The Outer Bristol Channel Marine Habitat Study (OBCMHS) was a multifaceted project involving scientific investigation, interpretation and education in an area with potential marine aggregate resources.

Distribution maps of cetaceans and seabirds at basin and monthly scales are needed for conservation and marine management. These are usually created from standardised and systematic aerial and vessel surveys, with recorded animal densities interpolated across study areas. However, as individual surveys have restricted spatial and temporal coverage, distribution maps at basin and monthly scales have previously not been possible.