The vast size and topographic complexity of the Hatton Bank
supports a wide diversity of biological communities, each
associated with different seafloor structures and substratum types.
The bedrock, cobbles and coral rubble are home to rich coral
gardens and deep-sea sponge aggregations, and the distinct
pinnacles and mounds support elaborate cold-water coral reefs.
The diagram below is a summary of the key
milestones involved in the selection and designation of Hatton Bank
cSAC. More detail can be found within the relevant documentation
The documents referred to below and any other historical
documents relating to the Hatton Bank cSAC were produced during the
selection and designation process and therefore may be out of
date. This Site Information Centre is the most up to date
source of information for this MPA, and will reflect any additional
information gathered since these documents were produced.
Hatton Bank is a large
volcanic bank, situated in the Atlantic North-West Approaches,
towards the western extent of the UK Continental Shelf. The
water depth across the bank ranges from less than 500m on the
northern part of the bank, to over 1000m at the base. At its
south-eastern tip, an igneous complex called Lyonesse forms a
topographic high, rising to 520m below sea level, some 350m
shallower than the surrounding bank.
The vast size and topographic complexity of the Hatton Bank
supports a wide diversity of biological communities, each
associated with different geomorphological structures and
substratum types present on the bank. Much of the seabed on Hatton
Bank comprises coarse sandy sediment; however the bank also
supports extensive areas of bedrock reef (particularly on the
ridges along the top of the bank), as well as many areas of stony
reef. Iceberg ploughmarks, a variant of stony reef that are shaped
by the movement of icebergs during the last ice age, have also been
recorded within the cSAC.
The hard substrata provided by the boulders, cobbles and bedrock
reef support a rich diversity of species, including scleractinian
corals, stylasterids (‘lace’ corals), antipatharians (‘black’
corals), soft corals, cup corals and gorgonian sea fans; as well as
a range of sponges; sessile sea cucumbers; anemones and
brachiopods. The presence of Coral
gardens has been confirmed on the bedrock, cobbles and
coral rubble on Hatton Bank within the cSAC boundary. Deep-sea sponge
aggregations have also been confirmed within the site
boundary, comprising high densities of vase-shaped glass sponges.
Both of these habitats are considered to be Threatened and/or
Declining across the North-east Atlantic by the OSPAR
Primarily found in the southern region (including Lyonesse) and
across the north-west Hatton Bank outcrops, the elaborate
cold-water coral reefs are associated with pinnacles and mounds,
and can be tens of metres in height and hundreds of metres wide.
Their intricate structure is formed by both the Lophelia
pertusa and Madrepora oculata species,
which in association with the surrounding dead coral framework
support a range of associated fauna. Lophelia pertusa
reefs are also considered to be Threatened and/or Declining across
the North-east Atlantic by OSPAR.
Further detail on the evidence for this cSAC can be found on the
Site location: Coordinates for this
cSAC can be found in the Natura 2000 Standard Data Form listed in
the Relevant Documentation.
Site area: 15,694 km2
Site depth range: The shallowest
area of the MPA is approximately 460m below sea level, and the
deepest section is 1740m below sea level.
Charting Progress 2 Biogeographic Region:
Atlantic North-West Approaches, Rockall Trough and Faeroe/Shetland
Site boundary description
Due to the size
of the Hatton Bank and the limited number of scientific surveys
undertaken in this area, survey data is not comprehensive across
the full extent of the site. However, JNCC consider that
there is sufficient up to date information with which to delineate
a scientifically valid boundary that encompasses the known records
of the reef feature on Hatton Bank. Data to inform the boundary is
derived from a number of different sources, as summarised under the
Information for this site summary was adapted from the SAC
Selection Assessment Document and incorporates any further
information gathered since this document was produced. Please refer
to this document in the relevant documentation section for further
details and information sources. Further information on
JNCC’s conservation advice work is available here.
Site specific data
There is a range of
data that underpin this cSAC. The full overview of the data used to
support site identification along with information on confidence in
feature presence and extent is available in the Hatton Bank SAC
Document. JNCC will be adding relevant survey data for
this MPA to the JNCC interactive MPA map in due course.
