Identification

Title

2003 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Papa Stour Reef and Cave Site Condition Monitoring Survey

Abstract

The purpose of this survey was to establish re-locatable monitoring stations and gather baseline field data from each station at a Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) Phase 2 level of recording. The two principle objectives being to gather sufficient data to form judgement on the current condition of the interest features of the sites, and to establish a baseline biological dataset that will facilitate future site condition monitoring surveys of the Papa Stour caves and reefs features. To achieve this goal, the survey methodology included several elements: 1) marking and measurement of reef and cave transects, to facilitate their re-location and the production of near-scale transect diagrams; 2) recording of epibiota to MNCR Phase 2 level within defined re-locatable areas representative of each habitat identified at the transect; 3) production of a video and/or photographic stills record of: a) the extent and distribution of substrata and habitats within the transect, and b) the extent and distribution of epibiota and biotopes within each transect; 4) a remote video survey using a drop-down camera system to record the extent and distribution of substrata, habitats, epibiota and biotopes at survey stations. The outcome of this work was a total of five cave transects (all sublittoral) and ten reef transects (ten littoral and nine sublittoral) surveyed, in addition to which five sublittoral sites were sampled remotely using the drop-down video system.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

GB-SCT-SNH-CMEU-000083-PS

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

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

Additional information source

ERT (Scotland) Ltd. (2005). Site Condition Monitoring: surveys of marine rocky environments in the Papa Stour cSAC July-August 2003. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 102.

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

imageryBaseMapsEarthCover

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

GEMET

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2011-07-06

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

-1.7667

East bounding longitude

-1.6363

North bounding latitude

60.3570

South bounding latitude

60.2958

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

Scottish Continental Shelf

Extent group

authority code

title

ICES Rectangles

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2009-05-01

code identifying the extent

49E8

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

North Atlantic Ocean

Extent group

authority code

title

ICES Statistical Areas

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2014-05-16

code identifying the extent

IVa

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2003-07-20

End position

2003-08-16

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2005-12-31

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Cave Surveys: Diver surveys conducted at 5 caves, all partially submerged, after being investigated by snorkelers to assess their suitability. A 100m measuring tape was attached to piton one, and unwound towards the rear of the cave where it was pulled taut and fixed into position with another piton. The position of side tunnels along the datum tape were noted, but not surveyed. At selected points along the tape, a cross-section of the cave was sketched and any biological discontinuities along the length of the cave were noted - used to select points along the tape that would represent as wide a range as possible of the biological communities present within the cave. Detailed records (to MNCR Phase 2 level) of the fauna, flora and substratum present in each zone were then obtained from a 1m-wide band around the passage cross-section. Where doubt existed over species identity, specimens were obtained if possible for later identification. Diver video was also obtained for the cross sections. Reef Transect Survey: Transect location was decided following investigation of the sublittoral environment from the boat using an echo sounder, and visual appraisal of the shore. The aim was to select sites that were easily re-locatable and with evenly sloping terrain extending from the supralittoral down to a depth of approximately 30m or to a distance of approximately 100m offshore. A fixed re-locatable point was marked at the highest point of each transect (in the supralittoral), GPS coordinates and surface relocation photos were taken. Records were taken from a band running along the transect and extending to a distance of approximately 2m to either side. The surveyors distinguished biological zones along the transect based on differences in habitat or substratum and on differences in the composition of the biological communities. Species abundance estimates were made by estimating percentage cover or numbers per unit area, and converting these data at a later stage to the SACFOR abundance scale. In the littoral, photographs were taken of habitats and species within each zone or biotope. In the sublittoral, video footage was taken along the entire transect to gain a permanent record of the zonation and the habitats and species present. DDV Transect Survey: At selected sublittoral reefs the drop-down video system was used to gain information on the distribution of biotopes and substrata beyond the 100m transect or at depths below 30m. During each dropdown video deployment, notes were made of the seabed substratum type, any identifiable epibiota (and abundance estimates) and any visible biological changes with distance or time. Between 2–5 minutes of video footage were recorded on each occasion. SNH's Aphrodite (747I) was the main survey platform for this work.

Conformity

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

Marine Environmental Consultancy

organisation name

ERT (Scotland) Ltd

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

2018-02-22

Metadata language

eng