Species point records from 1984 NCC/OPRU Loch Sween sublittoral survey

Loch Sween is situated on the east side of the Sound of Jura, in south-west Scotland. It opens to the south-west and its mouth is partially protected by the small MacCormaig Isles. The main body of the loch is relatively straight, with a fringe of rocks or gravel giving way to a sandy or muddy seabed. There are a number of 'arms' to the loch which add considerably to the diverstiy of habitats present. Linne Mhuirich forms an arm to the west, with a constricted mouth into Loch Sween forming an area of tidal rapids. At the head of the loch, arms include the silled Caol Scotnish. Loch Sween has been proposed as a Marine Nature Reserve by NCC on account of the high scientific interest and conservation importance of habitats and communities within the loch. Already a site of historical marine biological recording and research, NCC commisioned extensive systematic littoral and sublittoral surveys in 1982 (Smith, 1982; Earll, 1982, 1984). Further information was required on the distribution and types of littoral and sublittoral habitats and communities present, to assess the relative importances of individual areas and the integrated importance of the whole loch. Information was needed to assess management requirements, particularly where fragile communities might be exposed to enviromental impacts from mariculture activities within the loch. The 1984 survey work had the following objectives: - to describe the littoral communities: reported in Rostron and Hiscock (1985) - to moniter the enviromental impact of fish and shell fish farming in the loch: for incorporation into general fish farming assessments. - to further investigate sublittoral habitats and communities: covered in this report. Surveys were undertaken of the sills at the entrance to Linne Mhuirich and Caol Scotnish. The composition and distribution of the habitats and communities at these sites, respectively Linne Mhuirich Rapids and Caol Scotnish Narrows, are described in the report. Similar comparative studies were carried out in these two arms of the loch, looking primarily at the epibenthic sediment communities. An additional investigation of circalittoral bedrock communities in the main loch was made. The results emphasise the scientific interest of the individual areas. The differences observed between sill and sub-loch systems are significant and inclusion of the variants is shown to enhance rather than duplicate the range of habitats and community types present. No seperate assessment of scientific interest and conservation importance is made in this report. Records currently considered sensitive have been removed from this dataset.

洛赫斯温位于苏格兰西南部的朱拉海峡东岸。其开口朝向西南，其口部部分受到小马尔科姆群岛的保护。洛赫斯温的主体相对笔直，岩石或砾石边缘逐渐过渡至沙质或泥质的海床。洛赫斯温拥有多个分支，极大地丰富了现有生境的多样性。林内穆里奇形成向西的一个分支，其狭窄的口部进入洛赫斯温，形成潮汐急流区域。在洛赫斯温的头部，分支包括斯科特尼斯的低洼处。由于洛赫斯温内部生境和群落具有极高的科学价值和保护意义，NCC（苏格兰自然保护委员会）已将其提议为海洋自然保护区。洛赫斯温已成为历史海洋生物记录和研究的地方，NCC于1982年（史密斯，1982；厄尔，1982，1984）委托进行了广泛系统的潮间带和潮下带调查。需要进一步了解潮间带和潮下带生境及群落的存在分布和类型，以评估各区域的相对重要性以及整个洛赫斯温的综合重要性。需要信息以评估管理需求，特别是在脆弱群落可能受到洛赫斯温内水产养殖活动环境影响的情况下。1984年的调查工作具有以下目标：描述潮间带群落（如在罗斯顿和希科克1985年的报告中所述）；监测洛赫斯温内鱼类和贝类养殖的环境影响，以纳入鱼类养殖评估的一般考量；进一步调查潮下带生境和群落（本报告涵盖）。对林内穆里奇和斯科特尼斯的入口进行了潮门调查。分别描述了林内穆里奇急流和斯科特尼斯海峡的生境和群落组成及分布。在这两个洛赫斯温分支中进行了类似的比较研究，主要关注底栖沉积群落。还对主洛赫斯温的环潮间带基岩群落进行了额外调查。结果强调了各区域的科学价值。观察到潮门和潮下系统之间的差异显著，且这些变异的包含被证明是丰富而非重复现有生境和群落类型的范围。本报告中未对科学价值和保护重要性进行单独评估。目前认为敏感的记录已从本数据集中移除。