Marine Aquaculture Site – Grey Horse Channel Outer Video Survey June 2018

MARINE HARVEST ( SCOTLAND) LIMITED SEPTEMBER 2018

Registered in Scotland No. 138843 Stob Ban House 01397 715084 - Registered Office, Glen Nevis Business Park 1st Floor, Admiralty Park Fort William, PH33 6RX Kate. Stronach@marineharvest. com Admiralty Road, Rosyth, Fife Stob Ban House KY11 2YW Glen Nevis Business Park http:// marineharvest. com Fort William, PH33 6RX Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 2 | 14

Video Survey Assessment for:

Marine Harvest ( Scotland) Ltd. proposed Grey Horse Channel Outer Farm

Requirement for survey: Baseline

Date of survey: 26/06/2018

Surveyed by: Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd.

Equipment used: Towed Sledge with HD camera

A video survey was undertaken at Grey Horse Channel Outer to examine the epifauna on the seabed and the baseline assessment will be submitted as part of applications for licences at the proposed site. Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. propose to install a new site north west of Greineam Island which will operate to a biomass of 2500t. The site will consist of 14 circular pens each 120m in circumferen ce and held in 75m matrix squares in a 2 x 7 grid. Modelling has been completed using AutoDEPOMOD and a predicted deposition footprint generated. The Grey Horse Channel Outer video survey provides seabed footage on transects through the area of seabed within the predicted footprint.

Grey Horse Channel Outer 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). Video footage was collected along three transects with two sets of footage recorded; the first is standard quality with geotagging to track the course of the footage, the second set of footage is HD footage to assist in taxonomic identification. Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 3 | 14

Figure 1: Footage Locations Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 4 | 14

Table 1: Coordinates Transect 1 Co-ordinates Video 1 Start 57° 40.2892’N 007° 02.2866’W 2 min 57° 40.2857’N 007° 02.3223’W 4 min 57° 40.2551’N 007° 02.3645’W 6 min 57° 40.2268’N 007° 02.4151’W 8 min 57° 40.2336’N 007° 02.4109’W End 57° 40.2162’N 007° 02.4467’W Video 2 Start 57° 40.2067’N 007° 02.4218’W 2 min 57° 40.1814’N 007° 02.4716’W 4 min 57° 40.1497’N 007° 02.5330’W 6 min 57° 40.1285’N 007° 02.5786’W 8 min 57° 40.1245’N 007° 02.5895’W 10 min 57° 40.1244’N 007° 02.6000’W 12 min 57° 40.1009’N 007° 02.6530’W End 57° 40.0999’N 007° 02.6624’W Video 3 Start 57° 40.0999’N 007° 02.6626’W End 57° 40.1007’N 007° 02.6720’W Video 4 Start 57° 40.1007’N 007° 02.6726’W 2 min 57° 40.0889’N 007° 02.7222’W 4 min 57° 40.0907’N 007° 02.7322’W 6 min 57° 40.0782’N 007° 02.7774’W 8 min 57° 40.0475’N 007° 02.7676’W 10 min 57° 40.0230’N 007° 02.7997’W 12 min 57° 40.0243’N 007° 02.7963’W End 57° 40.0186’N 007° 02.7991’W Video 5 Start 57° 40.0193’N 007° 02.7990’W End 57° 40.0184’N 007° 02.7990’W Video 6 Start 57° 40.0181’N 007° 02.7988’W End 57° 40.0176’N 007° 02.7951’W Video 7 Start 57° 40.0177’N 007° 02.8090’W 2 min 57° 39.9973’N 007° 02.8599’W 4 min 57° 39.9779’N 007° 02.9216’W 6 min 57° 39.9549’N 007° 02.9765’W 8 min 57° 39.9427’N 007° 03.0198’W 10 min 57° 39.9307’N 007° 03.0223’W Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 5 | 14

