Pushing the boundaries: integration of multi-source digital elevation model data for seamless geological mapping of the UK's coastal zone

Recent advances in marine acoustic survey and land-based topographic monitoring technologies have resulted in increasingly cost-effective data acquisition in coastal areas. The DEFRA-funded National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes of England are, for example, utilising swath bathymetry and airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology more routinely to survey the coastal zone around the coastline of England. The demand for data processing, visualisation and interpretation techniques to keep pace with such advances in data acquisition is clear. This study discusses collection and processing techniques for such data on the south coast of Dorset, England, which have enabled the production of a seamless, high spatial resolution digital elevation model across the coastal zone. Case studies demonstrate how this elevation model can be viewed and analysed using state-of-the-art digital techniques to allow geological mapping to be extended from onshore to offshore in unprecedented detail, effectively eliminating what is known as the ‘White Ribbon’ for coastal geological mapping. The potential for rolling out such techniques for wider surveying programmes across many environmental disciplines is significant, which could contribute towards improving the multi-disciplinary scientific evidence base in the complex coastal zone

Interpreting monitoring data for shoreline and geohazard mapping

The demand for marine-related spatial information has become increasingly apparent in recent years at a European and national scale, due to the increased pressures on the sea-floor environments and marine resources of UK territorial waters. The advent of economically viable swath bathymetry data acquisition in the coastal zone and effective collaborative partnerships between the Channel Coastal Observatory, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, UK Hydrographic Office, British Geological Survey and academic institutions, have opened up new opportunities to produce a robust scientific evidence base to inform integrated coastal zone management objectives and contribute to wider scientific initiatives. Interpretation of high-quality bathymetric data, acoustic backscatter and ground-truthing data allows zones of exposed bedrock, rock outcrops and pinnacles to be identified, along with areas of mobility or stability of surficial sediments. Temporal and spatial analyses of coastal and marine monitoring datasets also contribute to improved understanding of interactions between natural coastal process and coastal-defence and beach-management operations. Furthermore, developments in three-dimensional mapping techniques and visualisation technologies have enabled seamless high-resolution coastal geology maps to be re-interpreted and extended offshore, providing a more complete picture of the baseline geology, physical properties, structure and geohazards in the coastal and nearshore zone. The full paper details the methodology developed to produce a range of indicative marine mapping layers, and presents examples from eastern and southern England where marine-related spatial data has contributed to the multi-disciplinary scientific evidence base to inform development of UK marine policy and planning, coastal management and coastal zone geological mappin

The economics of nuclear power. A report to the Sustainable Development Commission

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Interpreting monitoring data for shoreline and geohazard mapping

The demand for marine-related spatial information has become increasingly apparent in recent years at a European and national scale, due to the increased pressures on the sea-floor environments and marine resources of UK territorial waters. The advent of economically viable swath bathymetry data acquisition in the coastal zone and effective collaborative partnerships between the Channel Coastal Observatory, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, UK Hydrographic Office, British Geological Survey and academic institutions, have opened up new opportunities to produce a robust scientific evidence base to inform integrated coastal zone management objectives and contribute to wider scientific initiatives. Interpretation of high-quality bathymetric data, acoustic backscatter and ground-truthing data allows zones of exposed bedrock, rock outcrops and pinnacles to be identified, along with areas of mobility or stability of surficial sediments. Temporal and spatial analyses of coastal and marine monitoring datasets also contribute to improved understanding of interactions between natural coastal process and coastal-defence and beach-management operations. Furthermore, developments in three-dimensional mapping techniques and visualisation technologies have enabled seamless high-resolution coastal geology maps to be re-interpreted and extended offshore, providing a more complete picture of the baseline geology, physical properties, structure and geohazards in the coastal and nearshore zone. The full paper details the methodology developed to produce a range of indicative marine mapping layers, and presents examples from eastern and southern England where marine-related spatial data has contributed to the multi-disciplinary scientific evidence base to inform development of UK marine policy and planning, coastal management and coastal zone geological mapping

Priority questions to shape the marine and coastal policy research agenda in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom (UK) and European Union policy is rapidly developing to meet international targets for the sustainable use and protection of the marine environment. To inform this process, research needs to keep pace with these changes and research questions must be focused on providing robust scientific evidence. Thirty four priority research questions within six broad themes were identified by delegates who attended the 1st marine and coastal policy Forum, hosted by the Centre for Marine and Coastal Policy Research at Plymouth University in June 2011. The priority questions formed through this research are timely and reflect the pace and change of marine policy in the UK in response to international, European and national policy drivers. Within the data theme, the majority of questions seek to find improved procedures to manage and use data effectively. Questions related to governance focus on how existing policies should be implemented. The marine conservation questions focus entirely upon implementation and monitoring of existing policy. Questions related to ecosystem services focus on research to support the conceptual links between ecosystem services, ecosystem function, and marine management. Questions relating to marine citizenship are fundamental questions about the nature of societal engagement with the sea. Finally, the marine planning questions focus upon understanding the general approaches to be taken to marine planning rather than its detailed implementation. The questions that have emerged from this process vary in scale, approach and focus. They identify the interdisciplinary science that is currently needed to enable the UK to work towards delivering its European and international commitments to achieve the sustainable use and protection of the marine environment