East of Haig Fras rMCZ Post-survey Site Report

Contract Reference: MB0120 Report Number: 6 Version 12 November 2014

Project Title: Coordination of the Defra MCZ data collection programme 2011/12 Report No 6. Title: East of Haig Fras rMCZ Post-survey Site Report Project Code: MB0120 Defra Contract Manager: Carole Kelly

Funded by:

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Marine Science and Evidence Unit Marine Directorate Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Monkstone House City Road Peterborough PE1 1JY

Authorship

Jacqueline Eggleton Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) [email protected]

Anna Downie Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) [email protected]

Acknowledgements

We thank Drs Sue Ware and Christopher Barrio Froján (Cefas) for editing the text of earlier drafts of this report.

Disclaimer: The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the views of Defra, nor is Defra liable for the accuracy of information provided, or responsible for any use of the reports content. Cefas Document Control

Title: East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report

Submitted to: rMCZ Project Steering Group Date submitted: November 2014 Project Manager: David Limpenny Report compiled by: Jacqueline Eggleton, Anna Downie Quality control by: Sue Ware Approved by & date: Keith Weston (06/11/2014) Version: V12

Version Control History Author Date Comment Version Jacqueline Eggleton 07/12/2012 First Draft V1 Jacqueline Eggleton 21/12/2012 Revised draft following internal QA V2 Jacqueline Eggleton 11/01/2013 Final edits ready for sign-off following Project V3 Steering Group review Jacqueline Eggleton 11/02/2013 Revised BSH map and description V4 Jacqueline Eggleton 28/02/2013 Edited following additional PSG comment and V5 external peer review Jacqueline Eggleton 14/03/2013 Edited following additional comments provided by V6 the JNCC Jacqueline Eggleton 25/03/2013 Edited following additional comments provided by V7 the JNCC Jacqueline Eggleton 26/03/2013 Cefas final QA V8 Jacqueline Eggleton 25/11/2013 Revised draft incorporating analysis of additional V9 survey data collected during CEND05/13 Jacqueline Eggleton 10/12/2013 Revised draft following internal QA V10 Christopher Barrio 24/03/2014 Revised following updated mud HOCI definitions V11 Jacqueline Eggleton 06/11/2014 2nd round of Defra and Project Steering Group V12 Comments

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... i List of Tables ...... iii List of Figures ...... iv 1 Executive Summary: Report Card ...... 1 1.1 Features proposed in the SAD for inclusion within the rMCZ designation ..... 1 1.2 Features present but not proposed in the SAD for inclusion within the rMCZ designation ...... 1 1.3 Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ ...... 2 2 Introduction ...... 3 2.1 Location of the rMCZ ...... 4 2.2 Rationale for the site position and designation ...... 4 2.3 Rationale for prioritising this rMCZ for additional evidence collection ...... 5 2.4 Survey aims and objectives ...... 6 3 Methods ...... 7 3.1 Acoustic data acquisition ...... 7 3.2 Ground truth sample acquisition ...... 7 3.3 Production of the updated habitat map ...... 9 3.4 Quality of updated map ...... 13 4 Results ...... 14 4.1 Site Assessment Document (SAD) habitat map ...... 14 4.2 Updated habitat map based on new survey data ...... 14 4.3 Quality of the updated habitat map ...... 18 4.4 Broadscale habitats identified ...... 18 4.5 Habitat FOCI identified ...... 19 4.6 Species FOCI identified ...... 20 4.7 Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) ...... 20 4.8 Data limitations and adequacy of the updated habitat map ...... 21 4.9 Observations of human activities within the rMCZ ...... 21 5 Conclusions ...... 22 5.1 Presence and extent of broadscale habitats ...... 22 5.2 Presence and extent of FOCI habitats ...... 22 5.3 Presence and distribution of species FOCI ...... 23 5.4 Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ ...... 23 References ...... 24 Data sources ...... 26

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report i Annexes ...... 27 Annex 1. Broadscale habitat features listed in the ENG ...... 27 Annex 2. Habitat FOCI listed in the ENG* ...... 28 Annex 3. Low or limited mobility species FOCI listed in the ENG* ...... 29 Annex 4. Highly mobile species FOCI listed in the ENG* ...... 30 Annex 5. Video and stills processing protocol ...... 31 Appendices ...... 33 Appendix 1. Survey Metadata (CEND 03/12) ...... 33 Appendix 2. Outputs from Acoustic Surveys ...... 36 Appendix 3. Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ ...... 38 Appendix 4. Species List ...... 39 Appendix 5. Analyses of sediment samples: classification and composition ...... 49 Appendix 6. BSH/EUNIS Level 3 descriptions derived from video and stills ...... 51 Appendix 7. Example images from survey for broadscale habitats ...... 55 Appendix 8. Example image from survey for habitat FOCI ...... 57

