Benthic Video Survey of Cromarty Spoil Ground, Scotland 2013

A 2013 underwater video survey conducted by Marine Scotland Science to improve knowledge of species and habitats, particularly priority marine features. The survey used drop-down video drift tows at three sites southeast of Cromarty Firth aboard the vessel FRV Alba na Mara. Biological analyses of the images were commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage to describe seabed structure and species assemblages.

Use Cases

• Mapping the distribution of priority marine features based on underwater video observations.
• Characterizing seabed physical structure and species assemblages from analyzed image data.
• Assessing the ecological impact of spoil ground activities on benthic communities.
• Providing baseline data for marine conservation and management planning in the Cromarty area.

Strengths

• Survey conducted by a government science agency (Marine Scotland Science) for a specific conservation purpose.
• Analyses were commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage, a statutory conservation body.
• Data collection is temporally precise, occurring on 7th June 2013 during cruise 0713A.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Marine Scotland Science (MSS), with analyses commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Collection Method

Underwater video survey using drop-down video drift tows.

Time Range

2013 (specifically 7th June 2013).

Freshness

Data is from a single survey in 2013; no update frequency is indicated.

Geography

Cromarty spoil ground, southeast of the entrance to Cromarty Firth, Scotland.