12 min 57° 39.9103’N 007° 03.0573’W End 57° 39.8978’N 007° 03.0764’W Video 8 Start 57° 39.8967’N 007° 03.0785’W 2 min 57° 39.8841’N 007° 03.0991’W 4 min 57° 39.8854’N 007° 03.1006’W 6 min 57° 39.8727’N 007° 03.1284’W 8 min 57° 39.8548’N 007° 03.1566’W 10 min 57° 39.8523’N 007° 03.1411’W 12 min 57° 39.8595’N 007° 03.1674’W End 57° 39.8608’N 007° 03.1644’W Video 9 Start 57° 39.8676’N 007° 03.1313’W 2 min 57° 39.8542’N 007° 03.1516’W 4 min 57° 39.8630’N 007° 03.1685’W End 57° 39.8633’N 007° 03.1594’W Transect 2 Co-ordinates Video 1 Start 57° 39.9245’N 007° 02.6843’W 2 min 57° 39.9510’N 007° 02.7502’W 4 min 57° 39.9856’N 007° 02.7880’W 6 min 57° 39.9923’N 007° 02.8136’W 8 min 57° 40.0124’N 007° 02.8284’W 10 min 57° 40.0267’N 007° 02.8635’W End 57° 40.0219’N 007° 02.8720’W Video 2 Start 57° 40.0215’N 007° 02.8724’W End 57° 40.0358’N 007° 02.8611’W Video 3 Start 57° 40.0366’N 007° 02.8613’W 2 min 57° 40.0472’N 007° 02.8848’W 4 min 57° 40.0488’N 007° 02.9261’W 6 min 57° 40.0673’N 007° 02.9262’W 8 min 57° 40.0735’N 007° 02.9166’W 10 min 57° 40.0940’N 007° 02.9526’W End 57° 40.0927’N 007° 02.9699’W Video 4 Start 57° 40.0921’N 007° 02.9701’W 2 min 57° 40.0731’N 007° 02.9905’W End 57° 40.0712’N 007° 02.9852’W Video 5 Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 6 | 14

Static 57° 40.0706’N 007° 02.9740’W Transect 3 Co-ordinates Video 1 Start 57° 40.0775’N 007° 02.3906’W 2 min 57° 40.0954’N 007° 02.4293’W 4 min 57° 40.1177’N 007° 02.4632’W 6 min 57° 40.1337’N 007° 02.5084’W 8 min 57° 40.1518’N 007° 02.5065’W End 57° 40.1616’N 007° 02.5570’W Video 2 Start 57° 40.1618’N 007° 02.5573’W 2 min 57° 40.1744’N 007° 02.5606’W End 57° 40.1782’N 007° 02.5581’W Video 3 Start 57° 40.1784’N 007° 02.5575’W 2 min 57° 40.1849’N 007° 02.5920’W 4 min 57° 40.1949’N 007° 02.5991’W 6 min 57° 40.1958’N 007° 02.5711’W 8 min 57° 40.2041’N 007° 02.6231’W 10 min 57° 40.2245’N 007° 02.6495’W End 57° 40.2218’N 007° 02.6549’W Video 4 Start 57° 40.2217’N 007° 02.6545’W 2 min 57° 40.2250’N 007° 02.6305’W End 57° 40.2291’N 007° 02.6513’W Video 5 Start 57° 40.2298’N 007° 02.6515’W 2 min 57° 40.2276’N 007° 02.6565’W 4 min 57° 40.2366’N 007° 02.6579’W End 57° 40.2283’N 007° 02.6416’W Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 7 | 14

Footage Biotope Typing

HD Video 1 to 12 – Transect 1

The footage in the transect video shows that there are two main biotope types within the area. The start of the transect consists of boulders covered by a mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock CR.HCR.XFa.SwiLgAs with patches of coarse gravel with high shell content ; circalittoral coarse sediment SS.SCS.CCS. As the transect moves away from the shallower area illustrated on the charts ( Figure 1), where the more rocky habitats as expected occur, the sediment type changes to sandy mud SS.SMu.CSaMu with areas of pebbles and gravel.

This is based upon the presence of characterising species Nemertesia ramose, Munida rugosa, Swiftia pallida, Caryophyllia smithii, Echinus esculentus, and Asterias rubens for the first biotope type in conjunction with Cerianthus lloydii, Pagurus bernhardus, Echinus esculentus, and Asterias rubens in the interspersing gravel patches.

The second biotope is based upon the presence of characterising species Nemertesia ramosa, Cerianthus lloydii, Pagurus bernhardus, Pagurus prideaux, Turritella communis, Asterias rubens, Ophiura ophiura and Echinus esculentus. There are sparse burrows located throughout the area.

