Defining biological assemblages (biotopes) of conservation interest in the submarine canyons of the South West Approaches (offshore United Kingdom) for use in marine habitat mapping

Abstract. Marine habitat mapping is essential for updating existing information, preserving, and protecting the marine environment. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are an important tool for monitoring and mapping coastal and marine environment because of their ability to provide very high-resolution aerial imagery.Environmental conditions have a critical role in marine mapping using UAS. This is due to the limitations of UAS surveys in coastal areas, i.e. the environmental conditions prevailing in the area. The limitations of weather and oceanographic conditions affecting the quality of marine data led to the creation of a UAS protocol for the acquisition of reliable marine information. The produced UAS Data Acquisition Protocol consists of three main categories: (i) Morphology of the study area, (ii) Environmental conditions, (iii) Flight parameters. These categories include the parameters that must be considered for marine habitat mapping.The aim of the present study is the accuracy assessment of the UAS protocol for marine habitat mapping through experimental flights. For the accuracy assessment of the UAS protocol, flights on different dates and environmental conditions were conducted, over a study area. The flight altitude was the same for all the missions, so the results were comparable. The high-resolution orthophoto maps derived from each date of the experiment were classified. The classification maps show several differences in the shape and size of the marine habitats which are directly dependent on the conditions that the habitats were mapped. A change detection comparison was conducted in pairs to examine the exact changes between the classified maps.The results emphasize the importance of the environmental conditions prevailing in an area during the mapping of marine habitats. The present study proves that the optimal flight conditions that are proposed of the UAS Data Acquisition protocol, respond to the real-world conditions and are important to be considered for an accurate and reliable mapping of the marine environment.

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Impact of Reduced Rainfall on Above Ground Dry Matter Production of Semi-natural Grassland in South Gloucestershire, UK: A Rainfall Manipulation Study

Frontiers in Environmental Science ◽

10.3389/fenvs.2021.686668 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

S. M. Ayling ◽

Jill Thompson ◽

A. Gray ◽

L. J. McEwen

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Dry Matter Production ◽

Drought Risk ◽

Total Biomass ◽

The South ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

South West ◽

Matter Production ◽

Rainfall Reduction

In the United Kingdom, agricultural grasslands cover 40% of the land area, make up 89% of the total agricultural area and are an important land use for ecosystem services and food security. Climate change predictions suggest that the United Kingdom will experience more frequent and severe periods of drought that may impact these grasslands. As part of the Drought Risk and You (DRY) project, a field experiment in which rain shelters reduced precipitation reaching the vegetation by approximately 50%, was set up in the South West of England. The experiment ran for 3 years, from October 2015 to October 2018. The study was carried out at two locations in the catchment of the Bristol River Frome. Both sites were species-rich semi-natural pastures that had received no inputs of fertilizer or herbicide for many years. Automatic weather stations recorded environmental conditions, especially rainfall, within the experimental area. The existing agricultural management regimes were approximated by cutting the vegetation in the plots, by hand, at the appropriate times of year. The effect of rainfall reduction on plant growth was assessed by biomass sampling. At both sites, the rainfall reduction treatment had only small effects on total above ground dry matter production (biomass). These effects were much smaller than the year-to-year variation in total biomass. Our results suggested that well-established permanent pastures in the South West of England were able to tolerate a 3-year period of reduced water supply. The observed year-to-year variation in biomass demonstrated how important the timing of dry weather is for biomass production, and this will be reflected in effects on yield and quality of hay.

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Improving marine habitat mapping using high-resolution acoustic data; a predictive habitat map for the Firth of Lorn, Scotland

Continental Shelf Research ◽

10.1016/j.csr.2018.09.005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 168 ◽

pp. 39-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Karen Boswarva ◽

Alyssa Butters ◽

Clive J. Fox ◽

John A. Howe ◽

Bhavani Narayanaswamy

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Habitat Mapping ◽

Marine Habitat ◽

Acoustic Data ◽

Marine Habitat Mapping

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The knowledge and availability of amphoteric compounds for chemical burns in the emergency departments of the South West of the United Kingdom

Burns ◽

10.1016/j.burns.2021.08.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Hackett ◽

Majid Al-Khalil ◽

Jonathon Pleat

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Emergency Departments ◽

The South ◽

Chemical Burns ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

South West

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Performance of Different Classifiers for Marine Habitat Mapping using Side Scan Sonar and Object-Based Image Analysis

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/540/1/012087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 540 ◽

pp. 012087

Author(s):

Raihanah Rusmadi ◽

Rozaimi Che Hasan

Keyword(s):

Image Analysis ◽

Habitat Mapping ◽

Marine Habitat ◽

Side Scan Sonar ◽

Object Based Image Analysis ◽

Object Based ◽

Marine Habitat Mapping

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A review of the influence of marine habitat classification schemes on mapping studies: inherent assumptions, influence on end products, and suggestions for future developments

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsy161 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

pp. 10-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

James Asa Strong ◽

Annika Clements ◽

Helen Lillis ◽

Ibon Galparsoro ◽

Tim Bildstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Mapping ◽

Marine Habitat ◽

Classification Schemes ◽

Habitat Classification ◽

Thematic Resolution ◽

Superficial Similarity ◽

Marine Habitat Mapping ◽

Working Practices ◽

Mapping Techniques ◽

Resolution Structure

Abstract The production of marine habitat maps typically relies on the use of habitat classification schemes (HCSs). The choice of which HCS to use for a mapping study is often related to familiarity, established practice, and national desires. Despite a superficial similarity, HCSs differ greatly across six key properties, namely, purpose, environmental and ecological scope, spatial scale, thematic resolution, structure, and compatibility with mapping techniques. These properties impart specific strengths and weaknesses for each HCS, which are subsequently transferred to the habitat maps applying these schemes. This review has examined seven HCSs (that are commonly used and widely adopted for national and international mapping programmes), over the six properties, to understand their influence on marine habitat mapping. In addition, variation in how mappers interpret and apply HCSs introduces additional uncertainties and biases into the final maps. Recommendations are provided for improving HCSs for marine habitat mapping as well as for enhancing the working practices of mappers using habitat classification. It is hoped that implementation of these recommendations will lead to greater certainty and usage within mapping studies and more consistency between studies and adjoining maps.

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