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report ii List of Tables

Table 1. Broadscale habitats for which this rMCZ was proposed for designation. .... 4 Table 2. Habitat FOCI present but not proposed for designation of East of Haig Fras rMCZ...... 5 Table 3. Species FOCI for which this rMCZ was proposed for designation...... 5 Table 4. Description of derivatives calculated for bathymetry and backscatter (where specified)...... 11 Table 5. Results of independent validation of the broadscale habitat map using newly acquired ground truth video and still imagery.* ...... 13 Table 6. Broadscale habitats identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ...... 19 Table 7. Habitat FOCI identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ...... 20 Table 8. Species FOCI identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ...... 20

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report iii List of Figures

Figure 1. Location of the East of Haig Fras rMCZ in the context of other rMCZs in the area. Bathymetry is from the Defra Digital Elevation Model (Astrium, 2011)...... 4 Figure 2. Location of ground truth sampling sites at the East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Bathymetry displayed is from the Defra Digital Elevation Model (Astrium, 2011)...... 8 Figure 3. Flowchart outlining the process of producing the broadscale habitat map...... 10 Figure 4. Habitat map from the Site Assessment Document...... 14 Figure 5. Updated map of broadscale habitats based on newly acquired survey data...... 16 Figure 6. An extract of the updated habitat map for the East of Haig Fras rMCZ, showing the fine scale variation in the heterogeneous landscape...... 17 Figure 7. Map showing the distribution of potential 'A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock' BSH...... 17 Figure 8. Overall MESH confidence score for the updated broadscale habitat map...... 18 Figure 9. Habitat FOCI identified...... 19

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report iv 1 Executive Summary: Report Card This report details the findings of a dedicated seabed survey at the East of Haig Fras recommended Marine Conservation Zone (rMCZ). The site is being considered for inclusion in a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters, designed to meet conservation objectives under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Before the dedicated survey, the site assessment was made on the basis of best available evidence, drawn largely from historical data, modelled habitat maps and stakeholder knowledge of the area. The purpose of the survey was to provide direct evidence of the presence and extent of the broadscale habitats (BSH) and habitat FOCI (Features of Conservation Importance) detailed in the original Site Assessment Document (SAD) (Lieberknecht et al., 2011). This Executive Summary is presented in the form of a Report Card comparing the characteristics predicted in the original SAD with the updated habitat map and new sample data that result from the survey of the site conducted by Cefas in February 2012. The comparison covers broadscale habitats and habitat FOCI.

1.1 Features proposed in the SAD for inclusion within the rMCZ designation Extent Extent according to according updated Accord between SAD Feature to SAD habitat map and updated habitat map Broadscale Habitats (BSH) Presence Extent A4: Circalittoral rock 9.79 km2 13.25 km2  +3.46 km2 A5.1: Subtidal coarse sediment* 235.53 km2 129.36 km2  -106.17 km2 A5.2: Subtidal sand 154.65 km2 189.68 km2  +35.03 km2 Habitat FOCI None proposed N/A N/A N/A N/A Species FOCI None proposed N/A N/A N/A N/A * Includes an un-quantified proportion of mixed sediments.

1.2 Features present but not proposed in the SAD for inclusion within the rMCZ designation Extent Extent according to according updated Accord between SAD Feature to SAD habitat map and updated habitat map Broadscale Habitats (BSH) Presence Extent A5.3: Subtidal mud 0 km2 76.63 km2  +76.63 km2 Habitat FOCI Subtidal Sands and Gravels 390.18 km2* 319.04 km2  -71.14 km2 Mud Habitats in Deep Water 0 km2 76.63 km2  +76.63 km2 Species FOCI None Found N/A N/A N/A N/A * This is the corrected value calculated using the combined estimated spatial extent of subtidal coarse sediment and subtidal sand broadscale habitats stated in the SAD.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 1 1.3 Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ No evidence of human activities was observed in the newly acquired data for this site.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 2 2 Introduction In accordance with the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the UK is committed to developing and implementing a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The network will incorporate existing designated sites (e.g. Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) along with a number of newly designated sites which, within English territorial waters and offshore waters of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be termed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). In support of this initiative, four Regional MCZ Projects were set up to select sites that could contribute to this network because they contain one or more features specified in the Ecological Network Guidance (ENG; Natural England and the JNCC, 2010). The Regional MCZ Projects proposed 127 recommended MCZs (rMCZs) and compiled a Site Assessment Document (SAD) for each site. The SAD summarises what evidence was available for presence and extent of the various habitat, species and geological features specified in the ENG and for which the site was being recommended. Because of the scarcity of survey-derived seabed habitat maps in UK waters, the assessments were necessarily made using best available evidence, which included historical data, modelled habitat maps and stakeholder knowledge of the areas concerned. It became apparent that the best available evidence on features for which some sites had been recommended as MCZs was of variable quality. Consequently, Defra initiated a number of measures aimed at improving the evidence base, one of which took the form of a dedicated survey programme, implemented and co-ordinated by Cefas, to collect and interpret new survey data at selected rMCZ sites. This report provides an interpretation of the survey data collected jointly by Cefas and the JNCC at the East of Haig Fras rMCZ site during February 2012, and updates the evidence base which will permit reassessment of the site’s designation as a MCZ.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 3 2.1 Location of the rMCZ The East of Haig Fras rMCZ is located approximately 40 km east of the Greater Haig Fras rMCZ and approximately 67 km from Land’s End (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Location of the East of Haig Fras rMCZ in the context of other rMCZs in the area. Bathymetry is from the Defra Digital Elevation Model (Astrium, 2011).

