c1df2b8423f5931a70d87b3ac2202828 English dataset 063b385b-d843-4933-84e2-3e51a4d70d49 NatureScot (HQ Inverness) data_supply@nature.scot pointOfContact 2025-06-10 MEDIN 3.1.2 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2021-01-06 revision OSGB 1936 / British National Grid 2009 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Lamlash Bay broad-scale mapping survey 2010-06-08 publication GB-SCT-SNH-ME-000120-MRSNH01600000007-LAM NS-000120 NatureScot project ID In September 2008 a No Take Zone (NTZ) was established in Lamlash Bay (Isle of Arran, North Ayrshire) in Scotland following a consultation for a fishery order (under the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984). The proposed NTZ was passed by the Scottish Parliament prohibiting all sea fishing within the NTZ. This 2009 survey involved an acoustic mapping survey with ground-truthing (camera deployments and sediment sampling) to create maps of the habitats and biotopes within the site in a Geographical Information System (GIS). The aim of the survey was complete a baseline survey in Lamlash Bay to describe the seabed environment and map the seabed habitats in Lamlash Bay which was started in 2008. In order to complete the recording and characterisation of the habitats in Lamlash Bay additional acoustic and camera surveys were carried out in 2009 to acquire data in the areas not surveyed in 2008. The aim of the acoustic element of the survey was to identify different backscatter returns and describe as well as delineate the extent of the various seabed habitat types occurring in and around Lamlash Bay. A digital sidescan sonar mosaic, in conjunction with single beam echo sounder derived bathymetry, provided the initial broadview to map the substrata present throughout the survey area as well as allowing the identification of any features of interest. The aim of the ground-truthing element of the survey was to provide a description of the richness and diversity of the habitats on both rocky reef and the softer sediments. The biotope distribution and species composition was developed through interpretation of dropdown video footage and digital still photography, taken after evaluation of the sidescan mosaic. The results of all elements of the survey were combined with data collected in 2008 to create a Geographical Information System (GIS) which enabled a high level of processing, interpretation and display of the sidescan sonar mosaic, bathymetry, substrata types, biotopes and the digital photography. The 2009 survey work acquired baseline environmental data from the shallow sections (areas inside the 10 m contour). The 2009 field work (acoustic and drop-down camera surveys) was undertaken between 9 and 13 September 2009 with all survey operations conducted from Seastar Survey Ltd.’s vessel Otarie. The survey mobilisation and de-mobilisation took place in Ardrossan Harbour, Scotland, on 7th September and 14th September respectively. This baseline data stored in Marine Recorder. 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 M. Axelsson SeaStar Survey info@seastarsurvey.co.uk 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 NDGO0005 NDGO0005 2025-06-10 revision Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2021-09-28 revision Habitat characterisation Habitat extent Macroalgae and seagrass taxonomy-related counts Sediment grain size parameters 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 geoscientificInformation oceans -5.0503 -5.1292 55.4995 55.5762 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 Irish Sea 2009-09-08 2009-09-13 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision circalittoral SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 revision infralittoral Axelsson, Dewey, Doran, Plastow (2010) Mapping of the marine habitats and species of Lamlash Bay, Arran. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.400 Database Documents Geographic Information System 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 Drop-down camera survey - Data handling The photographs and video footage were then used for analysis in the GIS. When the camera surveys were completed the DVDs were retrieved and the backup hard drives were transported to an offsite data storage facility. All DVDs, photographs and logs were checked for errors. DVDs with mpeg video files, sets of all seabed photographs were supplied and the seabed photographs were also incorporated into the ArcView GIS. Video and photographic analysis The analysis of the photographs and video records was carried out ‘blind’, without any prior knowledge of the sites, using a personal computer and a SONY digital videocassette recorder and a television monitor respectively. The latter system allows slow-motion, freezeframe and standard play analysis. An initial assessment of a site was carried out by first looking through the photographs and film from the particular site quickly to get a brief understanding of the substratum, flora and fauna. Semi-quantitative analysis of the video footage: The video analysis