Identification

Title

2012 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) biological analyses of Marine Scotland Science (MSS) Sound of Mull approaches and Firth of Lorn benthic camera survey

Abstract

The purpose of this benthic survey (cruise 1621A) in the approaches to the Sound of Mull and northern part of the Firth of Lorn was to improve knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance, particularly priority marine features (PMFs), because this area is one of the sites of interest to the development of marine renewables. The possible routing of subsea cables from Tiree via the Sound of Mull and Firth of Lorn was proposed at the time of this survey. A further aim was to assess the implications of this planned development on the features of importance. An underwater video survey were conducted by MSS for MSS on the 29-30th September 2012 to collect detailed biological information on the seabed species and habitat features present. Drop-down video drift tows were undertaken at 36 sites. Analyses on the seabed video and still photographic imagery, commissioned by SNH, were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. MSS used the vessel FRV Alba na Mara for this survey.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000230-MRSNH0180000002D-SOM

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, C. G. 2013. Biological analyses of underwater video from research cruises in Lochs Kishorn and Sunart, off the Mull of Kintyre and islands of Rum, Tiree and Islay, and in the Firth of Lorn and Sound of Mull approaches. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 574.

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

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

2016-03-22

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2017-05-12

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-5.7271

East bounding longitude

-5.4448

North bounding latitude

56.5057

South bounding latitude

56.3687

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

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

41E4

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

1954-01-01

code identifying the extent

Inner Seas off the West Coast of 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

2012-09-29

End position

2012-09-30

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2013-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

This subtidal seabed data from the Sound of Mull approaches and Firth of Lorn was collected by MSS on the 29th-30th September 2012. Video images were obtained from 36 drop-down video drift tows onboard the vessel Alba na Mara. The drop-down video camera set up also carried a vertically-orientated digital stills camera which took photographs of the seabed at approximately 1 minute intervals and a laser scaling system to aid biotope determinations. Track and depth data and positional information are available for the start and end of tows only, no continuous information is available via a video overlay system for this cruise (1612A). No HD footage was recorded on this survey. SNH contracted Dr Colin Moore to analyse the video footage to describe the physical structure and species assemblages present. Species present were identified and quantified using the semi-quantitative MNCR SACFOR scale, as far as possible. Where video runs traversed a sequence of biotopes, the runs are split into corresponding segments with the transition points recorded using time. Segmentation of runs was not practicable in the case of mosaics of recurring biotopes, in which case all biotopes observed were simply listed. Runs and run segments were assessed for the presence of PPFs and other PMFs, as well as for the presence of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance according to a number of additional criteria, including citation on the following lists: the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (lower risk category), the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats and the Scottish Biodiversity List.

Conformity

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

Not for navigational use; This survey recorded no species or biotope occurrences that SNH 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 restrictions on public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Consultant

organisation name

No organisation

email address

c.g.moore84@gmail.com

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness

email address

data_supply@nature.scot

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness

email address

data_supply@nature.scot

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2020-02-12

Metadata language