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 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 (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 (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.

As part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA2), this report briefly describes the evidence for the origin of shallow gas in Outer Moray Firth open blocks 15/20c and 15/25d. Sea floor pockmarks are known to occur within these blocks, and they indicate the seepage of gas from shallow levels into the local water column. An environmental concern is that any industry activity in these blocks must not plumb into any component of the system that is sustaining the gas seepages at sea bed. The study area covers two part-blocks within the eastern part of the Witch Ground Graben within the UK Central North Sea. This study follows on from the DTI 2001 SEA research on pockmarks.

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 on archaeology is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA7) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). There is a high likelihood of surviving prehistoric archaeology (10,000 - 5000 years old) in certain areas of SEA7, most notably to the west of the Outer Hebrides for a distance of some 10km, to a depth of -20m, and in and among the islands elsewhere (particularly around Islay, Jura, Mull and the Small Isles) along the coast and between S Scotland and N Ireland. The reasons comprise a complex interplay of changing sea level and the rebound of the land once freed from the compression of ice at the end of the last Ice Age. The net result of these physical effects is that 10,000 years ago relative sea level has been up to 45m lower along much of the coast and this corresponds with the period of early human settlement in the area. In places this means that considerable areas of submerged land exist. An investigation of bathymetric, sedimentary and tidal data for the area suggests that the prehistoric land surface, including archaeological remains, may survive in many places. Cooperation between existing extraction companies and renewable industries and archaeologists elsewhere in Britain shows how the recording and investigation of archaeological material could be beneficial to both parties should work take place in SEA7. The final sections provide a preliminary examination of how matters might be taken forward to safeguard the archaeological knowledgebase without prejudicing commercial interests.

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.

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 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). In this report maritime archaeology refers to archaeology based on the investigation of the remains of ships, boats, maritime infrastructure and such other material remains as provide insights into past societies by way of their seafaring and sea-use. Archaeological issues relating to the wrecks of aircraft are not included. After summarising the legislative framework applicable to maritime archaeology, e.g. Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, the history of maritime activity in the Irish Sea from the Palaeolithic times to the present day is reviewed. Examples of historic wrecks, some found in recent years by divers, are given. The spatial distribution of maritime archaeological remains is considered and the possible impacts of oil and gas activities are described. The report concludes with an outline of the methods used in investigating maritime archaeological remains.