2015 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Loch nam Madadh and Loch an Duin Site Condition Monitoring and Site Check survey

An purpose of this study was to carry out site condition monitoring (SCM) of the sandbanks feature of the Loch nam Madadh SAC and Site Checks of the remaining marine sedimentary and reef protected features (apart from saline lagoons). The principle aims were to: (1) identify any deterioration in the condition of the subtidal sandbanks feature; and (2) to form a judgement on its current condition. SCM was inaugurated in the SAC in 2004, which provided a baseline for the current study. The SCM work largely took the form of an extensive drop-down video survey and infaunal survey of the loch system, together with more detailed surveying of the sandbanks feature along transects at selected maerl bed sites. The site check work principally involved surveying along relocatable transects established at mudflat, reef and tidal rapids locations. A survey of the tidal rapids feature of the Loch an Duin SSSI and the Loch nam Madadh SSSI, both of which overlap with the SAC, was also undertaken.本研究旨在对洛赫南马达希特别保护区（Special Areas of Conservation, SAC）的沙洲特征开展场地状况监测（Site Condition Monitoring, SCM），并对咸水泻湖之外的其余海洋沉积与珊瑚礁保护特征开展场地核查。其主要目标为：(1) 识别潮下带沙洲特征的状况退化情况；(2) 对其当前状况进行研判。场地状况监测（SCM）于2004年在该特别保护区内启动，为本研究提供了基线数据。该项监测工作主要包括对该湖湾系统开展大规模垂降式水下视频调查与内栖生物群落调查，并在选定的珊瑚藻床（maerl bed）点位沿断面对沙洲特征开展更精细化的勘测。场地核查工作主要涉及在潮滩、珊瑚礁与潮汐急流点位布设的可重置断面上开展勘测。此外，本研究还对与该特别保护区存在范围重叠的杜因湾具特殊科学价值地点（Site of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI）及洛赫南马达希具特殊科学价值地点（Site of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI）的潮汐急流特征开展了调查。