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National Marine Character Areas (NMCA)

Publisher
Natural Resources Wales
Updated
16 September 2026
Topic
Not set
Licence
Not set

Summary

Seascapes, like landscapes, reflect the relationship between people and place and the part it plays in forming the setting to our everyday lives. Marine Character Areas highlight the key natural, cultural and perceptual influences that make the character of each seascape distinct and unique. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) were commissioned on behalf of Welsh Government to identify the character of Wales’ seascapes at a broad-scale. We divided our inshore waters into 29 Marine Character Areas. This work provides the strategic spatial evidence on seascapes to inform the Wales National Marine Plan, which is being prepared by Welsh Government. Each area profile includes a description of the key characteristics, including their natural, cultural and perceptual influences, as well as land - sea inter-visibility maps.

Data links

Link Format Preview Updated
Web Mapping Service – 16/9/2026
View and Download – 16/9/2026

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Additional information

Source Metadata
XML, HTML
Date added
03 March 2026
Harvest GUID
NRW_DS119124
Extent (Latitude)
53.513067° to 51.240829°
Extent (Longitude)
-5.777741° to -2.608865°
Dataset reference date (publication)
2025-01-30
Frequency of update
notPlanned
Access constraints
There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.
Responsible party
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) (owner, custodian, originator, distributor)
ISO 19139 resource type
dataset
Metadata language
eng