The UK government has set a target of achieving 50GW of offshore wind by 2030. Without proper management and monitoring, increasing offshore activities could have adverse effects on marine biodiversity. However, as marine sectors expand so does the spatial footprint of survey data collected by offshore industries. Industry data can therefore help to inform monitoring programmes put in place as part of the UK Marine Strategy (2012), which aims to achieve good environmental status (GES) in British Seas.

The Marine Data Exchange (MDE) is the world’s largest database of offshore survey data, research and evidence, and includes survey campaigns collated from feasibility through to decommissioning studies. The data collected as part of these surveys could be re-used to help inform GES reporting, providing an improved evidence base for decision making and regional assessment, and could play a critical role in helping the UK in achieving more comprehensive marine reporting.

This study outlines potential uses of marine industry data for marine assessment and reporting. Existing studies that explore the use of industry data were examined, including projects such as OneBenthic, The Joint Cetacean Data Programme and the Office for National Statistic's Marine Natural Capital Accounts. The existing studies were reviewed to explore whether UK Marine Strategy descriptors were included and whether industry data had been utilised.