This resource contains boundary, site and feature information for Special Protection Areas (SPAs) with marine components in UK waters. A shapefile and spreadsheet are available for download.
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) with "marine components" protect bird species that are dependent on the marine environment for all or part of their lifecycle, where these species are found in association with intertidal or subtidal habitats within the site. More information on SPAs with marine components can be found on our website. SPAs with marine components are a subset of the UK's full suite of SPAs – data for all UK SPAs can also be downloaded from our website.
JNCC collates boundary and attribute data on Special Protection Areas (SPAs) on behalf of the Country Nature Conservation Bodies (CNCBs) to create a dataset of inshore and offshore sites across the UK. The shapefile dataset contains site boundaries and associated site attribute information, including: site code, site name, site status, country and CP2 region. The spreadsheet dataset provides the same site attribute data as well as information on the sites' protected features (including species name and population type).
Please note:
- the CNCBs periodically update SPA boundaries (e.g. when natural features of the coastline shift position) and these subtle changes may not be captured in JNCC’s datasets. For the latest inshore SPA boundaries, please visit the relevant CNCB website.
- the recommendations of Third SPA review are at different stages of implementation in the UK, therefore the marine interest features of inshore SPAs (listed in the spreadsheet) may not be up-to-date. To obtain the latest lists of qualifying interest features formally adopted in inshore SPAs, please contact the relevant CNCBs. The features of offshore SPAs are fully up-to-date.
For further information please see the shapefile metadata and spreadsheet read-me (within the files).
