Marine evidence and sensitivity assessment
The MarLIN 'evidence base' remains the largest review yet undertaken on the effects of human activities and natural events on marine species and habitats. Most of the 'evidence base' is presented in our sensitivity assessment review but the other evidence-based resources are also shown below.
Marine Evidence-based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA)
Sensitivity assessment is based on a detailed review of available evidence (the 'evidence base') on the effects of pressures on marine species or habitats, and a subsequent scoring of sensitivity against a standard list of pressures, and their benchmark levels of effect. Reviews of the sensitivity of marine species and habitats can be found using the 'species' and 'habitat' menus provided above.
The MarLIN website hosts sensitivity assessments based on the Marine Evidence-based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) approach (Tillin et al., 2010; Tillin, Tyler-Walters et al., 2014; Tyler-Walters et al., 2018). The MarESA approach supersedes the MarLIN approach (Tyler-Walters, Hiscock et al., 1999-2010).
Marine Evidence-based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) MarESA Pressures
Marine evidence-based resources and tools
The MarLIN 'evidence base' also includes several resources and tools developed for specific sectors and stakeholder groups.
Effects of fishing on European Marine Sites
The website includes information on the reported effects of fishing activities on Habitats Directive relevant Annex I habitats and Annex II species; seabirds and estuarine/coastal birds occurring around the UK that are on Annex I of the Birds Directive; regularly occurring migratory seabirds and estuarine/coastal birds around the UK not on Annex I of the Birds Directive and other marine species protected by law in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The website provides access to summaries of the literature from Sewell et al. (2005, 2007), and can be searched by author, date and relevant keywords.
Effects of fishing within UK European Marine sites
Seabed Indicator Species database
The EU Water Framework Directive provides an imperative to identify biological (as well as physical and chemical) data to inform the development of measures of quality. The measures need to relate to a range of "pressures" so that cause and effect can be assessed. It is the matching of information sources to different 'Pressures' ('Environmental factors') which is at the core of this database (Hiscock et al., 2005).
Ninety-eight papers or reports were identified that list species which increase or decrease or that are considered intolerant or favoured in relation to different 'Pressures'/'Environmental factors'. The response of 482 taxa to seven 'Pressures', 15 'Environmental factors' and a general category for industrial effluents including sewage and metals were reviewed. The publications were inspected and the results summarized in the database and web pages.
Seabed Indicator Species Database
UK Marine Protected Areas Centre
The UK Marine Protected Areas Centre was a resource for information on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the UK (including the Crown Dependencies of the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man) from 2007 to 2011. The website draws together resources to help to build capacity amongst UK MPAs practitioners and facilitate sharing information, good practice and learning.
