The MDE Newsletter January 2024
January 2024
This Marine Data Exchange (MDE) newsletter showcases the breadth of offshore survey data, research and evidence being collected by our customers and partners on the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We invest in world-class data and evidence, such as the MDE, to fill in evidence gaps which inform decision making, de-risk investment, and unlock barriers facing developments now and in the future.
Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future: Our 2024 Outlook
We manage the seabed and much of the coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, playing a major role in the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector, as well as creating opportunities for new and existing technologies.
To continue to roll out offshore wind at the pace and scale needed to meet UK policy targets will require significant investment and partnership working across governments and sectors, to ensure we take a holistic view of how we manage the seabed in the best way possible both now and for the future.
This means running more frequent leasing rounds, de-risking the process for developers, and providing world-class data and evidence for a diverse range of stakeholders. To achieve this, there is an urgent need for greater investment in data, insights and innovation to support the protection and enhancement of marine nature as more offshore technologies are rolled-out to address climate change and energy security.
One area that we will continue to invest in in 2024 is the Marine Data Exchange (MDE). As a key aspect of our data and evidence capabilities, the MDE will continue to provide a platform for offshore industries to share data, whilst also ensuring that research and evidence has a platform from which to drive positive impact and to collectively address the data needs to meet UK policy targets.
Our 2024 outlook:
We’ve achieved a lot to date, with new functionality added to the MDE and a growing community of industry experts delivering data. With new evidence and insights, we’re continuing to drive positive change. However, we need to continue to move at pace to ensure we meet net zero and biodiversity targets. To achieve this, we’ve set our ambitions on the following:
Stepping Forward Together: Partnering for 2024 Success - We’re excited to onboard Crown Estate Scotland to the MDE, creating a UK wide picture of industry data. We’re also excited to launch an MDE steering group that will bring together a community of MDE users across a broad range of marine organisations, ensuring we are keeping up to date with our customer and stakeholders needs.
New functionality, big impact – We're looking at how we can make the data hosted on the MDE more accessible. Think interactive dashboards, new insights and more digestible data. Keep tuned for MDE updates in 2024.
Content for the next generation – In 2023 we conducted a number of different studies to better understand what information is needed to inform those looking for opportunities in the offshore sector. This year, we are hoping to push more content to reach a wider audience, helping support the next generation of ocean experts.
Global Impact – The climate and biodiversity crises are problems we need to solve together as a global community. We are looking at how we can use the lessons learned from our experience in the offshore industry in the UK over the last 20 years, and how we can share these with our colleagues across the world to protect communities and nature.
News:
OWEKH:
On the 9th of January we launched the Offshore Wind Evidence and Knowledge Hub (OWEKH).
OWEKH is funded by The Crown Estate and has been built to support the consenting process for offshore wind projects. OWEKH is a sector-wide online portal supporting a single point of access to data and information including the latest guidance and best practice documents. The portal and the governance associated with it will collectively connect stakeholders across the offshore wind industry and facilitate the assimilation of data and information into knowledge tools (guidance or statements of understanding). This coordinated approach will support impact assessments and consenting decisions for offshore wind projects by providing consistent and clear direction to support rapid high-quality consenting. The goal of OWEKH is to support sustained and accelerated sustainable growth in generation of offshore wind energy.
How are OWEKH and the MDE linked?
OWEKH and the MDE are part of a suite of digital tools, developed and funded by The Crown Estate, in partnership with our customers and stakeholders, to support the sustainable development of the seabed.
Relevant data and reports from the MDE will feed into the OWEKH evidence base that will in turn support in the creation of tools and guidance that will be hosted on OWEKH to directly support the consenting of offshore wind.
Industry Data Discoverability and Accessibility Pilot Study:
Calling all marine data users:
Do you...
- Search for data to use in marine natural capital assessments?
- Search for data to use/feed into EIA/HRAs/environmental reporting?
- Search for data to use in nature recovery/habitat creation projects?
- Search for data to use in feasibility modelling for future offshore projects?
- Search for data to inform university studies?
- Search for data to inform cultural/social/marine archaeological studies?
- Are you a developer that uses the MDE?
The MDE Industry Data Discoverability and Accessibility study seeks to understand how MDE users search for data and how quickly and effectively they can find what they are looking for.
Even if you don't currently use the MDE, we'd like to understand how you're searching for data, as this helps us to improve the development of the MDE.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could fill out our questionnaire (linked on the left)! It is a very short survey (promise)!
Insights Series:
We recently launched our MDE Insights Series, where we will explore industry data to deepen our understanding of the marine environment. In the Insights Series so far we’ve looked into drop-down video surveys and their importance for sensitive habitats, underwater noise modelling, peat beds, seals and even basking sharks!
Take a look at our latest insights content!
Reflecting on 2023:
Take a look at our latest MDE stats (2023) below:
Upcoming Events
Coastal Futures - 24th and 25th January 2023
A number of colleagues from The Crown Estate’s Marine Team will be attending Coastal Futures this year.
Make sure to catch our Marine Technical and Spatial Planning Director, Michelle Moore’s presentation “Taking a whole seabed approach to delivering a sustainable blue economy”. Michelle will be announcing an exciting new data and evidence programme, that will be core to the future planning of offshore activities in UK waters to meet our net zero and biodiversity targets.
We will also be hosting a stand again this year, to highlight our digital capabilities and The Crown Estate’s role in marine research, data and evidence.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Welsh Marine Evidence Conference – Bangor 27-29th February
Members of our team will also be attending and presenting in Bangor later next month. We hope to share more details on the evidence work we are undertaking in Wales that will influence future planning in and around Welsh waters.
2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference – Barcelona 10-12 April 2024
Members from the MDE Team intend to discuss the lessons we’ve learned over the last 10 years and share these with our international colleagues at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona.
¡Nos vemos pronto!
