Essential Fish Habitat Hotspots MMO1133 - Vector Data

This dataset was derived from outputs from the MMO1133 Areas Important to Fish Project. Details of this project can be found in the MMO1133 project report. Presence abundance raster datasets were supplied by CEFAS for individual species and different life stages. These life stages included Adult, Juvenile and Spawning modelled data. Range classifications were based upon review of the data histograms. This dataset should have the corresponding symbology applied prior to use for each life stage. To identify individual species hotspots, the Optimised Hot Spot Analysis tool was used. Areas were then clipped to areas of >99% hotspot confidence. The resulting areas were given a value of 1. Important areas for individual species were then overlapped to sum the important areas. E.g. 4 areas that overlapped would receive an area value of 4. Final datasets were created for 3 different life stages: Spawning, Juvenile and Adult with varying species included in these. For Adult Hotspots, the following species were included: Anglerfish, Black Seabream, Blue Whiting, Boarfish, Brill, Cod, Common Megrim, Cuttlefish, Dab, Edible Crab, Haddock, Hake, Herring, Horse Mackerel, Lemon Sole, Ling, Mackerel, Norway Pout, Plaice, Pollack, Saithe, Sole, Squids, Surmullet, Sprat, Thornback ray, Whiting and Witch. For Juvenile Hotspots, the following species were included: Anglerfish, Black Seabream, Blue Whiting, Boarfish, Brill, Cod, Common Megrim, Cuttlefish, Dab, Haddock, Hake, Herring, Horse Mackerel, Lemon Sole, Ling, Mackerel, Norway Pout, Plaice, Saithe, Sardine, Sole, Surmullet, Sprat, Thornback ray, Whiting and Witch. For Spawning Hotspots, the following species were included: Anglerfish, Blue Whiting, Cod, Common Megrim, Edible Crab, Dab, Haddock, Hake, Herring, Horse Mackerel, Lemon Sole, Mackerel, Norway Pout, Plaice, Sole, Sprat, Squids, Surmullet, Thornback Ray, Whiting. The data has been clipped to remove 'No Data' instead of applying '0' values. This is due to limitations in the raw modelled data where a '0' value could represent an area that actually contained little to no data and therefore misrepresents the areas destination.