The purpose of benthic survey around the Treshnish Isles was to initiate site condition monitoring (SCM) of the littoral and sublittoral reef feature of the Isle of May SAC. The SCM survey was undertaken with the objectives to: establish a baseline biological data set that will facilitate the assessment of the favourable conditional status of the reefs in future; and to allow SNH to form judgement on the current condition of the reefs in light of existing SAC management measures. To fulfil these objectives an extensive drop-down video survey of the sublittoral reef habitats of the SAC at 86 sites to characterise the major reef biotopes and MNCR phase 2 surveys of reef biotopes along relocatable transects at 6 sites spanning both littoral and inshore sublittoral environments.
