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Biotope analysis of Marine Scotland Science underwater video footage from the Hebridean Slope 2014

Abstract

The Scottish Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Project is a joint project between Marine Scotland (Scottish Government), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), JNCC and Historic Scotland with the aim of providing advice to Scottish Ministers on the selection of MPAs under the Marine (Scotland) Act and the Marine and Coastal Access Act in the seas around Scotland.

Nature Conservation MPAs will be selected using a science-based approach, underpinned by the presence of Search Features. Nature Conservation MPAs will recognise features which are considered to be key and threatened and/or declining, and/or representing the range of features within Scotland’s seas.

As part of the process of identifying areas with Search Features, JNCC commissioned Seastar Survey Ltd in February 2013 to undertake the seabed habitat and taxonomic analysis of underwater video footage acquired from a selection of Marine Scotland Science (MSS) deep-water survey stations, with the aim of assigning biotopes and assessing the presence of any MPA search features.

Resource type Publication

Topic category Environment

Reference date 2014·07·01

Citation
Allen, C., Dewey, S. & Axelsson, M. 2014. Biotope analysis of Marine Scotland Science underwater video footage from the Hebridean Slope, JNCC Report No. 511, JNCC, Peterborough, ISSN 0963-8091.

Lineage
The Marine (Scotland) Act and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act include new powers for Scottish Ministers to designate Marine Protected Areas in the seas around Scotland as part of a range of measures to manage and protect Scotland’s seas for current and future generations.

Responsible organisation
Communications, JNCC publisher

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Available under the Open Government Licence 3.0

Metadata date 2020·02·12

Metadata point of contact
Communications, JNCC

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