MCZ Interactive Map Balanced Seas Finding Sanctuary Irish Sea Conservation Zone Netgain
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The Marine Conservation Zone Project is a partnership project working with people who use the sea for their livelihood or leisure to identify Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The project area covers English inshore waters and the offshore waters around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been split into four regional MCZ projects covering the south-west (Finding Sanctuary), Irish Sea (Irish Sea Conservation Zones), North Sea (Net Gain) and south-east (Balanced Seas).

View

Through this interactive map you can see different information layers which will help orientate yourself in the marine environment.

Add

Through this map you can input information on how and where you use the sea that will be used to help plan for Marine Conservation Zones. If you use the sea it’s vital that we get your input so start your mapping process here. You will need to register with us first to do this.

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Should you need more information then click on this icon throughout the site for more information.

Should you require more information or help on using this site please contact us

Terms and conditions of use.

ViewHelp

Through MCZ Interactive Map you can see different information layers. Use the map controls to locate zoom and pan and the tick boxes to choose the data that you want to display.
Note: Stakeholder data cannot be compared between the project areas.Help

Add

Help the regional MCZ project teams plan and recommend Marine Conservation Zones by adding information to the map using the buttons below. All information you add will only be visible to you and the regional MCZ project teams. The regional MCZ project teams will use your information to produce amalgamated data sets to assist in planning and recommendation of MCZs. You can cancel, delete or edit your information at any time, so don’t be afraid to have a go. Help

You will need to register with us first to do this.

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FAQs

Why should I contribute my information?

The information you share will be used by your representatives on the regional project stakeholder groups to plan Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The aim is for MCZs to have the least impact possible on people’s activities, although the recommendations for MCZs will need to meet national guidelines for protecting species, habitats, geography and geomorphology. The more information we have about how people use the sea, the better we can plan MCZs and avoid unnecessary impacts to your activity.

What information do you want me to share?

We are asking you to tell us which areas of the sea are important to you. Specifically, we would like you to share with us details of where you go and what you do at sea, and the environmental knowledge you have for those areas.

Will you use the information I share with you to stop me going to my favourite spots?

No. The information will be used by your spokesperson on the regional project stakeholder groups to represent your interests during discussions about potential Marine Conservation Zones. If they don’t have the information, they can’t make sure the stakeholder group understands what areas and activities are important to you. It’s also important to remember that MCZs are not necessarily "no take" zones. While some MCZs may be highly protected, many activities will be able to continue in others.

Can I share my information with the project without giving away the location of my secret spots?

The individual sites you mark on the map will be kept confidential. Your data will be amalgamated with many other people’s data before it is added to our Interactive Map, so no one individual’s information can be deciphered from this.

Why do I need to register?

We ask you to register before adding your information to ensure that we can contact you should we need to clarify any of the information you have shared with us.

How do I register/sign in?

To register, select the ‘Register’ link at the top of the welcome screen. Select your interests (you can always add additional groups later) and click the next button. Decide on a user name - if someone has already chosen that name the page will display a warning. Fill in the remaining details as accurately as possible and click create user. You will then receive a registration email detailing the next steps to take. Please note that registration acknowledges your agreement with the interactive map terms and conditions.
To sign in, select the ‘Sign in’ link at the top of the screen. The interactive map will then ask which role you wish to log in to. This may just be the stakeholder group you selected when you signed up, if you want to add a new role, just select it from the list.

If I fall into two or more stakeholder groups (e.g. sea angling and sailing), can I sign in using one account or do I have to register multiple times?

You only have to register one account. When you log in, the interactive map will ask you which role you want to add data too. You can add yourself to any of the other roles at this time.

I use parts of the sea that fall into more than one project area (e.g. the Finding Sanctuary and Balanced Seas areas), can I use the same account to record my information?

Yes, you can use one account to show what parts of the sea you use across all of the project regions.

Why does the interactive map run slowly on my computer?

The interactive map works better on some internet browsers than others. If you are using a PC, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome are both excellent choices. Internet Explorer versions 7 and 8 are supported, but don’t perform well in applications like the interactive map. On the Mac, Safari and Firefox are good choices (all links will open in a new window).

How do I choose the level of importance for a site, all of the places I use are important to me?

When you add a site to the map, part of the information you can attach to it is an importance level. This can be one of three levels: important, less or more. We consider all sites that you add to the interactive map important, but it is valuable for us to gain some insight as to how your sites compare to each other. So, if you have a site that you think is slightly less or more important than your average site, select the appropriate tag.

What do I do if the name of a wreck I visit isn’t on your list, I'm not sure exactly where it is on the map, but I have the GPS coordinates?

When you move the mouse cursor around the map, the position (in decimal degrees) is displayed on the bottom left of the map window. This should allow you to locate your position with enough accuracy to add your information.

Why are there two sets of legal boundaries and why don't they match?

The OpenStreetMap background mapping used by the interactive map has some legal boundaries built in (pale purple lines). These have some small discrepancies compared to the official boundary and shouldn't be used to locate yourself. We are trying to get the OpenStreetMap boundaries amended as soon as possible.

Can I use the Interactive Map to enter information in Welsh inshore waters

At the moment the tool has been developed for the purposes of the four regional MCZ projects covering the territorial waters of England and the offshore waters of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and does not include Welsh territorial waters that are covered by the MCZ Project Wales. Welsh Assembly Government have information on the MCZ Project Wales available from their website.

Help

Many people will find it useful to read the help document for the webGIS. It can be accessed as a webpage, here, or a document that can be downloaded and printed out, here.

Should you wish to begin using the webGIS right away, context specific help can be accessed via the Help that you will find throughout the site.

Click on on one of the links below to jump to the relevant section of the help.

Basics
Main information
Using the map interface
Using the view tab
Adding your own information to the map
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This project has been jointly funded by Defra, Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. For more information on the marine programmes in these organisations click on the logos below.

Copyright 2010 MCZ Project All rights reserved. Powered by WebMaps from exeGesIS SDM Ltd

The Marine Conservation Zone Project is a partnership project working with people who use the sea for their livelihood or leisure to identify Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).

Marine Conservation Zones are a new type of Marine Protected Area (MPA) introduced through the Marine and Coastal Access Act. They aim to protect nationally important marine species, habitats, geology and geomorphology. MCZs together with other types of MPA, will contribute to the Government’s target of an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas by 2012.

Irish Sea Conservation Zones Finding Sanctuary Balanced Seas Net Gain Balanced Seas Irish Sea Conservation Zones Finding Sanctuary Net Gain

Click on a project area to zoom the map.

The Marine Conservation Zone Project has been established in English inshore waters and the offshore waters around England, Wales and Northern Ireland to identify and recommend MCZs to Government. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England have established four regional MCZ projects to take forward the recommendation of MCZs. These projects are actively engaging sea users and interest groups to ensure any areas selected as potential MCZs are widely supported.

This interactive map allows people to input information on how and where they use our seas for a number of activities, such as diving and sea angling, so it's vital that we get your input, and we thank you for your participation in this process.


This project has been jointly funded by Defra, Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. For more information on the marine programmes in these organisations click on the logos below.

Image - Jewel AnemonesImage - Pink Sea FanImage - Sea Fan AnemoneImage - Spiny SeahorseImage - Common or Blue Mussels

Copyright 2010 MCZ Project . All rights reserved. Powered by WebMaps from exeGesIS SDM Ltd

© Paul Kay.