e849d3d445dba2b0584f5a737fbb7e09 English dataset Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 Great Glen House, Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW data_supply@nature.scot pointOfContact 2014-12-11 MEDIN Discovery metadata standard 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 2012 Marine Scotland Fetlar to Haroldswick benthic survey 2013-08-01 publication 2013-01-15 creation 2013-03-01 revision GB-SCT-SNH-CMEU-000206 http://www.snh.gov.uk Survey work was to confirm the continued presence, extent and status / condition of specified MPA search features maerl, horse mussel beds, and shallow tide-swept coarse sands with burrowing bivalves within the Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA search area, and to improve our existing knowledge-base on the wider distribution of seabed habitats to inform the progression of this proposal and completion of the MPA network in Scottish waters. Between 27th August - 5th September 2012 Heriot Watt University and SNH carried out a survey throughout the Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA search area conducting drop down video (DDV) tows, Van Veen grab sampling and in situ diver surveys (MNCR). In total 70 semi-quantitative epifaunal DDV stations were surveyed and 22 quantitative infaunal grab stations attempted (19 completed). Detailed in situ diver surveys were carried out at sites selected from the DDV and grab work to investigate maerl and horse mussel beds. Clump, core, and Particle Size Analysis (PSA) samples were taken at the diver survey sites as appropriate. In total three horse mussel beds and two maerl beds were investigated with divers. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 Great Glen House, Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW data_supply@nature.scot originator Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 Great Glen House, Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW data_supply@nature.scot custodian notPlanned Database Documents Geographic Information System Image Movie Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Habitats and biotopes Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-01-06 revision Macroalgae generic abundance in water bodies Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance Habitat extent Habitat characterisation SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary 2009-11-16 revision Bottom Texture Seabed Texture Boundaries 2010-09-18 creation Habitats and biotopes INSPIRE THEMES 2011-02-16 creation Marine UNESCO 2003-01-01 creation Biodiversity GEMET 2011-07-06 creation Scottish MPA Search Locations SNH 2012-05-25 creation 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 20km by 20km square. In such a case we would disguise the location by provision of data in GIS format and would replace the original location of the record with a square of 20km by 20km dimension placed pseudo randomly around the precise location of the record(s). However, SNH may choose to share this data at full resolution with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies and other trusted partners, academic researchers or developers for use in Environmental Statements at full resolution. However, such release is strictly under the terms of a modified Open Government licence which will restrict published outputs and onward supply to the degraded resolution Other species or biotope occurences are not considered by SNH to be sensititive; as such these may be released at full resolution in response to requests covered by Environmental Information Regulations of Freedom of Information Regulations; additionally their re-use and dissemination is permissable under Open Government Licence terms. Any re-use of this data at whatever resolution will acknowledge the copyright owner (Crown copyright). otherRestrictions Presence of species considered sensitive by Scottish Natural Heritage English biota biota Charting Progress 2 Sea Areas 2009-06-18 creation Northern North Sea International Hydrographic Bureau, Limits of Oceans and Seas 1954-01-01 creation North Sea -1.0929 -0.7473 60.5454 60.7889 2012-08-27 2012-09-05 4.1000 55.0000 In press: Hirst, N.E., Kamphausen, L.M., Cook, R.L., Porter, J.S., Sanderson, W.G. (2013). Marine biological survey to establish the distribution and status of benthic proposed protected features in the Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA proposal. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.XXX. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Headquaters Data Manager 01463 725000 Great Glen House, Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW data_supply@nature.scot distributor dataset Specification on Coordinate Reference Systems - Draft Guidelines 2008-12-19 publication Partially conformant true MEDIN data guideline for recording and archiving of digital photographs 2011-02-02 publication Partially conformant true MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos 2011-02-02 publication Partially conformant true MEDIN data guideline for transfer video survey data 2011-02-02 publication Partially conformant true Drop down video footage was collected for 5-10 minutes at each station. A Panasonic NV-GS150 3 chip digital video camera was used within a Seapro housing held within a small frame / sled, and illuminated by twin 100 watt lamps. A 150 m umbilical cable carried the video signal to a Sony Video Walkman for real-time observations and recording. In total 69 DDV stations were recorded. The video footage was analysed in Adobe Premier Pro. The proportions of different substrate types, and the species present were recorded using either numerical abundance or SACFOR scales (Hiscock et al., 1996): i.e. the terms Superabundant, Abundant, Common, Frequent, Occasional, Rare were allocated to each species. Biotopes were allocated according to Connor et al. (2004). The presence of MPA search features was specifically noted for each tow. Where an obvious biotope change occurred during a tow the species counts were started from zero again and a secondary station label added, e.g. S1 and S1a. In these instances the length of the biotope was established using the GPS track and the area for use with the SACFOR scale calculated accordingly. A Van Veen grab was used to collect 0.1 m2 samples of seabed sediment from grab stations, grabs were attempted up to 3 times before abandoning station. A circa 150 ml subsample was taken from each grab for particle size analysis.The samples were washed through a 1 mm sieve (Figure 7). Contents of the sample retained after sieving were placed in a sample bucket with a 4% formalin solution with added borax buffer upon return to shore. Infaunal organisms were processed in the lab after the survey. Each sample was split into a light and coarse fraction, by repeated elutriation over a 0.5 mm mesh sieve. The light fraction was further divided into material retained on a 1.0 mm mesh and the smaller fraction separated. Each fraction was then examined by the petri dish-full under a dissecting microscope, individual macrofaunal specimens being extracted using forceps. The coarse fraction was also subdivided, the material retained on a 2.0 mm mesh being retained separately. This 2.0 mm fraction was examined in an enamel tray, using magnifying goggles, and the fauna extracted. The remaining coarse material was examined in the same way as the light fraction, under a dissecting microscope. All extracted fauna was identified as far as was practical, using the available literature. A voucher collection was also retained and sent to the Scottish National Museum for quality assurance and reference purposes. PSA was conducted following The National Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control Scheme (NMBAQC) Best Practice Guidance notes (Mason, 2011). In situ MNCR-style phase 2 surveys (see Hiscock et al., 1996) were carried out at five sites (three horse mussel bed sites and two maerl bed sites). A 25 m tape was laid out from a shot line. Two divers surveyed a 2 m band either side of the tape and recorded the presence and where possible, an estimate of the abundance of conspicuous biota using standard MNCR recording forms. Samples were taken of any unidentified species to examine in the laboratory. The transect band was also recorded using a hand held video camera (Cannon HF G10 in a Light and Motion housing) and still photographs were taken of the search features and associated communities using a digital stills camera (Nikon D70 digital SLR, and using the camera function on the video camera). For community analyses, at maerl bed sites divers took four replicate core samples (Figure 10), which were sieved through a 1 mm mesh screen and the remaining sample was preserved in borax-buffered 5% formalin. A 20 cm sediment core of 5 cm diameter was also taken for PSA, the processing of these samples followed the same procedure as stated previously for grab samples. At horse mussel beds, four replicate clump samples were taken and placed in 5 litre buckets as a corer was not effective on horse mussel beds.