This report on underwater noise is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA7) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report initially gives a general introduction to underwater ambient noise and the underlying mechanisms that generate sound. The report then identifies a number of sources of underwater acoustic noise, describes the characteristics of the noise including frequency content, levels and variability, and also identifies the current state of knowledge on each source. In all cases the sources are considered in the context of the SEA 7 area. Mechanisms that can modify the ambient sound levels are described. The dominant noise sources in the SEA 7 area are identified. Recommendations are then made for the methodology to be used to obtain meaningful characterisation of noise levels in order to establish baseline levels. The report then goes on to present an analysis of measured ambient noise data in the SEA 7 area, model predictions of spectrum levels, and compares the measured and modelled data.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA7) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The report concentrates on reviewing existing data and published sources, rather than attempt a quantitative baseline of wrecks and casualties. There is a comprehensive corpus of legislation, plans and polices concerned with the protection of the submerged maritime archaeological resource within the SEA 7 study area. The study outlines the known history of maritime activity within the SEA 7 area. Despite being an extremely large body of water that at times can produce dangerous sea and weather conditions, and encompasses the rugged coastlines of western Scotland and Northern Ireland, the area has been used extensively by seafarers from at least the Mesolithic (from 9000 BC) up to present times. During each time period there has been evidence of human activity within the SEA 7 area, often demonstrated by the discovery of maritime archaeological remains. The waters between the north east of Ireland and Scotland have been used as a means of communication throughout the centuries. Previous investigations of maritime archaeological remains within the SEA 7 area are discussed in the report. The spatial distribution of submerged archaeological remains is discussed, and comments are made on the limitations of any mapped baseline of data. The study concludes with a comment on the potential impacts of oil and gas activities on the submerged maritime archaeological resource and suggests possible monitoring methodologies.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report reviews the many different sources of underwater noise, both natural and anthropogenic, that combine to provide the background noise levels in which marine organisms need to survive throughout the SEA6 region. The sources of sound combine together in a complex manner resulting in significant spatial and temporal variations in the noise field. A map of the dominant noise sources in the Irish Sea is shown, indicating that man-made noise is the dominant source of noise over about 70% of the area. Shipping noise is likely to be dominant across large parts of the SEA6 area. To fully characterise the ambient noise field in the SEA6 area would require multiple measurements at a large number of locations over a period of a year. However, a considerably lower cost approach would be to characterise each sound source and to use this with occurrence statistics for each source to model the ambient noise field across the region. The advantages and disadvantages of the acoustic modelling approach are discussed.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The report documents the known and likely occurrence of prehistoric archaeological remains across the whole floor of the North Sea including the SEA3 area, and makes suggestions on how to enhance the finding and reporting of such artefacts. Sea level change associated with the retreat of the last glaciation led to almost the whole floor of the North Sea being dry land at some time or another in the past 20,000 years. Similar exposure of the North Sea floor was also associated with earlier glacial cycles. Thus prehistoric submarine archaeological artefacts can occur over a wide area of the North Sea floor, as far north as the latitude of the Shetland Islands. While artefacts dating from the last 12,000 years are most likely, human or proto-human artefacts as old as half a million years may have survived in places. Submarine archaeological studies in the Danish Archipelago have established that coastal sites were an optimal place for prehistoric human occupation. Similar coastal sites existed over many parts of the North Sea floor in the past. The potential impact of oil and gas operations on submarine archaeological remains is discussed. Pipe entrenching is the most likely process to uncover prehistoric archaeological deposits.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA5) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). A review of the coastal distribution and abundance of swans and geese in the SEA 5 area, including migration routes, key feeding areas and roosting areas was carried out. A review of the potential impacts of offshore wind farms on swans and geese was also conducted. The study area was defined as the east coast of Scotland from the English border north to John O' Groats, including Orkney and Shetland, and the offshore waters in the SEA 5 area. The review considered nine species: mute swan, Bewick's swan, whooper swan, bean goose, pinkfooted goose, white-fronted goose, greylag goose, barnacle goose and brent goose. Offshore wind farms may impact birds directly by mortality from collisions or indirectly by displacement from migratory flyways or local flight paths. At present there are very little data on the effects of offshore wind farms on swans and geese. Of the nine species reviewed, five species, whooper swan, mute swan, pink-footed goose, greylag goose and barnacle goose occur in internationally important numbers at coastal sites in the SEA5 area. Greenland white-fronted goose occur in nationally important numbers.

