1. MESH webGIS Habitat maps online at http://www.searchMESH.net/webGIS
UK Stakeholders’ Workshop Natalie Coltman

2. Why have a webGIS?
Effective management of the marine environment requires information on the spatial distribution and the quality of seabed habitats
Seabed habitat data are not centrally accessible
MESH aims to collate these data & create unified seabed habitat maps

3. Which data? Data & Metadata are collated by MESH
‘Metadata’ = data about data (what where when how)
‘Data’ = actual seabed mapping data
MESH aims to…
Mobilise existing seabed mapping data through a searchable online Metadata Catalogue
Collate seabed mapping data to create unified seabed habitat maps to be displayed on MESH webGIS

4. A website presenting interactive maps of seabed habitats for NW Europe
MESH webGIS
A website presenting interactive maps of seabed habitats for NW Europe
Zoom to areas of interest
Control layers
Query data attributes
Generate reports
Print maps

5. Home page

6. Query page

7. Habitat presence on 1 degree grid

8. Polygon centroids

9. Detailed habitat polygons

10. MESH webGIS data layers
Habitats
EUNIS habitats
Original habitats
Physical
GEBCO bathymetry
Seabed sediments
Boundaries
MESH study area
Country sea areas
Regional seas
Study areas
Validation samples
NBN marine data
OSPAR habitats
MESH video samples
Seabed images
Acoustic images
MESH seabed photos
Signatures catalogue

11. MESH metadata catalogue
MESH data flows
Data provider
Seabed mapping data & metadata
MESH Data Agreement
MESH Partner
MESH Website
MESH metadata catalogue
JNCC
MESH webGIS
MESH Stakeholder

12. MESH Metadata catalogue
Aims to mobilise existing seabed mapping data to the mapping community
Lists over 1000 seabed mapping studies in NW Europe
MESH metadata standard for habitat maps (ISO19115 compliant)
Template for data entry
Available online via a ‘simple’ or ‘advanced’ search
Updating metadata records this week…

13. MESH Metadata catalogue

14. Existing habitat mapping studies

15. Study areas with metadata
MESH metadata catalogue

16. Original Habitat layer
Seabed ‘habitat’ maps
Polygon maps
Collated by MESH in Data Exchange Format
Range of classification schemes, eg:
Biotope mapping to UK & Ireland classification scheme
Mapping of seabed features (facies)
Mapping of substrate types

17. Biotope Mapping
SNH:
Mapping the distribution of benthic biotopes in Moray Firth
This type of mapping is often used in UK for studies of SACs

18. Facies mapping
CEFAS: Broadscale interpretation of seabed facies between Hastings & Varne in Eastern Channel
Common type of mapping in aggregate industry

19. Translation to EUNIS Original habitat type polygon
e.g. Zostera marina beds
EUNIS habitat type polygon
e.g. A5.53
Translation

20. Validation samples

21. MESH Seabed photos

22. Supporting data – Acoustic
Multibeam, single beam & side scan useful to habitat mappers
Outlines of areas of acoustic data on MESH webGIS to show where data exist
MESH webGIS functionality also allows acoustic imagery to be displayed

23. Multibeam imagery
Area west of Hebrides, showing highly fractured bedrock which forms a network of gullies
~100 m
~40 m
~5 km

24. Supporting data Sediments & Bathymetry

25. Modelling Use physical data layers to predict habitat types
EUNIS classes
Marine landscapes
Irish data to be incorporated soon

26. Presenting data Progress to date Current issues
EUNIS colour scheme agreed
Current issues
How to display maps made at very different scales?
Overlapping shapefiles
Confidence assessments

27. Confidence assessment
GUI
GB000471
Remote sensing
87%
Ground-truthing
59%
Interpretation
72%
Cartography
50%
Overall
67%
View full confidence assessment

28. Interoperability – Signatures

29. Interoperability Link to NBN Gateway Web Mapping Services (WMS)
Species list for selected area
Species diversity summary for selected area
Web Mapping Services (WMS)
Image of a map is returned from another mapping server
Used to consume data from other websites

30. Delivering maps to end-users
The MESH project is committed to making its final interpreted seabed habitat maps publicly available at no cost
Data will be available for distribution to end-users for their local use
Data will be available to other web sites and desktop GIS users via direct data links (WMS)

31. webGIS Summary
MESH is delivering maps of seabed habitats classified using the standard nomenclature of the EUNIS habitat classification scheme
MESH has developed standard data exchange formats for the efficient sharing of data
Maps are presented to end-users in electronic format via a bespoke webGIS
Data will be shared to maximise interoperability

32. Where next? Short term Medium to long term
Gather feedback from Stakeholders, on the MESH webGIS
New data upload mid-Nov
Medium to long term
Use established mechanisms for data collation, integration and dissemination
Develop a strategy to maintain maps (beyond MESH)

33. Contact  JNCC Monkstone House City Road Peterborough PE1 1JY UK
Natalie Coltman
 JNCC Monkstone House City Road Peterborough PE1 1JY UK 