Marine Farming Site North Kilbrannan North Kilbrannan Video Survey March 2017

Transcription

1 Marine Farming Site North Kilbrannan North Kilbrannan Video Survey March 2017 MARINE HARVEST ( SCOTLAND) LIMITED MARCH 2018 Registered in Scotland No Registered Office, 1st Floor, Admiralty Park Admiralty Road, Rosyth, Fife KY11 2YW Stob Ban House Glen Nevis Business Park Fort William, PH33 6RX Stob Ban House Glen Nevis Business Park Fort William, PH33 6RX Kate. Stronach@marineharvest. marineharvest. com com

2 2 9 Video Survey Assessment for: Marine Harvest ( Scotland) Ltd. proposed variation to Muck Salmon Farm Requirement for survey: Baseline Date of survey: 04/03/2017 Surveyed by: Equipment used: Benthic Solutions Ltd. Towed Sledge with HD camera and geotagged SD camera A video survey was undertaken at North Kilbrannan to examine the epifauna on the seabed and the baseline assessment will be submitted as part of an application for a new site. Marine Harvest Scotland) Ltd. propose to install a finfish farm at the North Kilbrannan site with a maximum tonnage of Modelling has been completed using NewDEPOMOD and a predicted deposition footprint generated. The North Kilbrannan video survey provides seabed footage on a main transect through the centre line of the proposed pen group and two further transects at right angles at either end of the proposed group. North Kilbrannan Biotope Assessment The footage for the transects has been viewed to identify occurring species, habitat types and zonation using the Marine Habitat Classification Hierarchy and SACFOR abundance scale from the JNCC website (2017). Where video footage was collected two sets of footage are recorded; the first is standard quality with geotagging to track the course of the footage and the second is HD footage to assist in taxonomic identification. Field Notes Changes to the geotagging overlay are made within the field, transect 1 was completed last, due to human error the geotag reference has remained as KILB_T3, however it is correctly identified as Transect 1 on the ID sheet at the start of the footage. This is corrected as 13:49 in the footage.

3 3 9 Figure 1: Footage Locations

4 4 9 Table 1: Coordinates Transect 1 Co-ordinates Start N W 5 min N W 10 min N N 15 min N W 20 min N W 25 min N W 30 min N W 35 min N W 40 min N W 45 min N W 50 min N W 55 min N W 60 min N W 65 min N W 70 min N W Finish 75 min N W Transect 2 Co-ordinates Start N W 5 min N W N W Finish 15 min N W Transect 3 Co-ordinates Start N W 5 min N W 10 min N W Finish 15 min N W

5 5 9 Footage Biotope Typing Transect 1 The biotope identifiable within the footage mainly consists of circalittoral mixed sediment where the seabed consists of a shell, cobble and pebble mix embedded in sandy mud SS.SMx.CMx. This biotope was assessed as the likely classification based largely upon the occurrence of characterising species Cerianthus lloydii, Pomatoceros triqueter, Pagurus bernhardus, Liocarcinus depurator, Buccinum undatum, Asterias rubens, Pecten maximus and Echinus esculentus and the visual assessment of substrate type. Within this biotope are compact areas which consist of larger areas of exposed rock, however there is no unique bio-encrusting epifauna that varies over the course of the transect. The species identified show reasonable even distribution over the course of the transect with a slight move towards higher percentage of exposed sandy mud towards the end. Table 2: Species ID Transect 1a Transect 1a Seven- Armed Starfish Luidia ciliaris R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa F Cushion Star Porania pulvillus F Harbour Crab Liocarcinus depurator R Common Starfish Asterias rubens R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus O Butterfish Pholis gunnellus R Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Sea Squirt Ascidiella aspersa R Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Tube Worm Pomatoceros triqueter C Purple Sun Star Solaster endeca R Sand star Astropecten irregularis R Edible Crab Cancer pagurus R Green Spoon Worm Bonellia viridis R King Scallop Pecten maximus R Great Pipefish Syngnathus acus R

