1. a Plankton Highway Along the Western Coasts of the UK
HABs themselves should not be used as indicator 1. A plankton highway along of water quality. the western coasts of the UK Main policy implications This work has demonstrated that the stratified regions around the western coasts of the UK and Ireland have particular unique properties and constitute distinct eco-hydrodynamic regions. Such oceanographic regionality is directly relevant to a range of aspects likely to be considered in the Marine Bill, especially Marine Spatial Planning (http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine bill/index.htm). Use of such knowledge is fundamental to the characterisation (‘typology’) of UK shelf waters (relevant to the proposed European Marine Strategy Directive), and increasing awareness is required of these oceanographic complexities with regard to, for example, the consideration of indicators of ecosystem status (Tett et al., 2004a, b; Larcombe et al. 2004), fisheries management and marine nature conservation. In summer, the density-driven flows at the boundaries of the stratified regions cause a major regional flow, which acts to limit transport between neighbouring eco-hydrodynamic regions. For example, summer transport between the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea is very limited, while there is strong transport along their boundary (St Georges Channel). There is thus limited potential for transport of plankton across these pathways, Figure 1.1. The combined pathway from the results of three but high potential for transport along them, as field programs, with drifter tracks overlain on the contours of indicated by the occurrence of Karenia mikimotoi bottom density field. along this pathway (Raine, 1993). This mechanism has the potential to transport ‘non- Main science findings indigenous’ species into and around UK waters, into environments that may, in the future, be From early summer (late May) to autumn (mid favourable to their persistence.
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