Identification

Title

2010 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch Sween sublittoral survey

Abstract

The purpose of this benthic survey in Loch Sween was to determine species composition, diversity and biotope. Sublittoral sediment sampling was undertaken by SEPA for SNH as part of SNH's review of existing and new benthic data to ascertain the current marine nature conservation value of Loch Sween and inform the need for new survey work. Grab sampling was undertaken at 24 sites on the 22nd and 23rd November down the length of the loch from Sailean Mhor to the Loch approaches to collect detailed biological information on the seabed species and habitat features present.The purpose of SNH contracting Precision Marine Survey Ltd to analyse the infaunal data obtained from this survey by SEPA was to improve knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance, particularly priority marine features (PMFs). Video was also taken at a limited number of sites but due to adverse weather conditions visibility was exceptionally poor so the footage provided little information on the biota present.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000134-MRSNH02300000003-LS

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

Allen, J.H. and Birkett, S.R. (2013). Study of previously unanalysed survey data from Loch Sween including infaunal analysis of grab samples from 2009-2010. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 493.

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

2011-02-16

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

2012-03-16

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

-5.7070

East bounding longitude

-5.5692

North bounding latitude

56.0374

South bounding latitude

55.8973

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

40E4

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

2010-11-22

End position

2010-11-23

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2012-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

This subtidal seabed data from Loch Sween was collected by SEPA for SNH in November 2010. Infaunal grab samples were taken at 24 sites down the length of the loch using a 0.1m2 day grab. material from the grab samples were sieved through a 1mm mesh sieve and an additional sample was also taken and preserved for subsequent PSA. Processing of infaunal samples was undertaken by Precision Marine Survey Limited and followed best practice procedures. The original aim of this survey was to review the drop-down video data provided by SEPA in order to provide a semi-quantitative assessment of species abundance and coverage and to determine biotope type, patchiness and representativeness, environmental (sedimentary) characteristics or evidence of damage and disturbance. Due to poor weather conditions on the survey the number of video sites was reduced and survey effort was transferred to the benthic survey. A total of 4 benthic infaunal sites surveyed included video, however the video data were of particularly poor quality due to extremely low visibility.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-02-02

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 occurences 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

Data Manager

organisation name

Precision Marine Survey Limited

email address

dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk

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

2019-10-25

Metadata language