Case Study Presentation to MESH Conference

1. Regional Environmental Monitoring & Mapping in The East Channel Region Case Study Presentation to MESH Conference

2. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study Acknowledgements ?? The ECA would like to acknowledge the considered analysis, assistance and advice provided by the following organisations, companies and stakeholders; Cefas English Nature (Natural England) English Heritage The Joint Nature Conservation Committee Defra MFA Andrews Survey Liverpool University, Department of Geography HR Wallingford The Crown Estate BMAPA Marine Ecological Surveys Unicomarine Marineseen Fisheries Consultees The Maritime and Coastguard Agency ICES HAWG ECEN Meeting Attendees TWG Meeting Attendees 1

3. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 1 Introduction – The ECR and ECA • The East Channel Association (ECA) consists of 6 companies • The role of the ECA  provide a focus for coordinating regional monitoring and management of operations • The ECR is situated in the Eastern English Channel approx 20km south of Eastbourne • 8 areas consisting of 12 individual permission areas • Eastern Channel ‘region’ of 24,000km2 • Prospecting areas 1,132km2 • Area applied for 150km2 • Each area  subjected to individual EIA. • Concerns regarding the cumulative and in-combination effects of applications  consideration of the ‘regional’ impacts of the development. 10km approx ?? Current Status of Licences and Applications 461 – Permission granted, active. 473, 474 & 475 – Permission granted, inactive. 458 & 464-2 – Permission awaited. 477 – Permission awaited. 478 – Permission awaited. 2

4. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 2 The Regional Environmental Assessment • The ECA commissioned Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) • Provides the regional basis for assessment of impacts. • Models of impact developed to determine the potential impact of simultaneous operations at several sites. • Collation of environmental data from individual licence applications undertaken • Regional studies of fishing, navigation, archaeology etc • All this information was incorporated into the Regional Environmental Assessment (Posford Haskoning, 2003). ?? The REA provides the foundation upon which the regional monitoring and management of aggregate extraction is based. It is the intention of the ECA to work towards repeating the REA process periodically through the term of ECA licences. 3

5. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 3 Design of a Regional Monitoring Programme • Main recommendation  of the REA was that the ECA undertook a coordinated programme of regional monitoring • Ensure compatibility and comparability of data; prevent unnecessary use of monitoring resources through pursuit of individual monitoring programmes • Design aided by key government advisors and key stakeholders • Two main threads: physical process monitoring (sediment mobilisation, deposition and transport) & biological community monitoring • Physical monitoring  focussed study at ‘type site’ 473 East (also regional sediment description) • Biological monitoring  describe benthic, epibenthic, shellfish and demersal fish communities across the region ?? The coherence of monitoring activities in the ECR, and the improved cost/benefit of pooling resources, are key to ensuring the continuation of this industry driven initiative. 4

6. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 4 The Regional Monitoring Blueprint • The ECA Regional Monitoring Blueprint v0.3 completed in 2005 • The document provides framework for monitoring • Provides plans for baseline sampling at the regional ‘type site’ and also the regional scale • Survey methodologies provided along with framework for reporting and review of data • Biodiversity and conservation issues were considered in the ECA Biodiversity Action Plan (ECA BAP) • Blueprint constantly under review and any changes made will be accounted for in subsequent versions of the document ?? The reporting and review process proposed in the Blueprint enables modification of monitoring as results are interpreted. A major review of data (REA II) is proposed in years 4-5 of ECR operations. 5

7. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 5 Methodologies and Baseline Survey Operations • Blueprint methodologies used to guide baseline survey operations in 2005 • Large volumes of licence specific data available to inform monitoring • Data acquisition  provide a description of seabed habitat and faunal communities against which impact can be monitored • Natural change considered through use of reference areas • Well established methods employed along with extensive seabed photography • Monitoring aims to describe the various ‘levels’ of community structure ?? Fish ?? Shellfish & Epibenthos ?? Infauna, Epifauna & Sediment Habitat description ?? In situ video & digital stills ?? Sidescan & collated ES data ?? Bathymetry 6

8. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 6 Data Analysis and Results • Extraordinary volume of data  extraordinary opportunity for interpretation • Basic interpolation attempted to highlight regional habitat trends and features • Simple measures used to illustrate benthic faunal characteristics • Multivariate statistics used to marry data components (sediment, infauna, epifauna) • Region wide description of shellfish and fish communities • Community/biotope maps and charts in development ?? Repeat biological surveys have been undertaken in 2006. This will enable inter-annual comparison of monitoring data early in the life of the development. 7

9. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 7 Interpretation? • Interpretation will be an ongoing process • Further work to be done on baseline data set  comparison with first repeat sampling • Results of plume and tracer studies will be required to enable a full comparison of empirical data with the REA model • REA II planned for years 4-5 of extraction operations • Review of data by the ECA Technical Working Group and wider stakeholder groups has been initiated during the first year of monitoring ?? The ECA GIS and website will be key in managing the large and diverse monitoring data set 8

10. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 8 Regional Scale Habitat Mapping in a MESH Context • The MESH Project aims to produce seabed habitat maps for north-west Europe (see MESH study area) and develop international standards and protocols for seabed mapping studies. • MESH will address these issues in the following key ways: • Compile available seabed habitat mapping information across north-west Europe • Provide the first seabed habitat maps for north-west Europe. • Habitat modeling developed to predict habitat distribution for unsampled areas, from the more widely available geophysical and hydrographic data. • Protocols and standards for habitat mapping will be developed, drawing upon best available expertise, to help ensure that future mapping programmes yield quality assured data that can be readily exchanged and aggregated to further improve the initial maps. • Protocols will be tested through a range of field-testing scenarios to ensure they are robust and the results repeatable. • Protocols and habitat maps will be made available via state of the art Internet-based GIS (Geographical Information Systems), providing ready access to the information for a wide range of end-users • The wide spectrum of potential end-users will be engaged from the start of the project to better understand their end needs, to encourage the supply of relevant data and to encourage the improved use of the mapping information in spatial planning, management issues and for environmental protection. In comparison, the ECA have undertaken a regional habitat monitoring programme with the following aims:  for the ECR  for the ECR      9

11. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 9 Regional Scale Habitat Mapping: ECR  MESH? ?? Practical experience of habitat mapping at regional scale Practical experience of combining diverse data sets to present a regional habitat description Results of modelling and habitat descriptions ?? Habitat Mapping in the ECR Habitat Mapping through MESH EC regional context mapping Constraints of scale addressed by extensive use of acoustic data Possibility that work can inform classification of MESH habitats Habitat/impact modelling Cost/benefit aspects of work NW European seas context Habitat modelling Development of standards and procedures Mapping conventions Beneficial Interaction between MESH and the ECR Monitoring Programme Clear, practical guidance from MESH regarding survey methodologies and results Understanding of the types of data being generated by ECR and similar programmes and consideration of how such data might be used by MESH Address resourcing issues for all parties involved 10

12. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study 10 Issues • Practicality  Cost/benefit of monitoring at a regional scale • Primary purpose of the data set – monitoring, not research  attempt to produce data capable of informing either • Confidence of interpretation over varying spatial scales  best use of collated data sets and other studies (eg ALSF Eastern Channel Habitat Survey) • Determination of significance of operations in the context of habitat abundance through NW European Seas  ECA Biodiversity Action Plan 11

13. ECA Regional Monitoring Case Study Questions? ?? If you would like to know more please visit www.eastchannel.info ?? Data presented with kind permission of the East Channel Association by Emu Limited 12