2006 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Sound of Barra broad-scale mapping survey

The purpose of this broad-scale mapping survey in the Sound of Barra and in the Sound of Eriskay in the vicinity of the causeway was to: extend the coverage of subtidal biotope mapping to encompass the central and western parts of the Sound; to conduct intertidal biotope mapping over the whole of the Sound including those areas surveyed subtidally in 2001 and to produce comprehensive biotope maps; and to assess biological changes occurring in the Sounf of Eriskay. This study utilised satellite imagery, underwater acoustic sensing techniques and biological ground surveys to develop a biotope distribution map of the area and relate this distribution to prevailing environmental conditions. The work was undertaken for SNH by the Universities of Heriot-Watt (HWU) and Edinburgh (EDU) between the 9th July and 12th August 2006 and acoustic data was supplied under subcontract by Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). To collect this detailed biological information on the seabed species and habitat features present, records were acquired from a total of 204 subtidal stations. Of these, 137 were surveyed by drop-down video and 67 by diver. A total of 46 shore locations were visited and records acquired from 258 shore zones. Sediment infauna samples were collected from 56 locations (40 subtidal and 16 intertidal). 5 sites, previously surveyed in 2001 around the Eriskay causeway, were revisited and resurveyed by divers recording details of substrate, environmental conditions and biological communities. The images, analysed under SNH contract by Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages and assess anthropogenic induced change.

本次在巴拉 Sound 和厄里斯凯 Sound 周边堤道附近的广泛范围测绘调查旨在：拓展潮下带生物群落测绘的覆盖范围，以涵盖 Sound 的中部和西部区域；对整个 Sound 进行潮间带生物群落测绘，包括2001年已测绘的潮下带区域，并制作全面生物群落图；并对厄里斯凯 Sound 发生的生物变化进行评估。本研究利用卫星图像、水下声学传感技术和生物地面调查，开发该区域的生物群落分布图，并将此分布与现有环境条件相联系。该研究由赫瑞瓦特大学（HWU）和爱丁堡大学（EDU）于2006年7月9日至8月12日受苏格兰自然遗产局（SNH）委托执行，声学数据由农业食品与生物科学研究所（AFBI）分包提供。为了收集关于海底物种和栖息地特征的详细生物信息，共从204个潮下带站点获取记录。其中，137个站点通过投下视频进行测绘，67个站点由潜水员进行测绘。总共访问了46个海岸位置，并从258个海岸区域获取记录。从56个地点（40个潮下带和16个潮间带）收集了沉积物底栖动物样本。5个在2001年围绕厄里斯凯堤道已测绘的地点，由潜水员重新访问并重新测绘，记录了底质、环境条件和生物群落详情。这些图像由赫瑞瓦特大学、爱丁堡大学和贝尔法斯特的农业食品与生物科学研究所根据苏格兰自然遗产局合同进行分析，用以描述海底的性质，包括物理结构和物种组合，并评估由人为因素引起的改变。