Recovery of UK seabed habitats from benthic fishing and aggregate extraction-Towards a cumulative impact assessment

Foden, Jo, Rogers, Stuart I. and Jones, Andrew P. (2010) Recovery of UK seabed habitats from benthic fishing and aggregate extraction-Towards a cumulative impact assessment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 411. pp. 259-270. ISSN 1616-1599

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Abstract

Assessing cumulative impacts of multiple pressures on the marine environment can help inform management response. This requires understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of human pressures and their impacts. Quantifying seabed recovery rates from 2 significant pressures in European waters, benthic fishing and aggregate extraction, is a significant step towards assessing sensitivity and cumulative impacts. Vessel monitoring system data were used to estimate the distribution and intensity of benthic fishing in UK (England and Wales) marine waters (2006 to 2007). Data were separated by towed bottom-fishing gears (scallop dredges, beam and otter trawls) and linked to habitat in a geographic information system. Recovery periods of seabed habitats were estimated by literature review, for gear types and fishing intensity. Recovery rates generally increased with sediment hardness, and habitats required longer periods of recovery from scallop dredging than from otter or beam trawling. Fishing pressure across the habitat-gear combinations was such that 80% of the bottom-fished area was estimated to be able to recover completely before repeat trawling, based on mean annual trawl frequencies. However, in 19% of the UK's bottomfished seabed, scallop dredging in sand and gravel and otter trawling in muddy sand and reef habitats occurred at frequencies that prevented full habitat recovery. In 2007, benthic fishing and aggregate extraction occurred together in an estimated 40 km2 (

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (former - to 2023)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Depositing User: Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2011 16:00
Last Modified: 22 Dec 2022 15:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/20284
DOI: 10.3354/meps08662

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