Description: The shapefile was updated by JNCC in December 2017 to include all 283 UK OSPAR MPAs, including the nomination of new OSPAR MPAs in October 2017. JNCC and the other SNCBs have assessed the existing MPAs in UK waters (under both European and national conservation legislation) and identified those suitable for nomination as OSPAR MPAs. These OSPAR MPAs include Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) with marine components, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) with marine components, Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) and Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NCMPAs). The boundaries of MPAs being nominated to OSPAR are clipped by a coastline layer to ensure that only the 'marine' area of the site (relevant to the OSPAR maritime area) is nominated for OSPAR status. The boundaries of English, Welsh and Scottish OSPAR MPAs nominated before 2015 were clipped to an OS BoundaryLine coastline layer at mean high water (or mean high water springs for Scotland). English, Welsh and Scottish OSPAR MPAs nominated since 2015 have been clipped to an OS MasterMap coastline layer at mean high water (springs). Boundaries for Northern Ireland MPAs have been clipped to an NI 1:50,000 coastline layer.The area values in the attribute table represent this marine area as nominated to OSPAR. For offshore sites, the boundary and area data match the underlying UKoffshore sitesand no clipping is necessary.Please note that the shapefile also includes an OSPAR MPA submitted by the UK on behalf of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is part of the UK contracting party under the OSPAR Convention.Attribute information:The attribute table demonstrates the relationship between an MPA's OSPAR status and its underpinning or 'equivalent' UK designation; data on the OSPAR status of MPAs is provided in fields WDPAID to STATUS_YR, and data on the underlying UK MPA designation is shown in fields EQUIV_SITEto UKSITECODE.WPDAID - Site-specific code assiged to OSPARMPAs. Not the same as the WDPAID code used by the UK. SITE_NAME - Name of the siteas submitted to OSPAR. COUNTRY - Details which UK countrywaters the MPA lies in, and whether it is an inshore, offshore or joint site. DESIGNATIO - designation type(i.e. OSPAR MPA)AREA_KM2 - Area in Kilometers squared. STATUS_YR - Year in which the site was nominated to OSPAR. EQUIV_SITE - Includes both the site name and the UK designation typeof the site underlying the nominated OSPAR MPA.UK_DESIG - Type of UK MPA, i.e. Special Areasof Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas(SPA) , Marine Conservation Zones(MCZs) or Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NCMPA). SACs may be refered to ascandidate SAC (cSAC), once the UK submits the site to the European Commission; Site of Community Importance (SCI or cSAC/SCI), once the European Commission approves the site (although remaining a cSAC at UK level); and finally a full SAC once the UK Government designates the site.UKSITECODE - Site-specific code assigned by the UK to identify the MPA. Please note the shapefile contains several overlapping OSPAR MPA polygons. This is because SAC, SPAand MCZ/NCMPAboundaries can overlap each other (although different features are protected within the overlapping areas).Shapefiles and further information on MPAs are available to download from the JNCC website:Spreadsheets listing UK Special Protection Areas with Marine Components, Special Areas of Conservation with Marine Components and all Offshore MPAs and their protected features - http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4658 Site boundary shapefiles forUKSpecial Protection Areas with Marine Components and Special Areas of Conservation with Marine Components - http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/protectedsites/SACselection/gis_data/terms_conditions.aspSite boundary shapefile for UK offshore MPAs - http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4658 OSPAR MPAs from all OSPAR Contracting Parties - http://mpa.ospar.orgThis version (20180501) includes the following updates:-Update to the status of the following sites as cSACs/SCIs; Southern North Sea, Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren, West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol, North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol and North Channel.Details of changes in previous verions:Version-20171206: The boundary of Hamford Water SPA has been updated following an extension. - Morecambe Bay SPA and Duddon Estuary SPA have been replaced with the combined extended Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary SPA. - A further 15 sites have been added to the OSPAR dataset following submission in 2017: Anglesey Terns / Morwenoliaid Ynys Mon SPA, Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Mor Hafren cSAC, Carlingford Lough MCZ, Inner Hebrides and the Minches cSAC, Loch Carron NCMPA, North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Mon Forol cSAC, North Channel cSAC, Northern Cardigan Bay / Gogledd Bae Ceredigion SPA, Northumberland Marine SPA, Outer Belfast Lough MCZ, Rathlin MCZ, Skomer, Skokholm and the Seas off Pembrokeshire / Sgomer, Sgogwm a Moroedd Penfro SPA, Southern North Sea cSAC, Waterfoot MCZ, and West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol cSAC.