Some of the data for this cSAC has been collected through JNCC
funded or collaborative surveys and some through other means.
Data from these surveys provide direct evidence confirming the
presence of the protected feature within the site.
Survey and data gathering
- Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) Strategic
Environmental Assessments (SEA) – 2005,
These surveys were run by DTI and JNCC, and set out to identify
areas of Annex I reef habitat across Hatton Bank as well as
- ECOVUL/ARPA program – 2005-2007
Led by the Spanish Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), this
work aimed to investigate vulnerable deep‐sea habitats between
depths of 1000-1500m below sea level on the western and
north-western flanks of the bank. Both multibeam survey and high
resolution seismic profiles of large areas of the western flank of
the bank were conducted, supported by biological survey in the form
of bottom trawl, dredge and box core sampling.
Data analysis reports
Further analysis of
data gathered as part of the surveys listed above are available via
the following reports:
References for further supporting scientific literature
consulted during the identification of this site can be found in
the Selection Assessment
Additional relevant literature
aware that although these sources contain information which is of
interest in relation to this MPA, they do not necessarily represent
the views of JNCC:
- Studies by Sayago-Gill et al. (2010; 2012) lend
further evidence to the extent and type of geomorphological
features along the Western slope of the Bank. The 2012 report
details the type of benthic communities associated with the seabed
morphology and substrate between 600m and 2000m depth.
Sayago-Gil, M., Long, D., Hitchen, K.,
Diaz-Del-Rio, V., Fernandez-Salas, L. M., & Duran Munoz, P.
2010. Evidence for current-controlled morphology along the western
slope of Hatton Bank (Rockall Plateau, NE Atlantic Ocean).
Geo-Marine Letters, 30, 99–111
Sayago-Gil, M., Duran Munoz, P., Murillo, F.
J., Diaz-Del-Rio, V., Serrano, A., & Miguel, I. 2012. A study
of geomorphological features of the seabed and the relationship to
deep-sea communities on the western slope of Hatton Bank (NE
Atlantic Ocean). Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat.
- A study on Hatton Bank by Roberts et al. (2008)
provides the first reported evidence for coral carbonate mound
development in UK waters, suggesting that mound formation occurs
through successive periods of coral framework growth and
Roberts, J.M., Henry, L.A., Long, D., &
Hartley, J.P. (2008) Cold-water coral reef frameworks, megafaunal
communities and evidence for coral carbonate mounds on the Hatton
Bank, north east Atlantic. Facies, 54, pp297-316.
If you are aware of any
additional data or relevant scientific papers for this site not
listed in the relevant documentation, or the Hatton Bank
Selection Assessment Document listed in the relevant documents
section, please contact JNCC.
MPA Conservation Advice
objectives set out the desired state for the protected feature of
an MPA. The conservation objectives for the protected feature of
the Hatton Bank cSAC has been set based on knowledge of the
condition of the protected feature at the time of writing. Further
information on feature condition and conservation objectives is
provided in the Hatton Bank
Conservation objectives and advice on operations document.
This information is useful if you are:
- preparing Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRAs) of proposed
plans or projects that may affect the site;
- planning measures to maintain or restore the site and its
- monitoring the condition of the qualifying features; or
- developing, proposing or assessing an activity, plan or project
that may affect the site.
The conservation objectives for the protected feature of the MPA
is, subject to natural change, restore the reef to favourable
condition, such that:
- The natural environmental quality is restored;
- The natural environmental processes and the extent are
- The physical structure, diversity, community structure and
typical species, representative of reef is restored.
JNCC is working to provide more detailed advice on the
relatively broad, high level conservation objectives listed above.
This supplementary advice will be posted here as and when it
Advice on operations
In line with
Regulation (18) of the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats,
& c.) Regulations 2007 (as amended) which apply to the UK’s
offshore marine area. The
advice on operations for the protected feature of the Hatton
Bank cSAC outline current knowledge of the nature and extent of
activities taking place which may have a significant impact on the
feature for which a site has been selected.
