Welcome to the Marine Aggregates Application (MAAP). MAAP provides a range of benthic related tools to assist with marine licence application and compliance monitoring:

1. Baseline tool Explore the faunal cluster identity of ‘baseline’ sampling stations. For details of the different cluster groups see table S2 on the following page. The tool will also generate a pdf baseline report (industry/regulator version only).
2. M-test tool The Mahalanobis or M-test tool assesses whether sediments at baseline stations remain suitable for (re)colonization by the original faunal assemblage. The tool uses input data from the RSMP sediment workbook template, and outputs a ‘traffic light’ style map and table. Where samples fail the M-test, this will require further investigation outside the tool.
3. Cluster ID tool* Identify the physical and faunal cluster group identity of new stations (i.e. new sites not included in the baseline study). This information is required for the M-test.
4. Hab Map tool* Overlay a new site (point/line/polygon) on a 100% coverage modelled faunal cluster base map. Plots can be included in Environmental statements.
5. INNS tool* Explore the distribution of invasive non-native species (INNS) at a variety of scales.
6. SCI tool* Explore the distribution of species of conservation interest (SCI) at a variety of scales.
7. Health This tool assesses the ‘health’ of faunal communities present within RSMP context areas (stations outside the footprint of potential dredging effect). Healthy faunal communities are those where predicted assemblage (modelled big data) matches the actual assemblage (from sample analysis).

Tools 1-3 are based on work in Cooper & Barry (2017) which provides a methodology for the Regional Seabed Monitoring Programme (RSMP) . To access the paper click here ( http://rdcu.be/wi6C ). If you have any problems/suggestions please contact keith.cooper@cefas.co.uk (general) or roi.martinez@cefas.co.uk (technical).

*proposed tools