The purpose of this benthic survey in the Moray Firth was to map the main sediment features and biota of the subtidal areas of the SAC, to provide a broadscale biotope distribution map of the area, between 3m and 30m below CD. To collect detailed biological information on the seabed species and habitat features present, acoustic remote sensing techniques combined with ground-truthing by drop down video sampling at 228 sites and quantitative infaunal sampling using a Van Veen grab at a subset of 30 sites. This work was conducted by Envision Mapping Ltd for SNH between the 24th July and 12th August 2004. The images, analysed under SNH contract by Dr Colin Moore, were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages.