Table 2: Species ID – Transect 1 Common Name Latin Name SACFOR abundance estimate Transect 1 – Video 1 Large boulders with gaps of coarse gravel with high shell content. Hydroid Nemertesia ramosa F Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa R Hydroid Sp. O Queen Scallop Aequipecten opercularis R Auger Shell Turritella communis R Transect 1 – Video 2 Patches of boulders at start and end of section, large area of sand with shells and pebbles. Auger Shell Turritella communis F Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus F Painted Goby Pomatoschistus pictus R Various Hydroid Species Sp. O Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura O Devonshire Cup Coral Caryophyllia smithii O Curled Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R Phosphorescent Sea Pen Pennatula phosphorea R Sea Squirt Ascidiella aspersa O Starfish Asterias rubens R Queen Scallop Aequipecten opercularis R Northern Sea Fan Swiftia pallida R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 8 | 14

Light Bulb Sea Squirt Clavelina lepadiformis O Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus R Transect 1 – Video 3 Scattered boulders with large patches of coarse gravel with high shell content. Hydroid Nemertesia ramosa R Various Sponge Species Sp. F Various Sea Squirt Species Sp. F Devonshire Cup Coral Caryophyllia smithii F Northern Sea Fan Swiftia pallida O Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa R Bloody Henry Starfish Henricia oculata R Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Seven-armed starfish Luidia ciliaris R Transect 1 – Video 4 Boulders at the start of the section with a second half of coarse gravel with high shell content. Sea Squirts Ascidia conchilega O Light Bulb Sea Squirt Clavelina lepadiformis R Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa O Northern Sea Fan Swiftia pallida O Devonshire Cup Coral Caryophyllia smithii F Hydroid Hartlaubella gelatinosa F Football Sea Squirt Diazona violacea R Goldsinny Wrasse Ctenolabrus rupestris R Spiny Starfish Marthasterias glacialis R Various Hydroid Species Sp. C Queen Scallop Aequipecten opercularis R Various Sponge Species Sp. C Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux F Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Curled Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii R Transect 1 – Video 5 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux F Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Various Sea Squirt Species Sp. O Starfish Asterias rubens R Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 9 | 14

Transect 1 – Video 6 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux F Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Fanworm Myxicola infundibulum R Dab Limanda limanda R Transect 1 – Video 7 Sandy mud. Dab Limanda limanda R Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Phosphorescent Sea pen Pennatula phosphorea R Transect 1 – Video 8 Sandy mud. Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Dab Limanda limanda R Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura O Sponge Suberites carnosus R Transect 1 – Video 9 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Dab Limanda limanda R Starfish Asterias rubens R Thornback Ray Raja clavata R Seven- Armed Starfish Luidia ciliaris R Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R Transect 1 – Video 10 Sandy mud. Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux F Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Queen Scallop Aequipecten opercularis R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 10 | 14

Transect 1 – Video 11 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura R Transect 1 – Video 12 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R Starfish Asterias rubens R

Video 1 to 5 – Transect 2

The footage in the transect video shows that there is one main biotope type within the area, sandy mud SS.SMu.CSaMu, however there appears to be a small patch of boulders covered by a mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock CR.HCR.XFa.SwiLgAs where a shallow outcrop of rock occurs to the west of the proposed site. The majority of the footage shows circalittoral sandy mud SS.SMu.CSaMu with Cerianthus lloydii, Pagurus prideaux, Asterias rubens, Ophiura ophiura and Echinus esculentus.

The biotope present is therefore identified to be the same as the majority of transect 1 and of the same type predicted to be lying below the majority of the site.

Table 2: Species ID – Transect 2 Common Name Latin Name SACFOR abundance estimate Transect 2 – Video 1 Sandy mud with high shell content. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux A Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Starfish Asterias rubens R Painted Goby Pomatoschistus pictus R Wrinkled Swimming Crab Liocarcinus corrugatus R Transect 2 – Video 2 Sandy mud. Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Sponge Suberites carnosus O Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux A Rugose Squat Lobster Munida rugosa R Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R Bloody Henry Starfish Henricia oculata R Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura F Phosphorescent Sea pen Pennatula phosphorea R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 11 | 14

Transect 2 – Video 3 Sandy mud. Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura C Dab Limanda limanda R Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformis R Painted Goby Pomatoschistus pictus R Transect 2 – Video 4 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux R Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii R Starfish Asterias rubens R Transect 2 – Video 5 Sandy mud with some boulders. Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii R Edible Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus R

Video 1 to 5 – Transect 3

The footage in the transect video shows that there is one biotope type within the area . The biotope present is therefore identified to be the same as transect 1 and transect 2, circalittoral sandy mud SS.SMu.CSaMu with Cerianthus lloydii, Pagurus prideaux, Asterias rubens, Turritella communis and Ophiura ophiura.

