From 1 - 10 / 19
  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA5) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Macrofaunal analysis was carried out on sediment samples collected in the Moray Firth between September and October 2003.

  • Categories  

    The deep sea benthic biodiversity dataset encompasses a wide range of benthic sampling and observational activities carried out by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) since 1973. Data include analyses of samples obtained by fish trawls, benthic imagery and core sampling. The principle regions covered are the Arctic, North Atlantic & Rockall Trough and the Portuguese coast. Sampling has been carried out on numerous cruises, funded through various initiatives (ranging from NERC to commercially-funded ventures). A wide range of methods and equipment were used to obtain the information. These include Agassiz trawls, bed hop cameras, dredges, grabs, epibenthic sledges, corers and landers. These data help to build up a temporal and spatial record of regional biodiversity and consequently are a valuable tool to monitor the state of marine habitats.

  • Categories  

    This dataset comprises species abundance and size data for marine epifauna from towed video surveys. The surveys were undertaken in Lyme Bay, Southwest England in April 2014. Detailed abundance and species composition of epifaunal communities, including percentage cover of encrusting species in the dataset was enumerated using still frames extracted from towed videos and the entire video transects themselves. During the project, 60 sites were surveyed using a towed underwater flying HD video camera along 200 metre transects. From these transects, 30 randomly selected frames were analysed. During January and February 2014, a series of storms swept the North Atlantic, generating some of the highest waves ever recorded in Western Europe with exceptionally long wave periods. The south-west coasts of the UK were heavily impacted by these storms, including Lyme Bay, an area that includes the UK's first large Marine Protected Area (MPA), designated in 2008. This survey work was carried out to test the resilience of marine epifaunal communities in Marine Protected Areas in response to storm disturbance. The project was undertaken by Dr. Emma Sheehan, Dr. Luke Holmes, and Professor Martin Attrill of the University of Plymouth as part of the NERC Discovery Science grant NE/M005208/1 titled ‘Testing resilience in Marine Protected Areas using storm disturbance in Lyme Bay, SW England’.

  • This report presents all data relevant to the macrofaunal analysis from South Fladen Pockmark study area of the North Sea as part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2 conducted in May (Phase I) and June 2001 (Phase II). The aim of the survey was to document the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a range of offshore sandbanks and pockmarks (more than 12 km from the coast) to assess their current environmental status, variability and the relative importance of the fauna occurring within these habitats. Excel files of the data are also available.

  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and discusses temporal variability in benthic populations from the Faroe-Shetland Channel. The West of Shetland transect is situated between 60 40 N, 2 15 W; 61 20 N - 2 50 W, to the North and West of the Shetland islands. Statistical analyses was carried out on data collected previously.

  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and it presents results from the macrofaunal analysis of sixty-three macrobenthos samples. The samples were from a range of depths in the SEA4 Northern Triangle area, at the northernmost extent of British waters. Most of the samples were rich in terms of numbers of taxa and individuals and all major benthic invertebrate phyla were represented in the survey. The fauna included several taxa that are likely to be undescribed species and many have been recorded by nominal names. Several groups have also been left at higher taxonomic levels. Data analysis was not included for this part of the project. A preliminary literature list for deep-sea taxonomy was compiled for the project and provided in the report. A spreadsheet of data is also available.

  • This report describes fieldwork operations of the North Sea Strategic Environmental Survey, Leg 2 conducted from S/V Kommandor Jack between 05 May and 21 May 2001 as part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA2. The survey objectives were to carry out quantitative seabed sampling and seabed photography in three distinct areas: Area 1 - sand bank / wave study areas, off the Norfolk coast; Area 2 - Dogger Bank transects; Area 3 - South Fladen pockmark study areas. Contains brief description of seabed appearance and fauna. 269 samples were collected.

  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). This report provides a synthesis of current knowledge of the benthic communities and seabed habitats in the SEA6 area. The area is a predominantly shallow, well flushed, fully saline, partially enclosed, temperate sea. The seabed is predominantly sedimentary, ranging between mud and cobbles but consisting mainly of sand. The coastal fringe hosts excellent examples of a broad range of habitat types including exposed rocky shores, sheltered rias, highly productive sand flats, estuaries and areas exposed to rapid tidal currents. This diverse range of habitats supports a broad range of animals and plants with numerous species. The focus of the report is on dominant species and broad descriptions of community types (biotopes). The benthos associated with the littoral (intertidal) and sublittoral zones from the Mull of Kintyre and the Northern Irish coast in the north to Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire in the south are discussed. This area includes the important industrial estuaries of Morecambe, Liverpool and the Mersey, together with a number of minor estuaries, and the major islands of Anglesey and the Isle of Man. The deep water (depth greater than 50 m) and offshore areas are also discussed. Where appropriate, details of rare or unusual species are included, together with the threat offered by oil and gas related activities. Other major human activities in the SEA6 area that are currently affecting the benthos are also discussed.

  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA5) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). Macrofuanal analysis was undertaken on 61 seabed samples from 13 locations to the southwest of Shetland that were contaminated by oil from the Braer tanker spill. The data report presents the resulting species list and abundance data, together with biomass data and the size measurements of selected taxa.

  • This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) . The development of the deep-water oil industry to the west of Shetland led to extensive regional surveys of the seafloor environment, so that the deep-water benthos of the SEA4 area are now at least as well known as in any other deep-water area worldwide. Extensive surveys of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, funded by the Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network and by the Department of Trade and Industry, took place between 1996 and 2002. This report provides an overview of these surveys. The ecology of the benthos in the SEA4 area is strongly influenced by the hydrography of the region, in particular the complex temperature regime, and by the nature of the seabed sediments. Additional files (xls, doc, cdr) are also available.