0eacaeb5dd2fc5f80432d166a75464ce English dataset Marine GI Data Natural England Natural England +44 (0)300 060 3900 +44 (0)300 060 2356 Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green York YO1 7PX enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk pointOfContact 2022-01-19 MEDIN Discovery metadata standard 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::27700 1991 Natural England (NE) Isles of Scilly Marine Monitoring 1991-03-01 publication 2014-01-09 revision NATENG000030 A programme of marine biological monitoring was established in the Isles of Scilly in 1984, aimed at detecting change in communities and populations of high nature conservation importance and including studies on Mediterranean-Atlantic species found around the larger islands. Monitoring continued at yearly intervals until 1998, followed by a three year gap until 1991. This report describes the monitoring carried out in 1991, which covered subtidal sites only. Gap Point and the Zostera marina beds at English Island, Samson and old Grimsby were visited. An initial brief analysis of the results is presented. From 1984 to 1988 (inclusive) very few changes were recorded within the Zostera beds or in the populations of southwestern species in the circalittoral epibenthic communities. For example, there was little change in the numbers of sunset cup corals Leptopsammia pruvoti, carpet corals Hoplangia durotrix and pink sea finger Parerythropodium coralloides colonies at Gap Point. In contrast, considerable changes were recorded in the population structure of the common and widely distributed Devonshire cup coral Caryophyllia smithii. In 1991, the communities of southwestern circalittoral species continued to show a very stable and unaltered pattern with the exception of the first apparent recruitment in Leptopsammia being recorded since the programme began. The decline in Devonshire cup coral numbers had slowed considerably. The Zostera beds in Scilly are perennial and do not normally vary greatly in extent from year to year. Previous records from English Island had demonstrated the stability of this habitat, but changes took place between 1988 and 1991, including quite serious storm damage which removed areas of eel grass, infection by Labyrinthula macrocystis (considered to be the cause of Zostera wasting disease in the 1930s) and colonisation by Jap weed Sargassum muticum. In conclusion, the report discusses the possible application of the results of this marine monitoring programme to assessment of changing climate patterns and oceanic conditions. More information is required on species biology (particularly longevity, growth and recruitment), climate and the effects of change on species of high nature conservation interest in order to determine the aims of marine nature reserve management. Recommendations include the continuation of the monitoring programmes at the Isles of Scilly and Lundy Marine Nature Reserve; the installation of continuous data loggers at these sites to collect sea water temperature data; repetition of the aerial photography of the Isles of Scilly Zostera marina beds; informing other country agencies of the results (particularly with regard to the discovery of Labyrinthula macrocystis); and incorporation of the Scilly and Lundy monitoring programmes into a long-term monitoring programme utilising a number of sites in Britain and contributing to a European marine monitoring project such as the former COST 647 Programme. Marine GI Data Natural England Natural England +44 (0)300 060 3900 +44 (0)300 060 2356 Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green York YO1 7PX enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk originator Marine GI Data Natural England Natural England +44 (0)300 060 3900 +44 (0)300 060 2356 Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green York YO1 7PX enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk custodian notPlanned Documents Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-01-06 revision Macroalgae and seagrass taxonomy-related counts SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary 2009-11-16 revision Open Government Licence otherRestrictions Open Government Licence English biota Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Western Channel and Celtic Sea International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas 1954-01-01 creation English Channel International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas 1954-01-01 creation Celtic Sea SeaDataNet vertical extent keywords 2010-01-01 revision littoral -6.4162 -6.2081 49.8637 49.9910 1991-03-01 1991-12-31 Marine GI Data Natural England Natural England +44 (0)300 060 3900 +44 (0)300 060 2356 Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green York YO1 7PX enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk distributor http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/31021 publications.naturalengland.org.uk A link to publications.naturalengland.org.uk http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/31021 publications.naturalengland.org.uk A link to publications.naturalengland.org.uk dataset Fowler, S.L. (1992) Marine monitoring in the Isles of Scilly