Identification

Title

2005 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch Creran site condition monitoring survey of subtidal reefs

Abstract

The purpose of this survey was to initiate site condition monitoring of the biogenic and rocky reefs of Loch Creran. This survey took place between the 11th July and 23rd December 2005, run by Heriot Watt University for NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage at time of survey). The extent and distribution of serpulid reefs was determined from observations by divers along 110 transects around the loch between 11th-25th July 2005. Detailed studies were also performed at four of the major serpulid reef sites in the loch; distribution of the serpulid reefs was examined with sidescan sonar between 6th-8th September 2005, reef density by video and the community of organisms associated with the habitat by diver survey of the reefs themselves and of the surrounding sediment was undertaken between 23rd-26th July 2005. The distribution and abundance of Modiolus was also examined along seven relocatable transects and, at one of the major mussel beds, the size structure of the population and associated community surveyed.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000107-MRSNH01700000002-LC

codeSpace

http://www.nature.scot

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Additional information source

Moore, Harries, Tulbure, Cook, Saunders, Lyndon, Kamphausen, James (2020) The current status of serpulid reefs, horse mussel beds and flame shell beds in Loch Creran SAC and MPA; Moore, Saunders, Harries, Mair, Bates, Lyndon (2006) The establishment of site condition monitoring of the subtidal reefs of Loch Creran Special Area of Conservation

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2008-01-06

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2009-11-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2010-09-18

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2011-02-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2011-07-06

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2012-02-14

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2012-03-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2005-04-27

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2006-08-31

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2017-05-12

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-5.4250

East bounding longitude

-5.2400

North bounding latitude

56.5600

South bounding latitude

56.5070

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-06-18

code identifying the extent

Minches & Western Scotland

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-01

code identifying the extent

circalittoral

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-01

code identifying the extent

infralittoral

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2005-07-11

End position

2005-12-23

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2006-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Bathymetric sidescan survey undertaken from 5th to 7th September 2005 using 117kHz transducers and motion reference unit and positional information from DGPS. Survey line spacing was chosen to give swath overlap and the acoustic data were continually monitored on the acquisition computer and a bottom coverage map produced in real-time in order to ensure full seafloor coverage. All depths are reduced to chart datum and all latitude and longitude positions are WGS84 datum. Survey output was a bathymetric grid with a horizontal resolution of 5m, from which contour maps were derived. Serpulid reefs (peripheral distribution survey) was undertaken to determine the extent and distribution of serpulid reefs by diver observations along 110 transects, approximately 250m apart, around the periphery of the loch between the 11th and 25th July 2005. Diver swam on a compass bearing perpendicular to the shore from chart datum to a nominal depth of 14m. Transect start and end points were fixed by DGPS from a surface vessel by recording the position of descent of diver and prior to ascent. Diver recorded depth at start and end of transect, depths of shallow and deep limits of reef distribution, and depth limits of medium and large reefs. Serpulid reefs (detailed studies at major sites) were undertaken using Sidescan sonar at four major serpulid reef sites in the loch between 6th and 8th September 2005. A 500kHz sidescan system was used. Track width of 35m to each side of the vessel was adopted and track spacing of 25m. Groundtruthing of sidescan mosaics was achieved by drop-down video. Video was recorded onto digital video tape, together with position and time of each frame using a video overlay system fed by data from DGPS. A diver video density survey to quantify Serpulid reef abundance from 23rd to 26th July 2005 was undertaken at four sites. Ten replicate video transects perpendicular to seabed contours, were worked by divers. The percentage of points overlying reef material gives an estimate of percentage cover of the seabed.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2012-04-30

degree

true

explanation

See the referenced specification

Conformity report

specification

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2018-01-23

degree

true

explanation

See the referenced specification

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

This survey recorded no species or biotope occurrences that NatureScot consider as sensitive; all records may therefore be released in response to requests covered by Environmental Information Regulations or Freedom of Information Regulations; additionally its re-use and dissemination is permissible under Open Government Licence terms. Any re-use of this data will acknowledge the copyright owner.

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

No restriction on public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Consultant

organisation name

Colin Moore

email address

c.g.moore84@gmail.com

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

NatureScot Data Manager

organisation name

NatureScot (HQ Inverness)

email address

data_supply@nature.scot

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

NatureScot Data Manager

organisation name

NatureScot (HQ Inverness)

email address

data_supply@nature.scot

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2021-02-24

Metadata language