Central Government

There is a growing awareness and increased need across Government for comprehensive and authoritative marine digital mapping to support a wide range of activities, including marine spatial planning, regulation, coastal zone management and civil security.

In the past, this need has been satisfied by paper navigational charts and other publications. However, with the introduction of new technologies and the realisation that navigational sources of data provide only a generalised subset of the information available, there is a growing requirement for more comprehensive datasets to be supplied in electronic formats compatible with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The historic difficulties of obtaining and accessing marine geographic information have been highlighted in the work undertaken by Defra and by stakeholder discussions with regard to the Marine Bill. Access to definitive, content rich, baseline information, is seen as a key component to support evidence based decision making and to facilitate joined up working and support e-Government.

Digital Data Agreement for Central Government

SeaZone has been working with central Government Departments and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) since it was established in 2004 by providing digital marine mapping essential to meeting statutory and business objectives. SeaZone's digital data agreement with central Government allows use of data by consultants and contractors, publication of data on the Internet and unlimited distribution of derived data to meet statutory objectives.

Current central Government licensees benefiting from SeaZone data products, software and services include:

• Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Defra)
• Natural England
• Environment Agency
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
• Welsh Assembly Government
• Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)
• Scottish Government
• Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
• English Heritage
• Ministry of Defence
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency

If you are working in central Government and require access to authoritative digital marine mapping whatever your role then please contact us.

Case Studies

Coastal and Marine Atlas - MAGIC Website

SeaZone have been working closely with Defra's GI Unit in Leeds in developing the Coastal and Marine Atlas incorporated into MAGIC in November 2005.

Originally launched in 2002 MAGIC is the web-based interactive map bringing together key environmental schemes and designations in one place. MAGIC is a partnership project involving eight government organisations who have responsibilities for rural policy-making and management and is available to anyone over the Internet.

The Coastal and Marine Resource Atlas was commissioned by the a group of 13 project collaborators in recognition of the need to update the 1990 Government and Industry sponsored coastal sensitivity maps produced by the Nature Conservancy Council. The Atlas contains environmental and other resource datasets covering the Great Britain coastline and marine areas of the UK Continental Shelf. The Atlas is designed as a web based tool to access a wide range of information on coastal and marine resources.

SeaZone have provided SeaZone offshore bathymetry data for inclusion in the which assist in providing context and background data to the associated reference information as a tool for Maritime Contingency Planning and Response. Further SeaZone data is to be included in the next development phase.

Marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACS)

SeaZone data has been used to assist English Nature in identification and creation of new Marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), with publication of this derived data available on the Internet.

SACs are areas which have been given special protection under the European Union's Habitats Directive. They provide increased protection to a variety of wild animals, plants and habitats and are a vital part of global efforts to conserve the world's biodiversity.

In the UK there are over 600 designated SACs. There is currently 1 draft offshore SAC and a further 7 possible offshore SACs to be submitted to the European Commission for designation.

Mapping European Seabed Habitats (MESH)

Joint Nature Conservation Committee is leading an international marine habitat mapping programme entitled 'Development of a framework for Mapping European Seabed Habitats' (MESH), which started in spring 2004 and will last for 3 years. This includes a consortium of 12 partners across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France and is funded by the EU INTERREG IIIB fund for an international marine habitat mapping programme. Drawing together scientific and technical habitat mapping skills, national data collation and management expertise, and experience in the use of habitat mapping in management and JNCC have used SeaZone data for the Irish Sea Pilot Study and recommendations for Marine SACs to DEFRA.

Spatial Information Repository (SPIRE)

The goal for SPIRE is to create a corporate database to provide definitive geographic information of required quality which is fit for purpose to users throughout the UK's Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) and to Defra's customers, irrespective of location. SeaZone HydroSpatial will sit alongside digital mapping from Ordnance Survey to create the base reference datasets required, thereby providing digital mapping for Defra for both its land and marine areas of responsibility.