2.1 Review current mapping
standards and protocols
Review current mapping standards
and protocols, leading to an expert workshop, gathering mapping
specialists from Europe and internationally (e.g. from ICES), to
review the capabilities and performance of existing techniques and
technologies. The workshop will identify which parts of the
integrated mapping process currently have adequate standards and
where substantial effort is required on specific techniques or
mapping strategies. It will prioritise areas where further
development of standards and protocols is required.
2.2 Standards and protocols for
intertidal and shallow subtidal (optical) mapping techniques
(optical and acoustic)
Formulate a strategy for
surveying over different spatial scales.
Establish standards and protocols
for relevant remote sensing techniques (satellite & aerial
sensing and imagery)
Determine minimum requirements
for ground-truthing the remote sensing techniques (e.g. by
intertidal and diver surveys).
Establish standards and protocols
for the ground-truthing techniques which may themselves be valid
mapping techniques at the smaller spatial scale.
Develop guidelines for data
management.
2.3 Standards and protocols for
deepersub-tidal (acoustic) mapping techniques (acoustic, optical
and sediment/faunal sampling techniques relevant to deeper
waters)
Formulate a strategy for
surveying over different spatial scales.
Establish standards and protocols
for relevant remote sensing techniques (acoustic imagery and
sensing)
Determine minimum requirements
for ground-truthing the remote sensing techniques (e.g. by video
and faunal and floral sampling).
Establish standards and protocols
for the ground-truthing techniques, which may themselves be valid
mapping techniques at the smaller spatial scale.
Develop guidelines for data
management.
2.4 Standardised interpretation of
habitat mapping data
Define procedures for the
analysis of:
Remote-sensed optical data
(including LiDAR, satellite, aerial data) (Ifremer)
Remote-sensed acoustic data
(including old and new side-scan data (BGS), AGDS (Envision),
multibeam (Marine Institute))
Video data (DARD)
Benthic sample data (CEFAS)
Development will need reanalysis
of certain datasets to derive consistency in resultant habitat
types.
2.5 Synergies, intercompatibility
and inter-calibration of techniques
Determine compatibilities between
remote sensing techniques that can detect the same habitat type
(e.g. seagrass beds sensed by both aerial photography and sonar).
Establish standards and protocols for inter-calibrating such
techniques to provide a complementary approach to interpretation
and ground-truthing.
Identify synergies and
cross-correlation between mapping techniques, enhancing their scope
and utility for marine habitat mapping.
2.6 Update habitat classification
schemes
Update the EUNIS classification
based on its practical application within the NWE area, taking
particular account of the habitat classes identified from remote
sensing techniques.
2.7 Confidence rating for habitat
data
Develop an approach to
rating the accuracy and precision of the maps, hopefully allowing
an assessment of the confidence with which an end-user can make
decisions based on the map's information
2.8 Data exchange formats
For each sensing/sampling
technique, to establish a standardised format that will be used
when exchanging (or archiving) data.
2.9 Presentation techniques for
habitat mapping
Develop standardised techniques
for presenting habitat data in Geographic Information Systems,
appropriate to a range of scales.
2.10 Guidance framework for
habitat mapping
Compile the 'concrete
results/outcomes' of the actions detailed above and augment these
with further guidance and explanation to provide a guidance
framework for habitat mapping, including mapping strategies
(balances between techniques, cost, aims, habitat type and
complexity, and area to be covered to result in final mapping
strategy).
This may include a resource package of utilities (software,
decision trees, pro-formas, data sets etc) to encourage and
facilitate adoption of the recommended standards and
protocols.