4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313134343630 English Natural Resources Wales Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en 2026-03-03T15:54:51.679Z NRW 1.0 wel WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) Natural Heritage Evidence to Support Strategic Planning for Marine Renewable Energy Natural Heritage Evidence to Support Strategic Planning for Marine Renewable Energy Tystiolaeth treftadaeth naturiol i gefnogi cynllunio strategol ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy'r mor yng Nghymru. Tidal mapping project 2011-06-30 2011-06-30 NRW_DS114460 The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is committed to working with regulators and developers to support the development of marine renewable energy in locations, and using technologies, that avoid significant adverse environmental impacts. The UK government is committed to producing 15 percent of all energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. With approximately 1.5 percent of UK energy currently sourced from renewables, significant expansion will be needed to meet this target. As far as marine sources of renewable energy are concerned, UK government has to date relied on deployment of offshore wind to contribute to UK renewable energy targets and indications suggest that commercial scale (10 to 100MW) arrays of wave and tidal technologies are expected to commence largely post 2015 (DECC, 2010). CCW have undertaken to produce and share key synthesised evidence relating to Welsh natural heritage interests, in the form of GIS-based data layers, to be taken into account by strategic planning process for marine energy devices (wave and tidal stream). The baseline layers highlight the breadth of natural heritage interests that need to be taken into account in strategic planning processes. The interpreted layers communicate the relative levels of risks to Wales' marine natural heritage from device deployment. Evidence layers have been produced for Welsh inshore territorial waters, from Mean High Water Spring baseline out to 12nm. The metadata describes the collation exercise, which was undertaken between Mar 2010 and Feb 2011. Temporal coverage of each of the baseline datasets is documented elsewhere. The environmental effects of marine renewable energy devices are not well understood and information about the marine environment is often limited, so this work is based on the best available information at the time of the study. This information is considered a snapshot in time and may be kept for archive puposes only. Newer data products may be available though the WG Marine Planning Portal. The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is committed to working with regulators and developers to support the development of marine renewable energy in locations, and using technologies, that avoid significant adverse environmental impacts. The UK government is committed to producing 15 percent of all energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. With approximately 1.5 percent of UK energy currently sourced from renewables, significant expansion will be needed to meet this target. As far as marine sources of renewable energy are concerned, UK government has to date relied on deployment of offshore wind to contribute to UK renewable energy targets and indications suggest that commercial scale (10 to 100MW) arrays of wave and tidal technologies are expected to commence largely post 2015 (DECC, 2010). CCW have undertaken to produce and share key synthesised evidence relating to Welsh natural heritage interests, in the form of GIS-based data layers, to be taken into account by strategic planning process for marine energy devices (wave and tidal stream). The baseline layers highlight the breadth of natural heritage interests that need to be taken into account in strategic planning processes. The interpreted layers communicate the relative levels of risks to Wales' marine natural heritage from device deployment. Evidence layers have been produced for Welsh inshore territorial waters, from Mean High Water Spring baseline out to 12nm. The metadata describes the collation exercise, which was undertaken between Mar 2010 and Feb 2011. Temporal coverage of each of the baseline datasets is documented elsewhere. The environmental effects of marine renewable energy devices are not well understood and information about the marine environment is often limited, so this work is based on the best available information at the time of the study. This information is considered a snapshot in time and may be kept for archive puposes only. Newer data products may be available though the WG Marine Planning Portal. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) Countryside Council for Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/splash?orig=/ Sea Watch Foundation Head Office, Ewyn y Don, Bull Bay, Amlwch, Ynys Mon, LL68 9SD, Wales info@seawatchfoundation.org.uk http://seawatchfoundation.org.uk/ Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1JY, England comment@jncc.gov.uk http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd Suite B, Waterside House, Town Quay, Southampton, SO14 2AQ, England enquiries@abpmer.co.uk http://www.abpmer.co.uk/ Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust (WWT) Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7BT, England consulting@wwt.org.uk http://www.wwt.org.uk/ Land Use Consultants 43 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JD luc@landuse.co.uk http://www.landuse.co.uk/ Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Habitats and biotopes Species distribution Energy resources GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme seascapes Third Party Data sensitivity mapping vulnerability disturbance 3rd Party Data evidence marine mammals marine renewables sensitivity assessment seabirds (see also specific species)(see also shorebirds) habitat distribution NRW Thesaurus 2025-01-08 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords Cetacean abundance Seal abundance Bird taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of surface Habitat characterisation SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2024-06-19 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR) Ecosystem (SMNR) Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) Seascape (SMNR) Management Areas (SMNR) Climate (SMNR) Animals, Plants and Other Organisms (SMNR) Marine (SMNR) Energy (SMNR) NRW SMNR Keywords 2024-06-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords The following data is considered OS derived data and is therefore jointly owned by NRW and the Ordnance Survey. NRW may release, publish or disseminate this data freely; providing recipients are made aware of use restrictions (See general use restrictions). no limitations © CNC/NRW and © Crown copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Natural Resources Wales, AC0000849444 Third parties seeking to re-use this data require a Licence issued by NRW. It allows re-use, reproduction and dissemination in any format or medium but only for non-commercial purposes, according to the terms and conditions of the Licence. Those seeking commercial re-use require a commercial licence available from the OS. English environment biota -5.311 -2.647 51.384 53.427 http://www.naturalearthdata.com/ne_admin#Country/WLS SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2013-02-05 creation benthic boundary layer 2010-03-01 2011-02-28 Natural heritage evidence to support strategic planning for marine renewable energy Documents The final report and summary leaflet in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF formats. Geographic Information System A series of final GIS layers on which the maps in the report are based in MapInfo format. These are accompanied with series of word documents detailing the individual layers and their attributes. Image A full set of images produced in jpg format Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation. false Information and data on those environmental receptors most likely to be sensitive to marine renewable energy devices have been collated manipulated (where appropriate) and mapped in a GIS-based format. Baseline and distribution data was collated and mapped for the following receptors; diving seabirds, marine mammals and protected seabed habitats. Interpreted evidence to produce an assessment of the relative vulnerability of key receptors around Wales was produced for the following; diving seabirds, cetaceans, grey seal, seabed habitats, coastal landscapes and seascapes. Methodologies used to collect the baseline data is described in metadata for each of the individual projects, however a description of each of these projects, limitations of the data and the methods used to asses vulnerability is included in the CCW Policy Research Report 11/3 that accompanies this data. Each data layer produced also includes a document detailing this information and a description of the attribute data. Information and data on those environmental receptors most likely to be sensitive to marine renewable energy devices have been collated manipulated (where appropriate) and mapped in a GIS-based format. Baseline and distribution data was collated and mapped for the following receptors; diving seabirds, marine mammals and protected seabed habitats. Interpreted evidence to produce an assessment of the relative vulnerability of key receptors around Wales was produced for the following; diving seabirds, cetaceans, grey seal, seabed habitats, coastal landscapes and seascapes. Methodologies used to collect the baseline data is described in metadata for each of the individual projects, however a description of each of these projects, limitations of the data and the methods used to asses vulnerability is included in the CCW Policy Research Report 11/3 that accompanies this data. Each data layer produced also includes a document detailing this information and a description of the attribute data.