2.2 Rationale for the site position and designation The East of Haig Fras rMCZ was included in the proposed network because of its contribution to the criteria specified in the Ecological Network Guidance (ENG; Natural England and the JNCC, 2010) relating to broadscale habitats. For a detailed site description see Section 3, Part II.3.7 in ‘Finding Sanctuary Final report and Recommendations’ (Lieberknecht et al., 2011).

2.2.1 Broadscale habitats proposed for designation Three broadscale habitats were included in the recommendations for designation at the site (Table 1). See Annex 1 for full list of broadscale habitat features listed in the ENG.

Table 1. Broadscale habitats for which this rMCZ was proposed for designation. EUNIS code & Broadscale Habitat Spatial extent according to the SAD A4.2: Moderate energy circalittoral rock 9.79 km2 A5.1: Subtidal coarse sediment 235.53 km2 A5.2: Subtidal sand 154.65 km2

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 4 2.2.2 Habitat FOCI proposed for designation Annex 2 presents the habitat FOCI listed in the ENG. The habitat FOCI ‘Subtidal Sands and Gravels’ was indicated by the SAD to be present within the East of Haig Fras rMCZ (Table 2). However, this habitat FOCI is not included on the list of draft conservation objectives for the site because it is considered that any conservation requirements will be met by the listed broadscale habitats. Furthermore, the spatial extent for this habitat FOCI stated in the SAD appears to have been miscalculated as 264.78 km2. The correct spatial extent (derived from combining the estimated spatial extent of the subtidal coarse sediment and the subtidal sand) is 390.18 km2. The corrected value will be used in this report when comparing the SAD and the updated habitat map.

Table 2. Habitat FOCI present but not proposed for designation of East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Habitat FOCI Spatial extent according to SAD Subtidal Sands and Gravels 390.18 km2* * This is the corrected value calculated using the combined estimated spatial extent of the subtidal coarse sediment and subtidal sand broadscale habitats stated in the SAD.

2.2.3 Species FOCI proposed for designation No ‘Low or limited mobility species FOCI’ and no ‘Highly mobile species FOCI’ were included in the recommendations for designation of this rMCZ (Table 3). The full list of these species FOCI is presented in Annexes 3 and 4.

Table 3. Species FOCI for which this rMCZ was proposed for designation. Species FOCI Low or limited mobility species FOCI None Highly mobile species FOCI None

2.3 Rationale for prioritising this rMCZ for additional evidence collection Prioritisation of rMCZ sites for further evidence collection was informed by a gap analysis and evidence assessment. The prime objective was to elevate the confidence status for as many rMCZs as feasible to support designation in terms of the quantity and quality of evidence for the presence and extent of broadscale habitat features and habitat and species FOCI. The confidence status was originally assessed in the SADs according to Technical Protocol E (Natural England and the JNCC, 2012). The confidence score for the presence and extent of broadscale habitats and habitat FOCI reported for the East of Haig Fras rMCZ was Low (JNCC and Natural England, 2012), so the site was prioritised for additional evidence collection.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 5 2.4 Survey aims and objectives Primary Objectives

 To collect acoustic and ground truth data to allow the production of an updated map to be used to inform the presence of broadscale habitats and habitat FOCI, and to allow estimates to be made of their spatial extent within the rMCZ. Secondary Objectives

 To provide evidence where possible of the presence of Species FOCI listed within the ENG (Annexes 3 and 4) in the rMCZ.

