CHAPTER 35
Predicting the Distribution of Marine Benthic Biotopes in Scottish
Conservation Areas Using Acoustic Remote Sensing, Underwater
Video and GIS
C. Johnston and A. Davison
ABSTRACT: To implement the European Directive on conservation of natural habitats
(92/43/EEC), government conservation agencies, in this case Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH), must identify areas as possible Special Areas of Conservation (pSACs). To
inform the future management and monitoring of these sites, SNH need to know the
distribution of habitats and species in Scottish marine SACs. Distribution of marine
benthic biotopes (habitats and their associated species) was predicted for two
physiographically different pSACs in Scotland: Papa Stour in Shetland, and Lochs
Duich, Alsh and Long, NW Scotland. The methodology involved acoustic remote
sensing, ground validated by remote video and grab sampling, with analysis and
display of results using a PC based GIS. Field surveys were carried out in 1996.
Acoustic track point data obtained were interpolated to obtain a continuous polygon
coverage of the acoustic properties of the sea bed within each pSAC area. An acoustic
signature for each biotope type, or biotope complex was determined by buffering the
ground validation sites, intersecting buffers with acoustic track data, and deriving
descriptive statistics for each acoustic variable. Spatial analysis of acoustic and ground
validation data within the GIS was then used to produce a continuous coverage
polygon map of predicted biotope types for each pSAC.
Background to the Work
The UK government is committed to the implementation of the European Council
Directive (92/43/EEC) on conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,
487
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 487–499.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Predicting the Distribution of Marine Benthic Biotopes in Scottish
Conservation Areas Using Acoustic Remote Sensing, Underwater
Video and GIS
C. Johnston and A. Davison
ABSTRACT: To implement the European Directive on conservation of natural habitats
(92/43/EEC), government conservation agencies, in this case Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH), must identify areas as possible Special Areas of Conservation (pSACs). To
inform the future management and monitoring of these sites, SNH need to know the
distribution of habitats and species in Scottish marine SACs. Distribution of marine
benthic biotopes (habitats and their associated species) was predicted for two
physiographically different pSACs in Scotland: Papa Stour in Shetland, and Lochs
Duich, Alsh and Long, NW Scotland. The methodology involved acoustic remote
sensing, ground validated by remote video and grab sampling, with analysis and
display of results using a PC based GIS. Field surveys were carried out in 1996.
Acoustic track point data obtained were interpolated to obtain a continuous polygon
coverage of the acoustic properties of the sea bed within each pSAC area. An acoustic
signature for each biotope type, or biotope complex was determined by buffering the
ground validation sites, intersecting buffers with acoustic track data, and deriving
descriptive statistics for each acoustic variable. Spatial analysis of acoustic and ground
validation data within the GIS was then used to produce a continuous coverage
polygon map of predicted biotope types for each pSAC.
Background to the Work
The UK government is committed to the implementation of the European Council
Directive (92/43/EEC) on conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,
487
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 487–499.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.