a58f9a87d44aff9ba7af418e03f26118 English dataset 96287cc08c593be3646f68c87183a22c NatureScot (HQ Inverness) data_supply@nature.scot pointOfContact 2025-06-09 MEDIN 3.1.2 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision WGS 84 2014 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Sound of Arisaig site condition monitoring survey 2014-12-18 publication GB-SCT-SNH-CMEU-000349-SoA MRSNH03000000002 Marine Recorder NS-000349 NatureScot project ID The principal purpose of the study was to carry out site condition monitoring of the Sound of Arisaig SAC, in order to identify any deterioration in the condition of the subtidal sandbank feature and to form a judgement on its current condition. The approach taken to achieve this aim was to perform an extensive drop-down video survey and a grab survey of the component habitats of the feature, together with more detailed surveying of the habitat at selected maerl bed sites. A further aim of the work was to validate the presence of the MPA search feature 'inshore deep mud with burrowing heart urchins' which has been reported close to the SAC. This investigation was carried out by means of drop down video, grab and dredge surveys in muddy areas within the SAC and in adjacent regions, including sites of historical records of the habitat. 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 Colin Moore Colin Moore Consultant c.g.moore84@gmail.com originator 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 2025-06-09 revision Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2021-09-28 revision Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed Habitat characterisation Habitat extent Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2021-09-28 revision Marine Environment Monitoring Global Change Master Directory Science Keywords V5 2006-08-31 revision otherRestrictions 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. otherRestrictions no restrictions to public access 500 English 8-bit variable size UCS Transfer Format, based on ISO/IEC 10646 biota environment oceans -5.9670 -5.6665 56.7328 56.9024 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 42E4 2014-07-22 2014-08-06 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., Cook, R.L., Saunders, G.R., Atkinson, R.J.A. & Sanderson, W.G. 2015. 2014 site condition monitoring survey of marine sedimentary habitats in the Sound of Arisaig SAC. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 807 Database Marine Recorder dataset MEDIN data guideline for fish and benthos data by trawl or dredge 2018-10-08 publication See the referenced specification true 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 As part of the Site Condition Monitoring survey of inshore sediments of the Sound of Arisaig, biotope distribution was examined chiefly by dropdown video survey from the vessel RV Serpula. At each station the camera was deployed from a drifting vessel for around 2 - 3 minutes, noting the times, depths and precise positions at the start and end of the drift using dGPS. Video runs were very short as only the initial biotope recorded was needed, in order to compare with the biotope recorded at the same location during the 2003 baseline site condition monitoring survey. At a small number of sites where navigation was difficult, the dropdown system was replaced by diver-held video. 34 of the 150 randomly positioned video sites that formed the basis of the baseline survey are now referred to reef biotopes (and so would not contribute to assessment of a reduction in extent or condition of the designated feature), therefore in addition to the 116 random sites allocated to sediment biotopes, 21 of the non-random sedimentary habitat sites from the baseline survey were also selected for resampling. The condition of representative sediment biotopes was also examined by single 0.1 sq m van Veen grab samples taken for infaunal analysis at 20 sites from RV Serpula, with 150 ml subsamples taken for particle size analysis. The infauna was screened with a 1 mm mesh sieve. The condition of maerl habitats at five sites was examined by diver using MNCR phase 2 survey methodology along a 25 m transect, width 2 m either side of the tape was surveyed by two divers, with collections of four core samples for analysis of associated biota. To supplement the real-time visual records and collections, the transect band was videoed using a hand-held digital video camera and photographs taken of the maerl and associated community using two digital still cameras. Four replicate core samples were taken in areas of living maerl using a 10.3 cm diameter corer to a depth of 20 cm. An additional 20 cm sediment core of 5 cm diameter was taken for particle size analysis. In addition to the derivation of an overall estimate of live and dead maerl percentage cover along the transect, carried out during the MNCR phase 2 surveying, live and dead maerl cover within the transect band was also assessed using diver estimates of percentage cover within random 0.25 m2 quadrats. Validation of the presence of the inshore deep mud biotope, SS.SMu.CFiMu.BlyrAchi, was achieved by a dropdown video survey from RV Serpula of muddy sediments within the SAC and in adjacent regions, particularly in Loch nan Uamh ( 18 sites), and the upper section of Loch Ailort (7 sites). This was supplemented by 3-5 van Veen grabs at 12 promising sites and their contents sieved on a 0.7 cm mesh. Single quantitative grab samples were also taken at four of these sites in order to determine the condition of likely examples of the habitat and to better characterise it. Subsamples from these grabs were taken for particle size analysis and the fauna extracted and analysed. Naturalist dredge sampling at 5 most promising sites was used to determine the presence of burrowing heart urchins.