Table 4. Spatial extent and confidence rating of activities.
| Activity | Estimated spatial extent | Confidence rating† |
| (>200m water depth) | (km2) | |
| Scientific research: (estimated 45% of all cruises impacting on seafloor during 2005) | ||
| Non-fisheries research cruises | 4 | 2–3 |
| Fisheries research cruises | 22 | 2–3 |
| Submarine communications cables: (estimated 41% of all submarine cables) | ||
| No burial: between 200–1500 m wd, 50 mm diameter cable ; >1500 m wd, 20 mm diameter cable | 2 | 1–2 |
| No burial: between 200–>1500 m wd, 50 mm** diameter cable | 4 | 1–2 |
| Cable burial: between 200–1500 m wd with 2 m wide disturbance strip*; no burial >1500 m wd, 20 mm diameter cable | 15 | 1–2 |
| Cable burial: between 200–1500 m wd with 8 m wide disturbance strip*; no burial >1500 m wd, 20 mm diameter cable | 61 | 1–2 |
| Waste disposal: | ||
| Radioactive waste | 0.2 | 2 |
| Munitions and chemical weapons | 1.4 | 1 |
| Military | No data made available | |
| Oil and gas: | ||
| Pipelines | 4.0 | 3 |
| 1 , 2Structures: platforms, templates and wellheads | 0.2 | 2 |
| 2Structures with associated cuttings piles (∼83 m radius3) | 3 | 2 |
| 2Wells drilled during 2005 with associated cuttings piles (∼83 m radius3) | 1 | 2 |
| 2Wells drilled between 1960 and December 2005 and associated cuttings piles (∼83 m radius3) | 15 | 2 |
| Total pipelines, structures, wells and cuttings piles | 23.2 | 2–3 |
| Bottom trawling: (2005, Hatton and Rockall area) | ||
| - Speed range 2.0–3.0 knots, gear width 22 m: | 1–2 | |
| Tracks not merged | 741 | |
| Tracks merged | 548 | |
| - Speed range 1.5–5.0 knots, gear width 125 m: | 1–2 | |
| Tracks not merged | 37,160 | |
| Tracks merged | 13,920 |
Estimates of the spatial extent of six major human activities occurring directly on the sea floor, including structures and artefacts present on the seafloor resulting from past activities, within the OSPAR maritime area of the North East Atlantic in waters >200 m during 2005. Estimates for bottom trawling and marine scientific research are based on 2005 data only.
wd: water depth;
Confidence ratings indicate whether the spatial extent of each activity is based on data or estimates of location and extent (Eastwood et al., 2007) [19]: 1, estimated location and estimated extent; 2 known location, estimated extent; 3, known location and extent.
*Carter et al., 2009 [23].
Information from NPD and Statoil datasets and Eastwood et al., 2007 [19].
Overlapping boundaries merged.
SERPENT Project, unpublished data.