34c8090c79e155264f23a6644d4a96fb English dataset NatureScot (HQ Inverness) data_supply@nature.scot pointOfContact 2025-06-03 MEDIN 3.1.2 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision WGS 84 2004 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) North-West Scotland subtidal seagrass beds survey 2008-06-12 publication GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000094MRSNH01100000003-NWSCOT NS-000094 NatureScot project ID Survey to determine the scale of the subtidal seagrass resource present along the north-west coast of Scotland (within the SNH North Highland area). The results of work will support the on-going delivery of SNH’s statutory marine nature conservation remit. The study area extends from Greenstone Point in Gruinard Bay to Sheigra near Kinlochbervie. Predominantly rocky, rugged coastline interspersed with large embayments, sealochs and scattered small islands. Open outer coast is exposed to considerable wave action, sealochs are protected by sills or narrows and are very sheltered. A series of 28 areas were targetted during the survey. - Bathyscope (Glass-bottomed bucket) was used for rapid assessment of presence of seagrass in clear shallow waters (~4-5m max.) where visability was such that a rapid assessment of benthic habitats could be made over the side of the survey vessel. - Drop-down video equipment was used in water depths greater than 5m or where sea conditions precluded the use of a bathyscope. A total of 56 separate drop-down video drops/ short tows were taken of between 1-3 minutes duration. Footage was recorded onto miniDV tapes. Field notes detailing site number, position, depth, time and conspicuous habitat features were taken for all drop-video sampling sites on standardised recording forms. Video footage was logged. Video footage was analysed using freeze-frame, slow motion and standard play speed to identify as many conspicuous species as possible and a determination of broad substrate type. Species abundance was measured to SACFOR or percentage cover where practicable. Species determination referenced Howson and Picton (1997). Records were tagged with biotopes with reference to MNCR biotope classification version 04.05 for subtidal sediments an infralittoral rock (97.06 version for other habitats). - Still photography was an integral part of the survey and surface digital photographs were taken throughout. A small number of sublittoral habitat shots were taken whilst snorkelling. Photography was logged. Two still images were also extracted from each sample site. - Snorkelling was undertaken where vessel access was restricted. Positional information was recorded from dGPS in the field as British National Grid format (OSGB36 datum) and validated against downloaded Latitude and Longitude coordiante pairs (WGS84 datum). The data is structured into 4 Events and 56 Samples Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 data_supply@nature.scot owner NatureScot (HQ Inverness) NatureScot Data Manager data_supply@nature.scot custodian Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 data_supply@nature.scot originator Esther Hughes Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Data Manager 01752 633102 dassh.enquiries@mba.ac.uk distributor notPlanned Marine Environmental Data and Information Network MEDIN metadata record availability 2025-06-03 revision NDGO0005 NDGO0005 2025-06-03 revision Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2021-09-28 revision Habitat characterisation Habitat extent Macroalgae and seagrass taxonomy-related counts Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2021-09-28 revision otherRestrictions 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/ otherRestrictions no restrictions to public access English 8-bit variable size UCS Transfer Format, based on ISO/IEC 10646 biota environment oceans -5.7064 -4.9675 57.8208 58.5133 SeaVox salt and freshwater body gazetteer 2021-01-06 creation North Atlantic Ocean Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2021-01-06 creation Minches and Western Scotland 2004-08-11 2004-08-15 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision infralittoral SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision littoral James, B. (2004). North-west Scotland subtidal seagrass bed survey 2004. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.076 (ROAME No. F04LB05). Database Marine Recorder Documents Published report Geographic Information System shapefile dataset Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 publication 3.3 Data processing 3.3.1 Video analysis - The videotapes were processed in accordance with the methods outlined in Procedural Guideline 3–5 (Davies et al., 2001). Tapes were viewed using freeze-frame; slow motion and standard play speed as necessary to enable the identification of as many conspicuous species as possible and a determination of broad substrate type. Notes were entered into an excel spreadsheet in a systematic way, recording main habitat features, conspicuous species or, where this detail was not discernible, higher taxonomic categories. Where practicable, species abundance (using MNCR SACFOR scales – Hiscock, 1996) or percentage cover estimates were also recorded. Species recording followed Howson and Picton (1997). A minimum of two still images were ‘captured’ from the digital video footage taken at each sampling site (examples given in Figure 9 below) and these were ‘hot-linked’ to the sampling data spreadsheets for future reference. The final stage in the analyses consisted of reviewing the excel records, the captured images and where necessary the original video footage in order to tag the records with biotope1codes from the latest version of the national classification. The subtidal sediments and infralittoral rock sections of version 05.04 (Connor et al., 2004) were published prior to undertaking the video processing and were therefore used in this study in conjunction with the earlier 97.06 version (Connor et al., 1997). 3.3.2 GIS analysis - ESRI shapefiles were created from the finalised drop-down video and digital photography point sampling data. A subset of the video data table containing only confirmed and potential records of subtidal Zostera marina was converted into a further discrete point sample shapefile. It was possible to accurately map the boundaries of only one seagrass bed on the basis of multiple ‘positive’ drop-down video records. The seagrass bed boundaries were plotted at a scale of 1:3,000 using straight line joins between discrete point sample data. For another three confirmed seagrass records an estimated ‘bed’ size (derived from the video footage) was mapped using the buffer tool(s) within ArcGIS. The buffered and mapped seagrass bed polygons were then merged to form a fourth ‘seagrass beds’ polygon shapefile.