North Western Waters Atlas 3rd Edition

Abstract

The third edition of the North Western Waters (NWW) Atlas is a joint publication between the Marine Institute and the NWW Advisory Council. This Atlas is intended for policy makers, managers and interested stakeholders and aims to provide a broad overview of the ecosystem of the NWW Advisory Council (AC) area. We have tried to make the science as clear and concise as possible, and keep technical language to a minimum. The information has been presented through a blend of text, tables, figures and images. There is a glossary of terms and a list of more detailed scientific references for those interested in following up certain issues. The first and second editions of the Atlas, published in 2009 and 2011 respectively under the MEFEPO project, were extremely well received and this new edition has been modified in response to stakeholder feedback to provide updated information on the physical and chemical features, habitat types, biological features, birds, mammals, fishing activity and other human activities taking place within the NWW region. We have received valuable contributions from non-governmental organisations, which use citizen science to collect information on the marine ecosystem around us. Whenever citizen science is used to complement the existing knowledge, this is clearly marked in the relevant sections. The North Western Waters (NWW) area is situated in the north east Atlantic off the west coast of Ireland and Scotland, and extends into the Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and the English Channel.