Identification

Title

2015 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Moray Firth SAC benthic camera survey

Abstract

The primary aim of this benthic survey in Moray Firth, run by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) for SNH on the 5th - 6th December 2015 using CEFAS vessel RV CEFAS Endeavour, was to improve understanding of the distribution of benthic habitats within the SAC. Beyond the 30m depth contour was of particular interest and identification of the distribution of the feature 'Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time'. Dropdown video drifts were undertaken at 30 stations. Through the analysis of seabed video, the images were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. Runs and run segments were assessed for the presence of protected features and other PMFs, as well as for the presence of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance. Runs traversing a sequence of habitats were split into corresponding segments. Species present were, as far as possible, identified and quantified using the semi-quantitative MNCR SACFOR scale and biotopes were allocated based on the physical and biological attributes.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000308-MRSNH0300000001C-MF

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. 2016. Biological analysis of underwater video and infaunal data from surveys of the Moray Firth SAC. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 940.

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

2017-05-12

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-3.9610

East bounding longitude

-3.2870

North bounding latitude

58.0810

South bounding latitude

57.6280

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-06-18

code identifying the extent

Northern North Sea

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

44E6

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

2015-12-05

End position

2015-12-06

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

This subtidal seabed data from the Moray Firth SAC was collected during a research cruise run for SNH on board the CEFAS vessel RV CEFAS Endeavour by CEFAS on the 5th and 6th December 2015. A total of 30 stations were surveyed within the SAC of approximately 10 minutes duration. Images were obtained using a vertically orientated camera with a laser scaling system comprising an array of four lasers located at the corners of a rectangle of side 17cm. Digital still photographs were taken at intervals throughout the video to aid identification of biota and habitat characterisation. Track position, time and depth information were at 5 second intervals are available from the vessels track data. Analyses of the video footage was undertaken by SNH contractor Dr Colin Moore 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. Biotopes were allocated based on the biological and physical attributes. Where the video run traversed a sequence of biotopes, the run is split into corresponding segments with the transition points recorded using the time, position and depth. This 2015 video survey builds upon ground-truthing data collected in 2004 by drop-down video at 228 sites and infaunal sampling at 30 sites undertaken by Envision Mapping Ltd.

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 to be used for navigation. 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

Colin Moore

email address

c.g.moore84@gmail.com

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters

full postal address

Great Glen House, Leachkin Road

Inverness

IV3 8NW

telephone number

01463 725000

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 (SNH), Headquaters

full postal address

Great Glen House, Leachkin Road

Inverness

IV3 8NW

telephone number

01463 725000

email address

data_supply@nature.scot

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2020-03-05

Metadata language