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The Environment

Marine environment

• About the marine environment
• Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
• Marine science and monitoring

• Marine licensing
• UK policy
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management
• Contaminated marine sediments

• Carbon capture and storage in the marine environment
• The OSPAR convention

Marine environment

Overview

Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans and seas and more than half the world's population lives within 60km of the coast.

As an island nation, the seas and the life they contain are an integral part of the UK's national identity. We rely on our oceans and seas for jobs, food, resources including renewable sources (e.g. wind and tidal power, oil and gas), and recreation. They also mitigate climate change.

It is easy to see, therefore, how our health and the health of our planet depends in no small part on the condition of our oceans and seas. We need to act to protect our marine environment from the threats facing it.

In this section:

• About Marine Environment
  Learn more about our vision for cleaner and healthy seas, how we plan to achieve this, the marine consents and environment unit and licensing.
• Marine and Coastal Access Act
  To help deliver the Government's vision for the marine environment, the Marine and Coastal Access Act has been enacted by Parliament.

UK issues

• UK Policy
  The evidence resulting from marine science and monitoring is used to generate advise and aid the direction of policy decisions. Reports resulting from this process include the "Seas of Change" Consultation Paper (links to National Archives website) and the Marine Stewardship Report - "Safeguarding Our Seas" can be found here.
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive
  Learn more about how the UK are working towards meeting the objectives set out in this EU directive.
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management
  The marine environment supports a wealth of activities, many of which occur simultaneously. Details on Defra's work into the integrated management of activities within the coastal zone can be found here.
• Marine licensing
  Learn about the regulations relating to marine licensing. Futher information on licensing can be found on the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) website
• Contaminated Marine Sediments
  Find out about plans to provide a management framework to address contaminated marine sediments, and provide guidelines for managing it within UK waters.

• Oil and Chemical Spill response / dispersants
  See MFA website

International issues

Negative impacts on the marine environment such as over fishing, dredging and pollution are world-wide problems. No one state can 'ring-fence' its waters so Defra strives towards improving the international protection of seas and coastal waters.

In order to influence decisions at an international level Defra is involved in a number of important conventions and agreements. These include;

• The OSPAR Convention (The Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic)
  Entering into full force in 1998 this convention was established to regulate inputs into the sea.
• Carbon capture and storage in the marine environment
  Find out more on the OSPAR considerations of using marine environments as a place for storage of carbon.
• The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) (external site)
  This initiative addresses the preservation of coral reefs and related ecosystems. The UK government currently acts as co-host of the ICRI Secretariat in partnership with the Seychelles.

Page last modified: 12 November 2009
Page published: 30 October 2008

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