Identification

Title

2004 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Moray Firth SAC sublittoral biotope mapping survey

Abstract

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.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000095-MRSNH0300000001B-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; Foster-Smith, R., Sotheran, I. & Foster-Smith, D. 2009. Sublittoral biotope mapping of the Moray Firth SAC. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 378

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

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

-4.4110

East bounding longitude

-3.2450

North bounding latitude

58.1470

South bounding latitude

57.4520

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

2004-07-24

End position

2004-08-08

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-12-31

date type

creation

effective date

2004-08-08

date type

revision

effective date

2016-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

This subtidal seabed data from Moray Firth was collected by Envision Mapping Ltd. between the 24th July and 12th August 2004. Video images were obtained from 228 drop-down video drift tows deployed just above the seabed. These sites were surveyed using acoustic remote sensing techniques combined with drop-down video sampling. The video samples consisted largely of brief drifts of 1 - 2 minutes duration, with the depth recorded at the start of the run and the positional information and time displayed as a video overlay. Analyses of the video footage was undertaken by Dr Colin Moore, contracted by SNH, to describe the physical structure and species assemblages present. Based on the physical and biological attributes, biotopes were allocated. Species present were identified and quantified using the semi-quantitative MNCR SACFOR scale, as far as possible. Quantitative infaunal sampling was also undertaken at a subset of 30 sites, where single 0.1 m2 Van Veen grab samples were taken and sub-sampled for particle size analysis. The 2004 survey particle size analysis data and the infaunal data provided in the original survey report for 30 of the 228 sites was employed to aid biotope identification in the 2015 analysis. Note: the video obtained in this 2004 survey was re-analysed by Colin Moore under SNH contract in combination with video data collected in the same area during 2015. The original video and infaunal analysis is reported in Foster-Smith et al., 2009.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-02-02

degree

true

explanation

See the referenced specification

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 for navigational use; 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

Director

organisation name

Envision Mapping Ltd

email address

mail@envision.uk.com

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

2021-05-28

Metadata language