The aim of UKSeaMap is to give a broad-scale overview of the coverage of different physical seabed habitats in the UK.
It is a predictive map, which is useful to give a broad-scale overview of habitats over a large area. HOWEVER, if you need a map showing the best available data everywhere, which includes higher resolution data from surveys, then the EUNIS level 3 combined map may be more suitable.
PLEASE NOTE: as of early 2024, we recommend using EUSeaMap version 2023 over UKSeaMap 2018. We have therefore removed the zipped file download, however it is still available by request from HabitatMapping@jncc.gov.uk. An update to UKSeaMap is due to be published in early 2025.
UKSeaMap is classified according to three schemes:
- Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland v15.03
- EUNIS marine habitat classification system
- MSFD benthic broad habitat types
Data product summary
| View |
Not currently available to view online |
| Download | Available for download on request, see note above |
| Web services | UK habitat data products web service (coming soon) |
| Metadata |
Available on JNCC's Resource Hub |
| Version history |
2018: UKSeamap 2018 v1 - EUNIS broad-scale habitat map, building on UKSeaMap 2016 with updates to substrate. 2016: UKSeaMap 2016 - EUNIS broad-scale habitat map, building on EUSeaMap 2016 2010: UKSeaMap 2010 - EUNIS broad-scale habitat map, building on MESH broad-scale habitat map 2006: UKSeaMap - marine landscapes map |
| Further information |
Methods report (coming soon) About the EMODnet broad-scale seabed habitat map for Europe (focus on EUSeaMap 2021) Booklet about how we create these broad-scale maps (focus on EUSeaMap 2016) (PDF) |
Relationship to other projects
UKSeaMap aims to be a value-added product based on EUSeaMap, an output of the EU-funded EMODnet Seabed Habitats initiative, which JNCC has taken a leading role in since its inception in 2009.
EUSeaMap was last updated in 2023, and so is currently more recent than UKSeaMap 2018 and should be used in preference to UKSeaMap until the next update to UKSeaMap, due in early 2025.
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