This BGS led survey, conducted by Gardline took place between Oct2008 and Mar2009 in 3 phases. The first 2 phases were conducted aboard the Gardline MV Vigilant. The first phase was completed due to the advent of adverse whether. The second phase completed the deeper water portion of the survey Information from the first two phases is held under survey number 2008_5_MEPF. A 3rd phase was planned and completed on short notice in the shallow water parts of the survey area aboard the MV Confidante. Information from this third phase is held under Survey Number 2009_7_MEPF. The aim of the Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) survey, funded through the Marine Environment Protection Fund of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF) was to acquire data, of the highest quality and resolution possible, to enable broadscale characterisation of the seabed habitat, associated biological communities and potential historic environmental assets within the region. The project was managed by the British Geological Survey (BGS), who largely designed the geophysical survey programme, with archaeological direction being supplied by the University of Birmingham and the environmental programme being directed by Marine Ecological Surveys (MES). The “geophysical” and subsequent “ground truthing” field work was carried out by Gardline Geosurveys under the guidance of the other partners. This report and the accompanying similar volume for the ground truthing phase, describe the field operations. The aims of these preliminary phases of the project were to provide data for other interested parties to process. Geophysical data collected includes: sub-tow (Suface tow on Confidante), Side-scan Sonar, Multibeam bathymetry, magnetometer.

This Gardline marine geophysical survey took place during May/June 2005 in the Eastern English Channel aboard the MV Tridens. This survey was undertaken for the Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map study (EECMHM) as part of a series of four surveys. The EECMHM study was funded by the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) a marine component of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). Sea floor data collected were high-resolution multibeam bathymetry, echosounder and side-scan sonar. Subsurface data were gathered using a Surface Tow Boomer. Most of the data were recorded digitally. Some paper records were also generated also. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs), including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and the UKHO DAC for bathymetry data. For further information on the surveys and general information on the EECMHM see the final report (James et al, 2007. Cefas Science Series Technical Report No. 139).

This survey took place in September - November 2008 east of East Anglia. The survey was undertaken in joint collaboration between the British Geological Survey, the Centre for Ecology, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and Wessex Archaeology. The aims of the R/V CEFAS Endeavour 18/08 / BGS 2008/04 cruise were to acquire high resolution multibeam echosounder, sidescan sonar, surface tow boomer and magnetometer data in the East Coast Regional Environmental Assessment area. This phase of data acquisition will be used to position vibrocore, clamshell grab, camera and biological sampling stations which will be visited during Spring 2009. The cruise was carried out under contract for the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). Technical details of the survey can be found in BGS Internal Report IR/08/074 and CEFAS Cruise Report CEND 18/08.

This National Museum of Wales (NMW) sampling survey took place in July 2003 in the Outer Bristol Channel aboard the RV Prince Madog. This survey was undertaken for the Outer Bristol Channel Marine Habitat Study (OBCMHS) as part of a series of five surveys. The OBCMHS was principally funded by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, MALSF, (administered in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government), the Sustainable Land Won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), administered by Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), with contributions from others. Seabed samples were collected using a Van Veen Grab. Seabed video and photographs were also collected. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs), including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and the DASSH DAC for biological data. For further information on the surveys and general information on the OBCMHS see the final project report (Mackie et al, 2006. BIOMOR Reports 4:ISBN 0-7200-0569-8).

This CEFAS marine geophysical survey took place in February/March 2006 in the Eastern English Channel aboard the RV CEFAS Endeavour. This survey was undertaken for the Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map study (EECMHM) as part of a series of four surveys. The EECMHM study was funded by the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) a marine component of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). The purpose of this survey was to infill between lines completed during a previous survey in 2005. Sea floor data were collected using an EM3000 multibeam bathymetry system. Backscatter data were collected using sidescan sonar system. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs), including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and multibeam bathymetry data are available from the UKHO Bathy DAC, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/inspire-portal-and-medin-bathymetry-data-archive-centre. Where Hardcopy records exist these have been archived by CEFAS. Cruise summary report available: https://www.bodc.ac.uk/resources/inventories/cruise_inventory/reports/endeavour6_06.pdf. For further information on the surveys and general information on the EECMHM see the final report (James et al, 2007. Cefas Science Series Technical Report No. 139).

This British Geological Survey (BGS) marine geophysical survey took place during October/November 2003 in the Outer Bristol Channel aboard the RV Prince Madog. Netsurvey Ltd were commissioned to provide multibeam services. This survey was undertaken for the Outer Bristol Channel Marine Habitat Study (OBCMHS) as part of a series of five surveys. The OBCMHS was principally funded by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, MALSF, (administered in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government), the Sustainable Land Won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), administered by Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), with contributions from others. Sea floor data collected were high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and side-scan sonar (on selected lines). Subsurface data were gathered using a surface tow boomer (on selected lines). The multibeam data collected on this survey were later merged with data from the 2004 survey and this combined dataset is available with the 2004 survey. Most of the data were recorded digitally. Some paper records were also generated also. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DAC), including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and the UKHO DAC for bathymetry data. Technical details of the survey are contained in BGS Cruise report IR/04/012 (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/509269/) and BGS Cruise report IR/05/082 (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11121/). For further information on the surveys and general information on the OBCMHS see the final report (Mackie et al, 2006. BIOMOR Reports 4:ISBN 0-7200-0569-8).

