117
Using GIS for Siting Artificial Reefs
questionnaires (see Appendix), followed by an examination of the problems associated
with the acquisition of numerous disparate datasets from many different sources. These
datasets were prepared and converted into a common format before being co-registered
for compatibility in the spatial database for analysis.
The final part of the study proposed a model, using a GIS approach, for the
siting of decommissioned oil and gas structures, for use as steel artificial reefs in the
Moray Firth (Figs. 1-4).
The potential use of GIS as a general environmental management tool for
applications both in the Moray Firth and other areas was then reviewed.
DATASETS
The main problems found to be associated with the environmental datasets gathered was
firstly, their initial acquisition and secondly, problems with some of the datasets. Some
of these identified problem areas are summarised in Table 2.
DATA ACQUISITION
There are basically two routes open to any new GIS project application:
to make use of existing available datasets.
to start from scratch.
In most cases the latter is not an economically justifiable approach because of the costs
involved in terms of time and cost associated with, e.g. digitising, scanning and labour.
In addition, it is seldom practical, may duplicate the work of others, and can be an
extremely time-consuming exercise. The former, however, requires that you know what
datasets are available; whether they can be used; what costs are involved; and above all
whether they are of the right spatial scale for the intended application. Depending upon
the goals of the project, it may be that many of the datasets available are indeed
unsuitable, bearing in mind that it unlikely that they were originally collected for the
intended purpose, in this case artificial reef siting.
Using GIS for Siting Artificial Reefs
questionnaires (see Appendix), followed by an examination of the problems associated
with the acquisition of numerous disparate datasets from many different sources. These
datasets were prepared and converted into a common format before being co-registered
for compatibility in the spatial database for analysis.
The final part of the study proposed a model, using a GIS approach, for the
siting of decommissioned oil and gas structures, for use as steel artificial reefs in the
Moray Firth (Figs. 1-4).
The potential use of GIS as a general environmental management tool for
applications both in the Moray Firth and other areas was then reviewed.
DATASETS
The main problems found to be associated with the environmental datasets gathered was
firstly, their initial acquisition and secondly, problems with some of the datasets. Some
of these identified problem areas are summarised in Table 2.
DATA ACQUISITION
There are basically two routes open to any new GIS project application:
to make use of existing available datasets.
to start from scratch.
In most cases the latter is not an economically justifiable approach because of the costs
involved in terms of time and cost associated with, e.g. digitising, scanning and labour.
In addition, it is seldom practical, may duplicate the work of others, and can be an
extremely time-consuming exercise. The former, however, requires that you know what
datasets are available; whether they can be used; what costs are involved; and above all
whether they are of the right spatial scale for the intended application. Depending upon
the goals of the project, it may be that many of the datasets available are indeed
unsuitable, bearing in mind that it unlikely that they were originally collected for the
intended purpose, in this case artificial reef siting.