Table 2: Species ID – Transect 3 Common Name Latin Name SACFOR abundance estimate Transect 3 – Video 1 Sandy mud. Sponge Suberites carnosus R Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii F Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformis R Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura F Transect 3 – Video 2 Transect 3 – Video 3 Sandy mud. Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Dragonet Callionymus lyra R Sponge Suberites carnosus R Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura O Painted Goby Pomatoschistus pictus R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 12 | 14

Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Auger Shell Turritella communis F Dab Limanda limanda R Octopus Eledone cirrhosa R

Transect 3 – Video 4 Sandy mud. Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura O Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Auger Shell Turritella communis R Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux O Octopus Eledone cirrhosa O Dab Limanda limanda R Sponge Suberites carnosus R Transect 3 – Video 5 Sandy mud. Brittle Star Ophiura ophiura O Hermit Crab Pagurus prideaux F Tube Anemone Cerianthus lloydii O Auger Shell Turritella communis O Sand Star Astropecten irregularis R Sponge Suberites carnosus R Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 13 | 14

Protected Species and Habitat

Priority Marine Feature – Species

There were no species identified in the Grey Horse Channel Outer video survey that are Priority Marine Features in their own right.

Priority Marine Feature - Habitats

The footage in the transect videos shows that the majority of habitat within the survey area is sandy mud SS.SMu.CSaMu. There are however isolated areas at the start of transect 1 and at the end of transect 2 that consists of boulders covered by a mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock CR.HCR.XFa.SwiLgAs with patches of coarse gravel with high shell content; circalittoral coarse sediment SS.SCS.CCS. These areas are predicted to mostly fall outside of the zone of effect of the site which is likely to be limited due to the high current speeds and resuspension at the site. Where there is the potential for some overlap of site and feature are the start of transect 1 this current regime should result in limited accumulation of deposition and prevent smothering occurring within this habitat.

Figure 3: mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock.

The biotope is identifiable as habitat priority marine feature ( PMF) - Northern sea fan and sponge communities, based upon meeting the two criteria of; biotope type CR.HCR.XFa.SwiLgAs and species Swiftia pallida. As there was not a significant observed presence of sponges, biotopes CR.MCR.EcCr.CarSwi and CR.HCR.DpSp were discounted. While Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii occur within the isolated areas of boulders they do not show thick coverage throughout, as such this biotope would likely be considered a good example of the type, but not an exemplary Grey Horse Channel Outer 2018 Baseline Video Survey Report 14 | 14

example. As discussed, the PMF feature only occurs within two short locations of the transects and the site is predicted to have negligible impact as the high current speeds are expected to limit deposition and the PMF feature is largely occurring beyond the predicted impact zone of the site.

Protected Areas

There are four designations adjacent to the area of the site which have been assessed as potentially requiring further consideration and have been assessed within the Environmental statement, these are:

Candidate Special Area of Conservation – Inner Hebrides and the Minches Proposed Special Protection Area – West Coast of the Outer Hebrides Site of Special Scientific Importance – Loch an Duin Ramsar – Loch an Duin

Of these, no features relevant to this benthic video survey have been identified ( SNH. 2017).

References

SNH; Tyler-Walters, H., James, B., Carruthers, M., Wilding, C., Durkin, O., Lacey, C., Philpott, E., Adams, L., Chaniotis, P.D., Wilkes, P.T.V., Seeley, R., Neilly, M., Dargie, J. & Crawford- Avis, O.T. 2016). Descriptions of Scottish Priority Marine Features ( PMFs). Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 406. Project No: 10639; MarLIN ( Marine Life Information Network) and SMRU Ltd.

SNH. ( 2017). Sitelink [ Online]. [ Date accessed: 04/12/2017]. Available from: http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/sitelink/ index.jsp.

JNCC. (2015). The Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland Version 15.03 [Online]. [Date accessed: 04/12/2017]. 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: 04/12/2017]. Available from: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-2684.

Survey assessed by: Kate Stronach - Environmental Analyst Date: 14/ 09/ 2018