This BGS led survey, conducted by Gardline took place between Oct2008 and Mar2009 in 3 phases. The first 2 phases were conducted aboard the Gardline MV Vigilant. The first phase was completed due to the advent of adverse whether. The second phase completed the deeper water portion of the survey Information from the first two phases is held under Survey Number 2008_5_MEPF. A 3rd phase was planned and completed on short notice in the shallow water parts of the survey area aboard the MV Confidante. Information from this third phase is held under Survey Number 2009_7_MEPF. The aim of the Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) survey, (unded through the Marine Environment Protection Fund of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF) was to acquire data, of the highest quality and resolution possible, to enable broadscale characterisation of the seabed habitat, associated biological communities and potential historic environmental assets within the region. The project was managed by the British Geological Survey (BGS), who largely designed the geophysical survey programme, with archaeological direction being supplied by the University of Birmingham and the environmental programme being directed by Marine Ecological Surveys (MES). The “geophysical” and subsequent “ground truthing” field work was carried out by Gardline Geosurveys under the guidance of the other partners. This report and the accompanying similar volume for the ground truthing phase, describe the field operations. The aims of these preliminary phases of the project were to provide data for other interested parties to process. Geophysical data collected includes: sub-tow (Suface tow on Confidante), Side-scan Sonar, Multibeam bathymetry, magnetometer. Technical details of the survey are contained in the Gardline Operations Report 7776/Ops/Geo.

This CEFAS sampling survey took place during July/August 2005 in the Eastern English Channel aboard the RV CEFAS Endeavour. This survey was undertaken for the Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map study (EECMHM) as part of a series of four surveys. The EECMHM study was funded by the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) a marine component of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). The main cruise objective was to collect groundtruthing samples from up to 150 sites in the Eastern English Channel in order to validate acoustic data collected in May/June 2005. All 150 sites were sampled with a HamCam (Hamon grab with camera fitted) and ~40 with a 2m Jennings type Beam trawl. Stills and video imagery were collected from ~40 sites using either a towed video sledge or drop camera frame. Multibeam bathymetry data were collected on the transits between sampling stations. During this survey, benthos and sediment samples were also collected for a time-series study at 10 EARS sites in the Eastern English Channel using the HamCam, and UWTV sledge. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs) including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics, the DASSH DAC for biological data. The multibeam data are not part of the archived dataset. Where they hardcopy records/samples exist these have been archived by CEFAS. For further information on the surveys and general information on the EECMHM see the final report (James et al, 2007. Cefas Science Series Technical Report No. 139).

This CEFAS sampling survey took place during July/August 2006 in the Eastern English Channel aboard the RV CEFAS Endeavour. This survey was undertaken for the Eastern English Channel Marine Habitat Map study (EECMHM) as part of a series of four surveys. The EECMHM study was funded by the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) a marine component of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF). Samples were collected using a HamCam (Hamon grab with camera fitted), Camera Sledge and Beam Trawl. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DACs) including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and the DASSH DAC for biological data. Where hardcopy records/samples exist these have been archived by CEFAS. For further information on the surveys and general information on the EECMHM see the final report (James et al, 2007. Cefas Science Series Technical Report No. 139).

This British Geological Survey (BGS) marine geophysical survey took place during August 2004 in the Outer Bristol Channel aboard the RV Prince Madog. Netsurvey Ltd were commissioned to provide multibeam services. This survey was undertaken for the Outer Bristol Channel Marine Habitat Study (OBCMHS) as part of a series of five surveys. The OBCMHS was principally funded by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, MALSF, (administered in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government), the Sustainable Land Won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), administered by Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), with contributions from others. Sea floor data collected were high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and side-scan sonar (on selected lines). Subsurface data were gathered using a surface tow boomer (on selected lines). The multibeam data adds to the data collected on a previous survey in 2003 and multibeam products include data from the 2003 survey. Most of the data were recorded digitally. Some paper records were also generated also. These data are archived with the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (DAC), including the BGS DAC for geology and geophysics and the UKHO DAC for bathymetry data. Technical details of the survey are contained in BGS Cruise report IR/05/082 (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11121/). For further information on the surveys and general information on the OBCMHS see the final report (Mackie et al, 2006. BIOMOR Reports 4:ISBN 0-7200-0569-8).