Sound of Barra SAC: Marine Habitat Condition Monitoring Data from 2016

Site Condition Monitoring data for the Sound of Barra Special Area of Conservation, designated in 2013. The dataset includes quantitative drop-down video surveys and 72 infaunal grab and granulometry samples collected in 2016. Sampling was conducted by the Government Digital Service using random locations within nine depth-stratified boxes on the eastern side of the sound.

Use Cases

• Assess the condition of maerl beds based on video survey data mentioned in the description.
• Analyze sediment composition and infaunal communities based on the 72 grab and Particle Size Analysis samples.
• Model habitat distribution across depth strata using the stratified sampling box design.
• Establish a baseline for long-term monitoring of the SAC following its 2013 designation.

Strengths

• Includes 72 physical grab samples for infaunal and granulometry analysis.
• Sampling design uses depth-stratified boxes for structured spatial coverage.
• Combines quantitative video surveys with physical sample data for multi-modal assessment.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data coverage is limited to the eastern side of the Sound of Barra SAC and a single sampling year (2016).

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Random sampling within nine depth-stratified boxes, using drop-down video surveys and grab samples.

Time Range

2016

Freshness

Data collection occurred in 2016; update frequency is unknown.

Geography

Eastern side of the Sound of Barra Special Area of Conservation, Scotland.