Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) MCZ: North West Jones Bank: Multibeam, Benthic Sampling and Video survey NWJB_6_2012: Western Channel & Celtic Sea (27/02/2012 to 31/03/2012)

Gardline Geosurvey Limited was contracted by Cefas to survey for the recommended Marine Conservation Zone (rMCZ), Lot 6, North West Jones Bank. Survey work was conducted in March 2012. The object was to identify any hazards or obstructions on the seabed to within International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) Order 1 specification and to acquire both multi-beam echo sounder (MBES) bathymetric and backscatter data. Environmental sediment samples and camera data were acquired to provide ground truthing of the broadscale habitat features expected within the survey area and to investigate any potential features of conservation interest (FOCI) that may be present. The data acquisition programme for Lot 6 - South West Jones Bank was carried out on MV Tridens1, which sailed from and demobilised in Lowestoft upon completion of survey operations. In order to meet the objective of the survey 825 Line km of MBES data were acquired. Following processing of the data, infill lines were acquired as required to ensure that the IHO Order 1 requirements were met. It is the opinion of Gardline that the data fully cover the survey area to the IHO Order 1 standard in terms of both data accuracy and data density, both of which were confirmed during offshore data processing. There was some breakup of the backscatter data due to the marginal weather that the survey was conducted in at times, but it was agreed that the data were fit for purpose and met the requirements of CEFAS and so acquisition continued. These data are archived with the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) Data Archive Centres (DACs) including the British Geological Survey (BGS) DAC for geology and geophysics, The Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data (DASSH) and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) bathymetry DAC. The full site data package including raw is also available on request from BGS.