Information has been derived from data that is made available in Marine Habitats and Species Open Data. This dataset contains a collation of marine habitat and species biotope records created during contracts commissioned by Natural England; collected by Defra and associated bodies/agencies; or provided by third parties that have allowed their data to be republished under the Open Government Licence (OGL). Attribution statement: © Natural England 2019, reproduced with the permission of the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute; Allen, E.J.; Bamber, R.; Bangor University; the British Museum; the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas); the Centre for Marine & Coastal Studies (CMACS); Channel Coast Observatory; Chichester Harbour Conservancy; the Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland; Cook, K.J.; Cornwall Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); Cornwall Underwater Observation Scheme; Cornwall Wildlife Trust; the Crown Estate; Dauvin, J-C.; the Department for Agriculture & Rural Development (NI); the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra); Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); Devon Underwater Observation Scheme; Devon Wildlife Trust; Dipper, F.; Dorset Wildlife Trust; Dove Marine Laboratory; Eastern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); the European Marine Observation & Data Network (EMODnet); EMU Ltd; Eneco; Envision Mapping Ltd; the Environment Agency (EA); Falmouth Harbour Commissioners; Farnham, W.F. & Bishop, G.M.; the Field Studies Council (FSC); Fowler, S.; Gilham, R.; Goodwin, D.; Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust; Hanson Heidelberg Cement & Tarmac Lefarge; Harwich Haven Authority; Hazell, Z.; Helford Voluntary Marine Conservation Area Group; Hepper, B.T.; Howell, B.R.; Howson, C.M.; Hunter, F.; the Institute for Estuarine & Coastal Sciences (IECS); the Institute of Petroleum; the Institute of Terrestrial Ecolology; International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES); Isles of Scilly Underwater Observation Scheme; Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust; the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); Kent & Essex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre; Kent Wildlife Trust; Killeen, I.J. & Light, J.M.; Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Func (MALSF); the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (MBA); the Marine Conservation Society (MCS); Marine Institute Ireland; Marine Scotland; the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN); Moore, J.; the Natural History Museum; National Power; North Western Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); Mortimer, K. & Wilson, H.; the National Trust; Natural Resources Wales (NRW); Newcastle University; North West Water Ltd; Orton, J.H.; Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Porcupine Marine Natural History Society; Portsmouth University; Robins, M.V.; RWE Channel Energy Ltd; Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA); Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); Seasearch; Sheader, M. & Sheader, A.; St Mawe's Harbour Conservation Trust; Sussex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA); Tompsett, P.; Unicomarine; the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre; University of Brighton; University of Bristol; University of Plymouth; the Welsh Water Authority; Wheeler, A.; Widdicombe, S.; the Wildlife Trusts Association; Wilson, P. and Wilson, P.; and Witbaard, R. Contains Ordnance Survey data, licence: 100022021. © Crown copyright and database right 2019. Click [ Here ] to go straight to the DSP Metadata Page for this Dataset.