Paul Eastwood, Stuart Rogers, Carla Houghton, Craig Mills, and John Aldridge Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft,

Paul Eastwood, Stuart Rogers, Carla Houghton, Craig Mills, and John Aldridge Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft, UK Assessment of Pressure from Human Activities on Marine Landscapes UK Workshop on the project ‘Mapping European Seabed Habitats (MESH)’ 19 October 2006, City Conference Centre, London

Human activities Diversity of human activities that interact with the seabed in UK offshore waters: –Oil and gas exploration & drilling –Marine mineral dredging –Fishing –Windfarms –Dredge material disposal Each exerts one or more different types of pressure…

Pressure categories CategoryTypeExample sources Physical loss  Smothering  Obstruction  Waste disposal, oil & gas cuttings piles  Permanent constructions (oil & gas infrastructure, windfarms, cables) & wrecks Physical damage  Siltation  Abrasion  Extraction  Screening plumes from aggregate dredging  Windfarm scour pits  Aggregate dredging Non-physical disturbance  Noise  Visual  Boat activity, seismic  Recreational activity Toxic contamination  Introduction of synthetic compounds  Introduction of non-synthetic compounds  Introduction of radionuclides  Pesticides, antifoulants  Heavy metals, hydrocarbons  Nuclear energy industry Non-toxic contamination  Nutrient enrichment  Organic enrichment  Changes in thermal regime  Changes in turbidity  Changes in salinity  Agricultural run-off, outfalls  Mariculture, outfalls  Outfalls, power stations  Run-off, dredging  Water abstraction, outfalls Biological disturbance  Introduction of microbial pathogens  Introduction of non-native species and translocations  Selective extraction of species  Aquaculture  Ballast water  Commercial fishing Taken from proposal for a EU marine strategy directive

Pressure by marine landscapes

Pressure assessment Aim was to estimate direct pressure on the seabed from all major offshore human activities and the extent to which marine landscapes are affected Spatial extent = England and Wales waters Time period = 2004 Measure of ‘pressure’ = spatial extent or ‘footprint’ of the activity Did not estimate intensity of pressure – presence/absence only

Methodology 1.Obtained spatial data for human activities 2.Where necessary, estimated location of activity 3.Where necessary, estimated spatial extent of associated pressure(s)

Methodology Physical damage - extraction X X 1.Obtained spatial data for human activities 2.Where necessary, estimated location of activity 3.Where necessary, estimated spatial extent of associated pressure(s)

Methodology 1.Obtained spatial data for human activities 2.Where necessary, estimated location of activity 3.Where necessary, estimated spatial extent of associated pressure(s) X Physical damage - siltation

Confidence rating Degree to which pressure estimates derived from georeferenced observations or estimates of location and/or extent 1 = estimated location and extent 2 = known location, estimated extent 3 = known location and extent

Spatial extent of pressure Pressure Human activity Confidence rating England & Wales CategoryTypeArea km 2 % total area Physical lossObstructionOil and gas fixed infrastructure (platforms, well, and pipelines) 2-35.4<0.1 Cables23.8<0.1 Windfarm monopiles and scour protection 3<0.1 Wrecks24.3<0.1 Total213.5<0.1 Physical lossSmotheringOil and gas cuttings piles2923.60.4 Waste disposal2126.2<0.1 Total21 049.80.4 Physical damageAbrasionWindfarm scour pits20.7<0.1 Physical damageExtractionAggregate extraction - direct removal 3134.50.1 Physical damageSiltationAggregate extraction - plumes22 994.81.2 Biological disturbanceSelective extraction Fishing with mobile seabed gear1-213 901.9 (55 503.9) 5.4 (21.4)

Proportion of seabed affected Area affected (%) 0.01 0.1 1.0 10 100 50%

Pressure (%) by landscape Landscape Name Selective ExtractionAbrasionExtractionObstructionSiltationSmothering Aphotic rock1.400.100.017.220.04 Barrier beach0000.0200 Bay0.1000.0100.21 Canyon0.300000 Embayment0.1000.0500 Estuary000.120.024.490.51 Lagoon000000 Photic rock2.2000.0200 Ria0.1000.0400 Shallow coarse sediment plain - moderate tide stress2.100.330.016.550.48 Shallow coarse sediment plain - strong tide stress1.200.520.016.840.14 Shallow coarse sediment plain - weak tide stress7.000.0200.540.62 Shallow mixed sediment plain - moderate tide stress2.000.120.012.800.48 Shallow mixed sediment plain - strong tide stress2.6000.010.050.10 Shallow mixed sediment plain - weak tide stress2.60.010 00.70 Shallow mud plain0.8000.010.550.88 Shallow sand plain4.500.060.011.260.90 Shelf coarse sediment plain - moderate tide stress3.100.130.013.910.34 Shelf coarse sediment plain - strong tide stress1.000.210.013.520.01 Shelf coarse sediment plain - weak tide stress22.900000.09 Shelf mixed sediment plain - moderate tide stress2.100.060.014.900.04 Shelf mixed sediment plain - strong tide stress1.80002.550.41 Shelf mixed sediment plain - weak tide stress8.0000.0100.27 Shelf mound or pinnacle0.700000 Shelf mud plain2.600000.09 Shelf sand plain5.30000.190.34 Shelf trough2.80000.301.11 Sound0000.0500 Subtidal sediment bank1.60000.382.28 Warm deep-water coarse sediment plain1.200000 Warm deep-water sand plain0.800000 Total for E&W waters5.4<0.10.1<0.11.20.4

Pressure (%) by landscape Selective extraction pressure on Shelf coarse sediment plain - weak tide stress

Summary Geospatial data for human activities can be used to estimate pressure on marine landscapes Understanding pressures by landscapes could help in: –designing MPA networks –setting management objectives Next steps: –pressure intensity –time series assessment

Paul Eastwood, Stuart Rogers, Carla Houghton, Craig Mills, and John Aldridge Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft,

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Paul Eastwood, Stuart Rogers, Carla Houghton, Craig Mills, and John Aldridge Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft,

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Presentation on theme: "Paul Eastwood, Stuart Rogers, Carla Houghton, Craig Mills, and John Aldridge Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft,"— Presentation transcript:

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