Identification

Title

2003 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch Moidart and Shiel Woods Site Condition Monitoring survey of intertidal sediment flats

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to initiate site condition monitoring of the intertidal sediment flats of the Loch Moidart SAC. This was done to 1) establish a baseline biological data set that would facilitate the assessment of the condition of the intertidal sediment flat habitats in the future, and 2) to allow a judgement to be formed on the current condition of these habitats. The approach taken to achieve these objectives is to establish a series of relocatable stations along transects that reflect the biological and environmental diversity of the sediment flats of the SAC.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-CMEU-000091-LMSW

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::27700

Additional information source

Moore, C.G., Lyndon, A.R., Mair, J.M. and Edwards, D.C.B. (2004). Site condition monitoring of the intertidal sediment flats of the Loch Moidart and Sheil Woods cSAC. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 051.

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

imageryBaseMapsEarthCover

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

effective date

2017-05-12

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-5.8998

East bounding longitude

-5.7265

North bounding latitude

56.8072

South bounding latitude

56.7665

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-06-18

code identifying the extent

Minches & Western Scotland

Extent group

authority code

title

ICES Rectangles

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

42E4

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2003-08-28

End position

2003-08-31

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2004-10-11

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Data collection for the SCM baseline work took place at a series of relocatable stations along transects that reflected the biological and environmental diversity of the intertidal sediment flats in the SAC. The 5 transects (MA to ME), which included a total of 16 sample stations, were laid out perpendicular to the shore and to low water channels at the seaward end. Each station lay within a perceived habitat zone identified from the physical appearance and biological surface features. The positions of both stations and zone boundaries were recorded. The physicochemical characteristics of the stations were assessed by measurement of sediment particle size, depth of the anaerobic layer and by noting the physical appearance of the sediment. The biotic composition was assessed by analysis of sediment cores, by digging over 1m2 for the presence of the larger species, and by estimation of the abundance of casts and other conspicuous surface signs of the presence of the larger infauna. Replicate photo quadrats were also taken at each station and video footage taken of both the stations and of the transect. At each station, a record of any surfical biota was made by photographing five replicate randomly placed 0.25 m2 quadrats and noting incidental visual records. At 15 stations (out of 16), 8 replicate core samples of 10.3 cm diameter and 20 cm length were taken at random and pooled. The sediment was sieved on a 1mm mesh sieve and the sievings stored in 5% formalin for analysis of the macrobenthos. A 3.4cm diameter core sample to a depth of 20cm was taken for grain size analysis. In addition, approximately 1 m2 of sediment was dug-over using a spade, to a depth of about 30 cm to check for the presence of conspicuous infauna and estimates of their density made using the SACFOR scale. Smaller infauna was similarly recorded but sampled by sieving, using a 1 mm mesh, an area of sediment of c. 250 cm2. All transects and stations had their positions fixed by hand-held differential GPS using WGS84 datum.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-02-02

degree

true

explanation

See the referenced specification

Conformity report

specification

title

MEDIN data guideline for video surveys of species and benthos.

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; SNH copyright data which is available for re-use under government licence terms: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

no restrictions to public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Consultant

organisation name

email address

c.g.moore@hw.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

2019-08-09

Metadata language

eng