Identification

Title

2015 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil benthic camera and grab survey

Abstract

Drop-down video and infaunal grab survey of protected seabed habitats undertaken within the Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil MPA and adjacent waters between the 10th - 22nd July 2015 by SNH for SNH on board the vessel MRV Seol Mara. The main aims of the video survey work in the area was for ncMPA monitoring and to refine knowledge of protected feature distribution. The primary aim of the grab survey was to establish current baseline conditions for a range of features present within the site, against which future change can be determined. Video footage photographic imagery were collected at 46 sites and 17 grab samples were collected. Through the analysis of seabed video and stills, the images were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. Runs and run segments were assessed for the presence of protected features and other PMFs, as well as for the presence of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance. Grab sample station positioning in Loch Fyne was informed by the results of previous studies and designed to increase confidence in existing knowledge of feature extent and to validate biotopes assigned to towed video in the same area.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-CMEU-000295-LFG

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Additional information source

Allen, J.H. 2017. Infaunal and PSA analyses of benthic samples collected from around the Isle of Arran, Loch Fyne and Orkney in July and August 2015. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 945. AND Moore, C.G. 2019. Biological analyses of underwater video from monitoring and research cruises in Lochs Ailort and Fyne, the Sounds of Barra and Mull, inner Moray Firth, off Wester Ross, Noss Head and Rattray Head, and around the Southern Trench in outer Moray Firth. Scottish Natural Heritage Research Report No. 1085.

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

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2008-01-06

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2009-11-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

INSPIRE THEMES

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2011-02-16

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

UNESCO

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2003-01-01

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

GEMET

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2011-07-06

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

MEDIN

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2012-02-14

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

International Standards Organisation ISO19115 Topic Categories

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2005-04-27

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Global Change Master Directory Science Keywords V5

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2006-08-31

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

INSPIRE

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2017-05-12

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-5.3957

East bounding longitude

-5.0365

North bounding latitude

56.2523

South bounding latitude

55.9810

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

Irish Sea

Extent group

authority code

title

ICES Rectangles

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

41E4

Extent group

authority code

title

International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas

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

SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-01

code identifying the extent

circalittoral

Extent group

authority code

title

SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-01

code identifying the extent

infralittoral

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2019-07-10

End position

2019-07-22

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2019-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Survey work in the Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil Nature Conservation MPA was undertaken in July 2015 because the lochs support a wide range of protected features, including those with a 'recover' conservation objective. Video footage and still images were collected at 46 sites. At each site a drop-down video system was deployed just above the seabed for drifts of between approx. 5-10 minutes. The video frame carried a laser scaling system and the facility to take digital still photographs at intervals. A high definition (resolution 1440x1080) camera was deployed in combination with a standard definition (resolution 768x576) navigation camera. A video overlay displayed time and positional information along the video runs. No date or depth overlay is available for this footage. The imagery were used to describe the nature of the seabed, in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. Species present were, as far as possible, identified and quantified using the SACFOR scale. Based on the physical and biological attributes, biotopes were allocated using the 2004 Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland (version 04.05). Where video runs traversed different habitats, the run was split into the corresponding segments, each of which was labelled as a separate video sample and transition points recorded using the time and positional overlay data. Depth information is available for the start and end of each video tow, but not for biotope segments. Video analysis was undertaken by SNH contractor Dr. Colin Moore. Infaunal and PSA samples were collected 17 sites using a 0.1m2 Day grab. At each station a single grab sample was collected. PSA samples were collected from 14 out of 17 sites and infaunal samples were collected at all 17 sites. Infaunal samples were passed through a 1mm mesh sieve and the sieve residue fixed using buffered formalin. a small sub-sample of the grab was removed post-sieving for PSA analysis and stored in a plastic bag before being frozen. All laboratory methodologies were based on best practice and in accordance with the NMBAQC protocols. Precision Marine Survey Ltd. was contracted by SNH to undertake the analysis of grab samples.

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 to be used for navigation. This survey recorded no species or biotope occurences that SNH consider as sensititive; 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 permissable 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

organisation name

Precision Marine Survey Limited

email address

info@precisionmarine.co.uk

responsible party role

originator

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

2019-07-31

Metadata language

eng