The Shell Flat and Lune Deep candidate Special Area of Conservation is a Site of Community Importance, and current evidence identifies the qualifying Annex 1 habitat and feature: Sandbanks which are slightly covered by water all the time. Fylde MCZ lies immediately adjacent to the South of Shell Flat and was designated in 2013 for its subtidal sand Broad Scale Habitat feature, although subtidal mud also occurs across approximately 50% of the site. This map is the result of a study that undertook analysis of the available data in the Shell Flat and Lune Deep Site of Community Importance (SCI) and Fylde Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) to produce topography and habitat maps to the highest practicable resolution, and identify changes in biota, habitats and topography over time across the sites. In total, 11 biotopes were assigned over the Shell Flat and Lune Deep SCI and Fylde MCZ.
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175000
Language
English
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Reference System Information
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http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/3857
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Information applies to the dataset
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Statement
This map is the result of analysis and modelling of existing sample data (grab samples, video, depths and PSA) for these sites. Multivariate analysis was used as guidance in biotope assignment and the primary tool for the statistical analysis of the infaunal data was the PRIMER v6 software package. The cluster groupings produced from the multivariate analysis were matched to biotopes as defined by the Marine Habitats Classification. Possible candidate biotopes were selected on the basis of the biotope descriptions and using the PRIMER results to compare the infaunal abundance data of the grab samples to the species listed in the Comparative Biological Tables. Where the infaunal data provided little or no information on the biota of the sample, the biotope assignment was based on the geological PSA data provided for that sample, and broad sediment classes (EUNIS Level 3) were generally considered most suitable. This map was formatted by JNCC to meet the Data Exchange Format v4.1 and translated into EUNIS 2007 in February 2024.