7257d9edd93f50334bcc0372a9cb06f0 English dataset 0d12e762-1b4e-4e6e-a916-1f05e4c963cc NatureScot (HQ Inverness) data_supply@nature.scot pointOfContact 2025-06-10 MEDIN 3.1.2 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision WGS 84 2013 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch Sween benthic survey 2013-12-31 publication GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000238-MRSNH01800000030-LSW Marine Recorder NS-000238 NatureScot project ID The purpose of this benthic survey in the Loch Sween (a possible Nature Conservation MPA at the time of survey) system was to validate historical records and determine the current distribution of target MPA search features: burrowed mud, inshore deep mud with burrowed heart urchins and beds of maerl, flameshells and native oysters, as well as the component species Ostrea edulis. A further aim was to validate records of four additional sublittoral mud and mixed sediment complexes that have been proposed as protected features within the possible MPA. Assessment of the condition of the targeted proposed protected features. This survey was split into two phases - (1) an underwater video survey and remote infaunal survey (grab and dredge) and (2) a MNCR phase 2 diving survey. An underwater video survey at 98 stations, infaunal grabs at 25 stations, naturalist dredge tows of a historical Limaria bed to supplement video samples, and single anchor dredges at 4 sites of historical Maxmuelleria were undertaken by Heriot-Watt University for SNH between the 18th and 21st March 2013. Between the 17th and 23rd April 2013, dive surveys of maerl, oyster and burrowed bud features of the the Loch, together with video and infaunal surveys of Linne Mhuirich. Detailed biological information were collected on the seabed species and habitat features present. Analyses on the seabed video and infaunal samples, commissioned by SNH, were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. 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 2025-06-10 revision Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2021-09-28 revision Habitat characterisation Habitat extent Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2021-09-28 revision otherRestrictions Not to be used for navigation. Native oyster was recorded during survey. SNH Sensitive species policy regards instances of Native oyster (Ostrea edulis) species occurrences and instances of biotope Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy mixed sediment (SS.SMx.IMx.Ost/ SS.IMX.Oy) as sensitive, as commercial fishing is threatening stocks. As such SNH would not release such records in response to an Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 request at a resolution below that provided by a otherRestrictions Restrictions on public access due to sensitive species recorded, only available at 20km by 20km resolution 500 English 8-bit variable size UCS Transfer Format, based on ISO/IEC 10646 biota environment oceans -5.7600 -5.5600 55.8900 56.0600 SeaVox salt and freshwater body gazetteer 2021-01-06 creation Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2021-01-06 creation Minches and Western Scotland ICES Rectangles 2021-01-06 creation 41E4 2013-03-18 2013-04-23 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision circalittoral SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision infralittoral Moore, C.G., Harries, D.B., Atkinson, R.J.A., Clark, L., Cook, R.L., Hirst, N.E., Saunders, G.R., Lyndon, A.R., Sanderson, W.G. and Porter, J.S. 2013. The distribution and condition of proposed protected features within the Loch Sween possible Nature Conservation MPA. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 621 Database Marine Recorder Documents Published report Geographic Information System shapefiles Image dataset MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos 2011-01-28 publication See the referenced specification true MEDIN data guideline for video surveys of species and benthos 2018-01-23 publication See the referenced specification true 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 This subtidal seabed data from Loch Sween was collected by SNH during two time periods in 2013. Phase 1 of the programme (18th-21st March) involved dropdown video and remote infaunal surveys of the Loch Sween system, apart from Linne Mhuirich. Phase 2 (17th - 23rd April) included principally diving surveys of the maerl, oyster and burrowed mud features of the loch, together with video and infaunal surveys of Linne Mhuirich and limited infaunal sampling elsewhere in the Loch Sween system. Survey methodology included drop-down and diver video, grabbing and dredging and diver surveying of maerl, burrowed mud and Ostrea edulis habitats, with collection of replicate core samples for infaunal analysis of the maerl beds. 98 sites were surveyed by drop-down video from RV Serpula. The video system used consisted of a Panasonic NV-GS150 3 chip digital video camera within a Seapro housing held within a frame and illuminated by twin 100 watt lamps. At each station the camera was deployed from a drifting vessel for between 3-8 minutes, and the times, depths and precise positions at the start and end of the drift using dGPS noted. Linne Mhuirich was inaccessible to RV Serpula so video runs were carried out by diving at six sites in this area using a hand-held HD video camera (Sony HD Model XR550). The video material from each station was processed in the laboratory; species present were identified and quantified using the semi-quantitative MNCR SACFOR scale, as far as possible. Where video runs traversed a sequence of biotopes, the runs are split into corresponding segments with the transition points recorded using time. Segmentation of runs was not practicable in the case of mosaics of recurring biotopes, in which case all biotopes observed were simply listed. To assist in the process of biotope identification and condition assessment, single 0.1 m2 van Veen grab samples were taken at 25 stations with a c.150 ml subsample taken for particle size analysis and the remaining material sieved on a 1 mm mesh and preserved in buffered 5% formalin. In addition, a further three replicate grab samples were collected at one where there is a historical record of inshore deep mud. During phase 2 of the survey programme the infauna at four additional sites were examined using duplicate, pooled mini van Veen grab samples (total area 0.09 m2), with the contents of a third grab subsampled for particle size analysis. One naturalist dredge tow was carried out through an area of historical Limaria bed records to supplement video samples taken at the same location and single anchor dredge samples were also collected at four sites in areas of historical records of Maxmuelleria. MNCR phase 2 surveys were carried out by diving on good examples of the biotope SS.SMu.CFiMu.MegMax. A band 4 m either side of the 25m transect tape was surveyed by two divers, who noted the presence, and where possible, estimated the abundance of conspicuous biota, collecting material which needed to be identified in the laboratory. To supplement the real-time visual records and collections, the transect band was videoed using a hand-held digital HD video camera (Canon Legria HF S30) and still photographs taken of the habitat and associated community using two Fuji Finepix S2 Pro digital still cameras with 14 mm wide-angle and 90 mm macro lenses. All video footage was analysed by contractor Dr Colin Moore and the faunal samples were processed by Fugro EMU (Edinburgh).