2015 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil benthic camera and grab survey
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.
dataset
GB-SCT-SNH-CMEU-000295-LFG
eng
urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326
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.
biota
biota
revision
2008-01-06
revision
2009-11-16
creation
2011-02-16
creation
2003-01-01
creation
2011-07-06
creation
2012-02-14
revision
2005-04-27
creation
2006-08-31
creation
2017-05-12
-5.3957
-5.0365
56.2523
55.9810
creation
2009-06-18
Irish Sea
creation
2009-05-01
41E4
creation
1954-01-01
Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
revision
2010-01-01
circalittoral
revision
2010-01-01
infralittoral
2019-07-10
2019-07-22
publication
2019-12-31
notPlanned
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.
publication
2011-02-02
true
See the referenced specification
publication
2018-01-23
true
See the referenced specification
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.
No restrictions on public access
Precision Marine Survey Limited
originator
Consultant
originator
Data Manager
Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness
custodian
Data Manager
Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness
pointOfContact
2019-07-31