Understanding which habitats should be considered irreplaceable in the marine environment is important for Natural England’s marine casework and in new areas of work such as marine net gain. Knowing which habitats are irreplaceable will assist developers, planners and regulators to avoid habitats that cannot be replaced or recreated elsewhere in compensation for their loss.
The Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA) was commissioned by Natural England to define marine habitat irreplaceability and define coastal and marine irreplaceable habitats. The commissioned project consisted of three stages:
Stage 1: A literature review on definitions of marine habitat irreplaceability.
Stage 2: Interviews with experts to further discuss and refine criteria for marine habitat irreplaceability.
Stage 3: Application of methodology to assess irreplaceability to UK Level 3 and 4 EUNIS habitats
