b4771a41e7574b6691105afe1db89695 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 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision OSGB 1936 / British National Grid 2004 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh biogenic and rocky reefs survey 2008-10-25 publication GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000099-MRSNH01200000007-LDLA Marine Recorder NS-000099 NatureScot project ID Emu Limited (Emu Ltd.) was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to carry out fieldwork to initiate the monitoring of the reef features within the Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). The purpose of the fieldwork was to establish a series of relocatable survey transects and single point survey stations at locations which reflected the biological and environmental diversity of the rocky and biogenic reef features of the site. The data acquired from each of these survey stations is to be used to assess the ‘favourable condition’ status of the interest features on future monitoring surveys and provide sufficient information from which a judgement on the existing condition of the interest features can be made. The Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh (DLA) cSAC is designated for the intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs found throughout the site and biogenic reefs formed by dense beds of horse mussel, Modiolus modiolus. Sub-features of interest for which survey effort was targeted were: Very sheltered, rocky reefs subject to variable salinity (Loch Long); Deep sublittoral bedrock cliffs supporting communities characterised by the brachiopods Neocrania anomala, Terabratulina retusa and the anemone Protanthea simplex (Loch Duich), Dense beds of the normally cryptic brittlestar Ophiopholis aculeata (sills within the centre of Loch system); and Tide-swept bedrock communities (Kyle Rhea). Where possible, survey stations were placed in the same location as earlier survey visits to the area in order to allow the current condition of the site to be assessed in relation to information on its former condition. In addition to this, selected elements of a survey carried out by Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in 1999 on the dense aggregations of the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus within Kyle Akin were repeated. The aim was to directly compare the results from the two surveys to enable an assessment to be made on the condition of the M. modiolus bed. The following is a summary of the survey work carried out: MNCR phase 2 surveys along 6 transects comprising littoral (by shore worker) and sublittoral (by diver) sections and one sublittoral transect MNCR phase 2 surveys by diver at 9 spot locations estimates of frequency of occurence of dominant/characteristic taxa (by use of replicate quadrats) in biotopes of interest at above locations MNCR phase 2 surveys by ROV along 12 transects Modiolus bed surveys by ROV at 6 spot locations Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 data_supply@nature.scot owner Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 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 -5.7667 -5.3833 57.2000 57.3330 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 2004-06-16 2004-06-29 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision circalittoral SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision littoral Emu Ltd. (2006). Site Condition Monitoring: Surveys of biogenic and rocky reefs in the Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh cSAC. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.240 (ROAME No. F02AC409). 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 Data collection were based on ROV and dive surveys in infralittoral zone, and line transect shore surveys in the littoral zone, following MNCR Phase 2 recording mythologies and quadrat frequency counts. All methods employed during fieldwork and post-survey data processing followed those outlined within Annex A of the SNH invitation to tender (IH030456T) with modifications approved by SNH prior to the fieldwork commencing. These methods were based upon Davies et al. (2001). All dives were undertaken in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice for Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) diving rules (Holt, 1998). Where possible, survey stations were placed in the same location as earlier survey visits to the area in order to allow the current condition of the site to be assessed in relation to information on its former condition. All video records were reviewed by broadly following the JNCC procedural guidelines for hand held and drop-down video surveys (Davies et al., 2001). Video footage from each transect station was reviewed in the context of the MNCR Phase II records and the transect physical checklists (Appendix C; Emu Ltd, 2004). For each zone identified by the divers the following information was reviewed during the analysis of video: substrate type, species present, abundance estimates, and depth (meters below sea level, indicated by footage of a dive computer) and distance along the transect line between zones. Species not previously recorded by divers but identified during the analysis of video footage were noted, and their abundances estimated using the relative sizes of known features/species to assess the size of the field of view. Where no abundance estimate could be assigned to such species their abundance was marked as present (P).