Aims and objectives

The issues of conservation in the marine environment are many and varied but by tackling three central elements - biodiversity, ecosystem damage and public awareness - DC-UK will provide information on threats to offshore biodiversity, practical case studies to help future conservation management and will disseminate this information to a wider public.

DC-UK will investigate the biodiversity of cold-water coral reefs in the UK, secure valuable historic video from the Rockall Bank before it was trawled, develop the methods to monitor remotely deep-water trawling and raise awareness of the diverse and fascinating deep-sea environment of the UK by making scientific survey results readily accessible.

DC-UK will use offshore habitat case studies. New information on the biodiversity of these habitats will be gathered and summarised alongside existing data. Historic video survey data from Rockall Bank before trawling will be safely archived. By using data from satellite monitoring of fishing vessels, DC-UK will provide practical help to conservation managers so that these diverse communities receive appropriate protection. A vast archive of images and photographs available from scientific surveys will be used to raise public awareness of the UK’s unique deep-sea resource. Finally the results of DC-UK will be made available on the World Wide Web and through direct liaison with marine stakeholders, including the fishing industry.