New Hi-Res Bathymetry Model of English Channel

04 January 2010, 8:57am

Hampshire, UK, 04 January 2010 - SeaZone took a major step forward in December 2009 towards its aim to create a high resolution and accurate bathymetry model of the UK Continental Shelf by completing the first phase of its Bathymetry Improvement Programme for the northern English Channel between South Foreland and Land’s End. The new bathymetry model will become a core reference dataset in SeaZone’s digital marine mapping product, HydroSpatial. With increasing pressure on the marine environment and the requirement to maximise value from existing public sector information holdings, the new model in particular and HydroSpatial generally are already proving to be important tools to support offshore renewable energy development, marine planning and policy making. The bathymetry model, believed to be the first of its kind, is created from ‘best available’ digital survey bathymetry data from a variety of different sources. It is being used by British Geology Survey to improve our understanding of sea bed geology and by Cefas (and others) as input to habitat mapping.

SeaZone has spent the past three years gathering and digitising data, going as far as identifying and gaining permission to use and capture survey sheets (also known as fair sheets) stored in archive at the UK Hydrographic Office. In total, SeaZone has invested in the capture of over 400 surveys to create this unique database of the UK’s underwater terrain. The data represents the most detailed water depth data available, either from modern multibeam surveys or single beam surveys dating back to 1970. All of the data used in the work has been collected to the IHO’s International Survey Standard, S-44, and quality controlled at the UK Hydrographic Office or another competent authority. By using survey data as input, the new model is more accurate than depth data displayed on traditional navigational charts, which is widely known to be coarser in resolution and conservative in depth.

Acknowledgements

SeaZone is pleased to acknowledge the Civil Hydrography Programme of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Channel Coastal Observatory, the Port of London Authority and various other ports, harbours and third parties in contributing survey data to this programme. The modelling work is supported by a contract from CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) where the results are being used to undertake habitat mapping work in the English Channel on behalf of Defra.

Further Information

For further information, including how your organisation can prioritise an area of particular interest or otherwise contribute to SeaZone’s Bathymetry Improvement Programme (BIP), please contact SeaZone directly using the details below.

For more information, read the on-line article on GEO:connexion International at the link below.

Contacts:
Alison Smith, Marketing Manager, SeaZone
Tel: +44 (0) 870 013 0607
Email: Alison.smith@SeaZone.com

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