NatureScot Research Report 1037 - Infaunal and PSA analyses of benthic samples collected from the South of Skye, Southannan Sands SSSI and Mousa SAC/MPA in 2016
This report presents new information from benthic analyses of seabed sediment samples collected from sealochs off south Skye, Southannan Sands in Ayrshire and off Mousa in Shetland. The aim of this study was to improve knowledge of the extent and current condition of the benthic habitats in these areas.
Grab samples were taken in the sealochs off south Skye, while diver cores were taken in Mousa Sound. Intertidal sampling in the Southannan Sands SSSI was undertaken using handheld cores, dig-overs and quadrats along a series of transects. The infaunal communities were assessed alongside granulometry to assign biotopes to each sample.
The findings of this study improve the resolution of data and increase our understanding regarding the extent and distribution of intertidal and seabed communities within the three survey areas in Scotland. Analysis of seabed video imagery collected during the surveys off Skye has been reported separately in NatureScot Commissioned Report 959.
Pages: 78
Published: 2018
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