NatureScot Commissioned Report 940 - Biological analysis of underwater video and infaunal data from surveys of the Moray Firth SAC

SNH Commissioned Report 940 front cover

The aim of this study was to better understand the marine benthic habitats located in the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Seabed video and still imagery were collected at 30 sites in 2015. Video footage collected in 2004 from 228 sites, and infaunal grab data from 30 sites, was also reanalysed. 

This report sets out the results of the biological analysis of the data collected in 2004 and 2015.

For each survey site, the physical nature of the habitat and the species assemblage is described, and a biotope ascribed. Biotope distribution across the survey area is also briefly described.

Agreement with the previous analysis of the 2004 video and infaunal data was low in terms of biotope identity. Revised biotopes were recorded at 133 of the 228 video sites from 2004.

Pages: 74
Published: 2016

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Publication 2016 - NatureScot Commissioned Report 940 - Biological analysis of underwater video and infaunal data from surveys of the Moray Firth SAC

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