included an initial assessment of a deployment to get a broad understanding of the substratum, flora and fauna as well as the identification of the different biotopes/habitats on the seabed. The boundary positions of the different biotopes/habitats were determined using the time codes and related back to the navigation data. The detailed analysis consisted of a general seabed description and the fauna were identified to the lowest practical level. General descriptions of the faunal life-forms were made and any other features of interest such as trawl marks were also recorded. The abundance data were recorded using the SACFOR scale (general fauna) and actual abundance (commercial taxa) with the analysis concentrating on the commercially important species present together with species readily identified in the video material. A list of the encountered fauna was produced for each site using species reference numbers as cited in the Marine Conservation Society Species Directory (Howson and Picton 1997) to avoid problems in species nomenclature. The sections or deployments were subsequently classified into designated biotopes according to Connor et al. (2004). Faunal densities were calculated based on the distance covered for each habitat, biotope or transect, basing the calculations on the estimated assumption that the camera covers 1 m in width (previous camera calibration test gives a seafloor coverage of approximately 0.8 m by 0.8 m when the camera frame is in contact with the seabed). The distances for each habitat were calculated from the position of the start of each habitat / biotope to the position of the end of each habitat / biotope rather than attempting to calculate the exact distance along the transect resulting in approximate density values. Quantitative analysis of the stills photographs: The still photography analysis was carried out using a personal computer. The methodology is in large parts similar to the video analysis methodology described for the video analysis and included a general seabed description where the substrata were described according to the Wentworth scale (see Leeder, 1982) with boulders and cobbles being described within ‘gravel’ and rock referring to bedrock. The fauna was identified to the lowest practical level with the nomenclature according to the Marine Conservation Society Species Directory (Howson and Picton 1997) and actual abundance of the fauna and flora was recorded whenever possible (faunal densities are based on the approximation that each photograph covers 1 m2; see camera calibration notes above). The presence of faunal life-forms and any other features of interest such as trawl marks were also recorded. Each photograph was subsequently classified into designated biotopes according to Connor et al. (2004), wherever possible. These results were subsequently incorporated into the ArcView GIS. Data analysis Ecological interpretation of the results was carried out by reference to the JNCC Marine Nature Conservation Review Biotope Classification (Connor et al., 2004), and the presence of rare or unusual species identified against the list in Sanderson (1996). All the identified and enumerated benthic macrofauna were used in the analysis and the abundance data are given in the SACFOR scale (see Connor et al., 2004) for the video records and actual abundance, given as number of individuals/m2, for the still photographs. The data analyses comprised both univariate and multivariate analyses all of which were calculated using Primer (Plymouth Routines in Multivariate Ecological Research) v 5.2.0 (Clarke and Warwick, 1994). The univariate analysis included the total number of individuals (N), total number of species (S), species diversity where the Shannon-Wiener (H’), Pielou’s (J) and Margalef’s (d) diversity indices (see e.g. Gage and Tyler, 1991; Fowler and Cohen, 1992; Clarke and Warwick, 1994) were used with the natural log (loge) being the chosen parameter in the case of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The multivariate analysis was carried out using cluster analysis and ordination (non-metric multi-dimensional scaling, MDS). These data were then transformed to square root to down-weigh the importance of common types of macrofauna in relation to rarer types. The transformed data were then analysed using the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient (using Primer v.5) followed by a cluster analysis where the sites were group averaged and the resultant dendrogram plotted. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) was then carried out to further assess the presence of any similarities between sites (Clarke and Warwick, 1994). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (see e.g. Fowler and Cohen, 1992) was then used to assess any correlations with the particle size analysis variables. The BIOENV routine in PRIMER was used to carry out this task on untransformed abiotic data. The SIMPER routine in PRIMER was subsequently used to assess the difference in characteristic species/ taxa in the samples.