Ecological Consultancy Services Limited (EcoServe)
Marine inshore mapping scoping study
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Contact person: Chris Emblow
Client: Marine Institute
Date: June 2001
The increasing pressure from industrial and leisure sectors can lead to conflicting uses and requirements of coastal zone resources and infrastructure (e.g. aggregates, wind and wave energy generation, shipping, fisheries, archaeology, aquaculture, waste disposal, tourism, yachting and pipe/cable routes). This increased use and exploitation of resources places great pressure on the environment of the coastal zone (0-50m water depth) . If we are to ensure the sustainable development of the coastal zone, while maintaining the quality of life and resources within it, new strategies must be adopted for rapid coastal zone mapping and monitoring. There is a need for an interdisciplinary process that can assess existing and new information from all the key players involved in coastal zone activities and provide a mechanism for integrated coastal zone management (e.g. Frey, 1998; Hinrichsen, 1999).
The Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC, 1999) has estimated that the Irish coastal zone in the depth range 10 to 50m occupies an area of 14,000 sq km. In this zone (and deeper) rapid, waterborne, acoustic survey techniques (e.g. Acoustic Bathymetry & Seabed Imaging, Sub-Bottom Acoustic Imaging, Magnetic Mapping, and Accoustic Ground Discrimination Systems) are being used to assess the physical properties of the seabed and its biological habitats. These techniques can provide wide-area coverage of seafloor bathymetry and discrimination of bottom type when calibrated with conventional biological and sedimentological sampling methods. There are at present no estimates available for the area of the 0 to 10m zone, where 100% coverage with waterborne instruments is likely to be prohibitively expensive. It is in this zone that Airborne Bathymetric LIDAR may be used, though there are legitimate questions about its efficacy due to the optical clarity of the water. In addition, all of the coastal zone activities summarised in the first paragraph are impacted on by sea currents, for which there are very limited data to make informed policy decisions on sustainable coastal development.
As the 0-50m zone becomes more important economically, it will be necessary to define now what cost-effective technologies must be adopted to address the critical physical and biological questions associated with infra-structural development and assessment of resources. Each coastal area is unique and no one solution exists for mapping and monitoring all areas so we need to ask how existing and new mapping technologies can be customised for Ireland. It is essential therefore that a costed strategy is based on the collation of existing data, the acquisition of new data and the use of a range of technologies to provide succinct information to all existing and future stakeholders in the coastal zone.
WGI Limited and Ecological Consultancy Services Limited (EcoServe) have been awarded a contract by the Marine Institute, funded by the Marine RTDI Programme of the NDP, to carry out a feasibility study on the establishment of a Large Scale Inshore Resource Mapping Project. The objectives of this study are, inter alia, to:
- Identify national (including statutory) inshore (0-50m depth) mapping requirements for resource assessment and development;
- Identify existing Irish inshore mapping programmes and relevant digital mapping data holdings; · Identify and evaluate current inshore resource mapping techniques, including how other countries have addressed their requirements in this regard; and
- Recommend, on the basis of identified national needs, a prioritised and costed inshore mapping strategy for Irish coastal waters.
EcoServe are examining the marine ecological aspects of the project.
To achieve the objectives of the study, and to formulate and recommend an inshore mapping strategy, we are consulting with a wide range of 'stakeholder' organisations who currently, or may in the future, have mapping requirements in the inshore and coastal zone for statutory, research or commercial reasons. In doing so we hope to determine the following for each stakeholder:
- Current data collection activities
- Summary of relevant data holdings
- Outline of current and future mapping requirements
In order to collate the relevant information in relation to the above we hope you will be able to complete the questionnaire following consultation with ourselves.
Finally, it is hoped that during the course of the project (possibly October 2002) a 'Stakeholder's Workshop' will be held to inform the various stakeholders of the interim results of the study, and to discuss their current and future needs and priorities. Where relevant, new ideas and technologies that might be deployed will be discussed.
References
CCMC, 1999. Scientific Consultants Report - Phase 1 for the Seabed Survey of Ireland's Territory
Frey, H.R., 1998. National Oceanographic Data Center: World's largest repository of in-situ ocean data increases coastal-ocean data activities. Sea Technology, June, 49-54
Hinrichsen, D., 1999. Coastal waters of the world; trends, threats, strategies. Island Press, Washington D.C. 275p