This document is intended to provide an introduction for non-specialists to the key activities and potential sources of environmental effects associated with oil and gas exploration and production. It forms part of the information base for the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2) process in the North Sea.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and discusses the potential for prehistoric archaeological remains to exist on the continental shelf part of the SEA4 area. The combination of post-glacial sea level rise and the subsidence of the shelf to the north of the Scottish mainland indicates that a large area of the present shelf, out to a water depth of about 150m on either side of the Orkney-Shetland Ridge, may have been dry land over 5000 years ago. Submarine archaeological studies in the Danish archipelago have established that coastal sites were an optimal place for prehistoric occupation. There is a great density of prehistoric sites in the Orkney and Shetland archipelagos, dating back to as early as 6000 years BP. Submerged sites could date back to about 9000 years BP. While shelf sites exposed to strong currents and Atlantic storm conditions are unlikely to have survived, the survival of more protected sites is quite likely. Locations where prehistoric remains might occur and have a high chance of survival are discussed. The potential impact of oil and gas operations on submarine archaeological remains is discussed. Pipe entrenching is the most likely process to uncover prehistoric archaeological deposits.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA3) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This study provides forecast information on probable activity levels, capital expenditure, tax revenues and employment resulting from exploration and production in the SEA3 area. The SEA3 area comprises 330 blocks or part blocks in the Central and Southern North Sea. Estimates were made of the reserves which might be discovered or developed. A cautious view was taken of the number of new developments which might emanate from licensing the area. The related exploration, appraisal, development and decommissioning costs were then estimated. Economic modelling was undertaken for different oil and gas prices to calculate for each development gross revenues, development costs, operating costs, and decommissioning costs. The taxation implications were also calculated. The impact of licensing the SEA3 area on the level of employment in the UK has been calculated. The proposed licensing would make a modest but worthwhile contribution towards moderating the downward trend of employment in the North Sea industry.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA5) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Prehistoric submarine archaeological remains back to a date of about 12,000 years ago, Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, could occur with low probability anywhere in the SEA5 area between the northern mainland coast and the eastern boundary of SEA5. This report presents an overview of known and likely areas with prehistoric archaeological remains, with mapped indications of relative likelihood of the presence of remains (sensitivity mapping) and with hotspots identified. The existence and possible survival of prehistoric sites is complicated by the rapid and continuing uplift of the east coast of Scotland and the immediately adjacent shelf in the Moray Firth, the fact that ice sheet covered part of the seabed obliterating most artefacts earlier than about 20,000 years BP, and that the seabed towards the median line has subsided, and was associated with extensive sea-water lakes and floating sea ice during the glacial maximum.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Historically there has not been a database of recreational use of the UK's marine environment. This lack of information was highlighted by the SEA which was carried out for the three strategic wind farm development areas: the Thames Estuary, Greater Wash and the North West (Liverpool Bay). In response the RYA published a document in 2004 entitled Sharing the Wind, which provided information on recreational boating in these strategic areas for consideration during the planning, design and approval process for wind farms. This report extends the work undertaken in Sharing the Wind to the SEA6 region. The report provides information on cruising routes, general sailing and racing areas, anchorage areas, the intensity with which each route is used, and the location and size of shore based facilities. The work was produced as a result of consultation with a large number of clubs, regional committees and local experts throughout the SEA6 area, which are listed in the back of the report. There are a total of 143 clubs within 2 miles of the coast, with an estimated membership of 37,000, that use the SEA6 region for boating activities.