6 6 9 Table 3: Species ID Transect 1b Transect 1b Green Spoon Worm Bonellia viridis R Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa F Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Cushion Star Porania pulvillus O Harbour Crab Liocarcinus depurator R Seven-armed Starfish Luidia ciliaris R Edible Crab Cancer pagurus R King Scallop Pecten maximus R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus O Purple Sun Star Solaster endeca R Spiny Starfish Marthasterias glacialis R Common Starfish Asterias rubens Tube Anemones Cerianthus lloydii F Tube Worm Pomatoceros triqueter C Table 4: Species ID Transect 1c Transect 1c Auger Shell Turritella communis F Common Starfish Asterias rubens R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa O Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Cushion Star Porania pulvillus R King Scallop Pecten maximus R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus R Harbour Crab Liocarcinus depurator R Tube Worm Pomatoceros triqueter C Purple Sun Star Solaster endeca R Whelk Egg Cases Buccinum undatum R

7 7 9 Transect 2 The biotope in transect 2 matches the main transect; circalittoral mixed sediment where the seabed consists of a shell, cobble and pebble mix embedded in sandy mud SS.SMx.CMx. This biotope was assessed as the likely classification based largely upon the occurrence of characterising species Pomatoceros triqueter, Pagurus bernhardus, Liocarcinus depurator, Asterias rubens, Pecten maximus, Crossaster papposus and Echinus esculentus and the visual assessment of substrate type. There appears to be a higher portion of fine sediment at the start of the transect in the deeper water as would be expected. Table 5: Species ID Transect 2a Transect 2a Cushion Star Porania pulvillus O Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa F Table 6: Species ID Transect 2b Transect 2b Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa F Cushion Star Porania pulvillus O Harbour Crab Liocarcinus depurator R Tube Worm Pomatoceros triqueter F Purple Sun Star Solaster endeca R Green Spoon Worm Bonellia viridis O Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Common Starfish Asterias rubens O Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Sea Mouse Aphrodita aculeate R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus R Seven- armed Starfish Luidia ciliaris R Spiny Starfish Marthasterias glacialis R King Scallop Pecten maximus O Sun Star Crossaster papposus R

8 8 9 Transect 3 The biotope in transect 3 matches the previous transects; circalittoral mixed sediment where the seabed consists of a shell, cobble and pebble mix embedded in sandy mud SS.SMx.CMx. This biotope was assessed as the likely classification based upon the characterising species Pomatoceros triqueter, Pagurus bernhardus, Buccinum undatum, Asterias rubens, Pecten maximus and Echinus esculentus and the visual assessment of substrate type. There appears to be a higher portion of fine sediment at the start of the transect in the deeper water as would be expected and as was also showing in transect 2. Table 5: Species ID Transect 3 Transect 3 Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa C Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Common Starfish Asterias rubens O Queen Scallop Aequipecten opercularis R Tube Worm Pomatoceros triqueter F Common Whelk Buccinum undatum R Edible Crab Cancer pagurus R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus O Cushion Star Porania pulvillus O Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus O King Scallop Pecten maximus O Seven-armed Starfish Luidia ciliaris R Spiny Starfish Marthasterias glacialis R Green Spoon Worm Bonellia viridis O

9 9 9 Protected Species and Habitat Priority Marine Features The video analysis did not identify any priority marine feature species or habitats (JNCC, 2014) Protected Areas No designations within the area of the site have been identified relevant to this benthic video survey SNH. 2017). References SNH. ( 2017). Sitelink [ Online]. [ Date accessed: 04/12/2017]. Available from: index.jsp. JNCC. (2014). Priority Marine Features in Scotland s seas. [Online]. [Date accessed: 19/03/2018]. Available from: 20Marine% 20Features% 20in%20Scotlands% 20seas.% 2024% 20J uly% pdf. JNCC. ( 2015). The Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland Version [Online]. [ Date accessed: 19/03/2018]. Available from: jncc.defra.gov.uk/marinehabitatclassification. JNCC. (2015). SACFOR abundance scale used for both littoral and sublittoral taxa from 1990 onwards Online]. [Date accessed: 19/03/2018]. Available from: Survey assessed by: Kate Stronach - Environmental Analyst Date: 19/ 03/ 2018 Countersigned by: Ewan Gillespie Head of Environment Date: 19/ 03/ 2018