2000 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch Torridon ROV survey

Dataset used in the NatureScot Commissioned Report 536 - Biological analyses of underwater video from research cruises in the Clyde Sea, Loch Torridon and the Inner Sound, North Minch, Loch Eriboll and Orkney. To help target marine nature conservation in Scotland, SNH and JNCC have generated a focused list of habitats and species of importance in Scottish waters - the Priority Marine Features (PMFs). A subset of these features (termed MPA search features) will drive the identification of Nature Conservation MPAs. The principal aim of the present investigation was to improve knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance in Scottish waters, especially PMFs, but also taking into consideration other importance measures. This was to be achieved through the analysis of seabed video and still photographic imagery collected during research cruises around Scotland carried out by various organisations between 2000 and 2012.
This dataset is from an ROV survey of habitats at 35 sites in Loch Torridon carried out in August 2000. Still images were used to describe the nature of the seabed, in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. Species present were, as far as possible, identified and quantified using the semi-quantitative MNCR SACFOR scale (Hiscock, 1996). Based on the physical and biological attributes, biotopes were allocated (Connor et al., 2004). Runs traversing a sequence of biotopes were split into corresponding segments, with the transition points recorded using the time. Segmentation of runs was not practicable in the case of mosaics of recurring biotopes, in which case all biotopes observed were simply listed. Runs and run segments were assessed for the presence of PMFs, as well as for the presence of species and habitats of recognised conservation importance according to a number of additional criteria. Species SACFOR data, habitat descriptions, biotopes, depth and positional data have been incorporated into the Marine Recorder repository.

本数据集源于《NatureScot 委托报告》第536号——克莱德海、托里登湖及其内湾、北明奇内湾、埃里博尔湖及奥克尼地区水下视频的生物分析。为助力苏格兰海洋自然保护，苏格兰自然遗产局（SNH）和联合自然保护委员会（JNCC）编制了一份聚焦于苏格兰水域中具有重要意义的栖息地和物种清单——优先海洋特征（PMFs）。其中，这些特征（称为海洋保护区搜索特征）将推动自然保护海洋保护区的识别。本次研究的主要目标在于提升对苏格兰水域中认可具有保护意义的物种和栖息地，尤其是PMFs的出没和分布知识的掌握，同时亦考虑其他重要性指标。此目标将通过分析2000年至2012年间由不同机构在苏格兰周边海域进行科研巡航所收集的海底视频和静止图像影像得以实现。

本数据集记录了2000年8月在托里登湖35个地点进行的无人遥控潜水器（ROV）栖息地调查。静止图像被用于描述海底的性质，包括物理结构和物种群落。尽可能地对现有物种进行了鉴定和量化，采用半定量MNCR SACFOR量表（Hiscock，1996）。基于物理和生物属性，对生物群落进行了划分（Connor等，2004）。穿越一系列生物群落的轨迹被分割成相应的段，使用时间记录过渡点。对于重复出现的生物群落镶嵌，由于分割轨迹不可行，因此简单列出所有观察到的生物群落。对轨迹及其段进行了评估，以确定PMFs的存在，以及根据若干额外标准，确认具有认可保护意义的物种和栖息地。物种SACFOR数据、栖息地描述、生物群落、深度和位置数据已纳入海洋记录器库。