The advice on operations is based on JNCC’s scientific knowledge
of the biological communities present at the time of writing and
their sensitivities to pressures. For the most up-to-date
information about the biological communities present within the
site and their spatial distribution, please see the
evidence tab. Sensitivity information for
biological communities identified within the site can also be found
on MarLIN’s website.
JNCC also provides a list of activities occurring within the
site and information on activity management in the
activities and management tab. This information is
also useful when assessing an activity, plan or project which may
affect the protected features and JNCC has provided this to aid the
cumulative assessment of impacts of human activities within the
site. While every attempt has been made to ensure this information
is accurate and kept up-to-date, the list is not to be considered
exhaustive or definitive. The list does not, for example, include
activities occurring off-site which may also be capable of
affecting the protected features.
The information contained within the advice on operations,
activities and management tab, evidence
tab, and MarLIN’s sensitivity assessments are useful if
- Carrying out any activity that may impact the site and need to
find out how to operate within the law
- an authority providing advice on specific proposals
- an authority responsible for putting management measures in
Our scientific understanding of the ecology of the site, its
integrity and its qualifying features and how activities can affect
them may change over time. JNCC’s conservation advice will be kept
under review and will be periodically updated to reflect this and
surveillance required under Article 17 of the Habitats
Activities known to be currently occurring within this
(Activities information correct as of December 2013)
At the time of writing, there were no activities taking place
within the MPA.
Fisheries Management: The full extent of Hatton
Bank SAC is closed to bottom fisheries under NEAFC
recommendation IV-2013, transposed into EU law by council
EC. No 227/2013, to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems
(VMEs), namely cold water corals. ICES have further recommended
that two areas outside the SAC boundary, one to the southeast and
one to the southwest of Hatton Bank, be closed to bottom
Management Plan: JNCC is undertaking a review
of management plan requirements for offshore MPAs. Further detail
will be provided at a later date. For information on management
actions being taken forward for this site, please go to
Marine Scotland’s Fisheries Management in Offshore SACs
Management Group: None at present
Further information on conservation advice relating to the
Hatton Bank cSAC is available under the Conservation
JNCC is currently leading on the development of a strategy for
biodiversity monitoring across all UK waters, to include MPA
monitoring. For MPAs, data and evidence collected from monitoring
activities will aim to:
- Enable assessment of condition of the features within
- Enable assessment of the degree to which management measures
are effective in achieving the conservation objectives for the
- Support the identification of priorities for future protection
and/or management; and,
- Enable Government to fulfil its national and international
assessment and reporting commitments in relation to MPAs and help
identify where further action may be required.
Information on monitoring of this MPA will be provided when it
Assessments of the condition of designated features in offshore
MPAs are required to report against our legal obligations. Ideally
these assessments should be based on observed data, and then
measured against targets for predefined indicators. However, for
MPAs in offshore waters we do not always have the appropriate
information to be able to do so. This is particularly true for
seabed habitats, which are the main type of feature designated for
protection in offshore MPAs.
To address these challenges, JNCC has been an active partner in
the development of new approaches and tools for the assessment of
habitats and species for a variety of national and international
status reports. They include the second cycle of the Conservation Status Assessment reports under the
EU Habitats Directive, Charting Progress 2
(CP2) and the OSPAR Quality Status
Report (QSR). JNCC continues to develop and pilot tools for the
assessment of marine habitats and species in offshore waters to
improve the quality and transparency of our offshore MPA
assessments, and contribute to the monitoring of marine
biodiversity in UK waters. These tools cover methods for producing
interim assessments of site features and their responses to
pressures, as well as developing more robust indicators for
determining condition of the features.
Every six years, Member States are required under Article 17
of the EU Habitats Directive to report on the Conservation
Status of Annex I habitats and Annex II species on the Habitats
Directive. The assessments should consider the habitat or
species both within the Natura 2000 network and in the wider
sea. The latest report was submitted by the UK in 2013
and provided a second assessment of the conservation status of
relevant habitats and species within UK marine waters during
2007-2012. The next report is for the period 2013-2018 and is due
in 2019; information on the condition of features within SACs will
make a contribution to this report.
The assessments of features within MPAs will also feed into six
yearly reports on the state of the marine environment under the
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD),
which aims to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by