Scottish Benthic Marine Habitat Surveys with Species Abundance Records

16,531 records from surveys commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage detail marine habitats and species around Scotland's coast. The data were collected primarily between 1996 and 1998 to establish a baseline for the Marine Nature Conservation Review program. It includes information from 780 sites and 1,590 samples.

Use Cases

• Classify benthic biotopes using features like substrata, depth, and wave exposure recorded at each site.
• Model species distribution based on SACFOR abundance scales for 839 recorded epibiota species.
• Analyze habitat variety across different salinity and current regimes sampled within geographical areas.
• Identify areas of marine natural heritage importance by correlating species presence with site characteristics.

Strengths

• Contains 16,531 records with linked data for 780 distinct survey sites.
• Documents 839 species using semi-quantitative SACFOR abundance scales.
• Focuses on a defined geographical scope (Scotland's intertidal and inshore subtidal areas).

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is outdated, with the last update recorded in September 1998.
• Data is specific to Scotland, limiting applicability for broader UK or regional comparisons without joining complementary datasets.
• Sample data and specific column schema are unavailable, hindering immediate structural understanding.

Provenance

Source

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), commissioned and collected the survey data.

Collection Method

Semi-quantitative surveys using methods from the MNCR Rational and Methods report (Hiscock 1996), sampling habitats across various environmental regimes.

Time Range

Primary data collection circa 1996-1998.

Freshness

1998-09-16

Geography

Scotland, specifically intertidal and inshore subtidal areas (typically within 3 nautical miles).