 To report evidence of human activity within the rMCZ during the course of the survey. It should be emphasised that surveys were not designed primarily to address the secondary objectives under the current programme of work. However, although the newly collected data will be utilised for the purposes of reporting against the primary objectives of the current programme of work (given above), it is recognised that the data will be valuable for informing the assessment and monitoring of the condition of given habitat features in the future.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 6 3 Methods

3.1 Acoustic data acquisition

3.2 Ground truth sample acquisition Groundtruthing data were collected in two stages. The first ground truth survey at the East of Haig Fras rMCZ was carried out onboard RV Cefas Endeavour (cruise CEND 03/12) during February 2012. As the acoustic survey was being run concurrently by Gardline Geosurvey Limited, the acoustic outputs were not available to inform the selection of ground truth stations. Instead, selection and positioning of ground truth stations was informed by a combination of the predicted extent of broadscale habitats derived from the UK SeaMap 2010 (v7) and the habitat map provided in the SAD. The acoustic data, when processed, highlighted the need for more targeted groundtruthing across potential circalittoral rock features. Consequently a second ground truth survey was carried out during the RV Cefas Endeavour cruise CEND 05/13 during April 2013. For the first groundtruthing survey, sampling stations were positioned within the predicted sedimentary habitats using a triangular lattice grid overlaid on the predicted habitat map. Stations within the predicted ‘Subtidal coarse sediment’ (A5.1) and ‘Subtidal sand’ (A5.2) sediments were at a grid spacing of 3 km. For the second survey, a number of camera tows were planned along and across topographic features that were predicted to include patches of circalittoral rock. The full array of stations is illustrated below, in Figure 2.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 7

Figure 2. Location of ground truth sampling sites at the East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Bathymetry displayed is from the Defra Digital Elevation Model (Astrium, 2011). Sediment samples were collected with a grab system consisting of a 0.1 m2 mini Hamon grab fitted with a video camera, the combined gear being known as a HamCam. This allowed an image of the undisturbed seabed surface to be obtained for each grab sample. On recovery, the grab was emptied into a large plastic bin and a representative subsample of sediment (approx. 0.5 litres) taken for particle size analysis (PSA). The remaining sample was photographed, then sieved over a 1 mm mesh to collect the benthic macrofauna. These were preserved in buffered 4% formaldehyde for later processing ashore. During the first ground truth survey, video footage and still images of the seabed were collected with an underwater camera system deployed at a subset of stations sampled by the grab. The frequency of use of the camera was informed by the type of sediment obtained in the grab sample. Where this was consistent with the predicted BSH, the camera was deployed at approximately every third station, but where the grab sample was not consistent with the predicted BSH, the camera was used at every station. The camera images helped to characterise surficial sediments and associated epifaunal communities. The camera was mounted on a towed sledge and collected both video and still images. A four-point laser scaling device was used to provide a reference scale in the video and still images. Set-up and operation followed the MESH ‘Recommended Operating Guidelines (ROG) for underwater video and photographic imaging techniques’ (Coggan et al., 2007). Video was recorded simultaneously to a Sony GV-HD700 DV tape and a computer hard drive. A video overlay was used to provide station metadata, time and GPS position (of the vessel) in the recorded video image.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 8 The second survey consisted of camera tows only. Video footage and still images of the seabed were collected using a drop-camera system. The system specification was similar to that used on the camera sledge (as described above), but mounted in a rectangular drop-frame and deployed from the side gantry, amidships. Camera tows lasted a minimum of 10 minutes, with the sledge towed at c. 0.5 knots (c. 0.25 m s–1) across a 100 m diameter ‘bullring’ centred on the sampling station. Drop camera was deployed with the vessel executing a controlled drift at c. 0.5 knots (c. 0.25 m s-1) across the ‘bullring’. The height of the drop camera off the seabed was controlled by a winch operator with sight of the video monitor. Still images were captured at regular one minute intervals and opportunistically if specific features of interest were encountered. Video and still images were analysed following an established protocol used by Cefas and the JNCC (Coggan and Howell 2005; JNCC, in prep., see Annex 5). In all, 69 ground truth stations were visited during the two surveys (Figure 2). In the first survey, Hamon grabs were successful at all 50 stations and camera sledge tows were completed at 20 of them. The second survey completed a further 19 drop camera tows. Station metadata are presented in Appendix 1. For further detail on ground truth sample collection see the East of Haig Fras rMCZ Survey Report (Ware et al., 2013).

3.3 Production of the updated habitat map All new maps and their derivatives have been based on a WGS84 datum. A new habitat map for the site was produced by analysing and interpreting the available acoustic data and the ground truth data collected by the dedicated surveys of the site. The new habitat map was produced via object-based image analysis (OBIA; Blaschke, 2010), implemented in the software package eCognition® v8.7.2. OBIA is a two-step process consisting of the segmentation and classification of an image based on its spectral characteristics. Acoustic spectrum data are initially reinterpreted as visual data layers of bathymetry, backscatter and their derivatives. Subsequent segmentation divides the data into meaningful uniform subareas, called objects, and these can be characterised by their various features, such as layer values (mean, standard deviation, skewness, etc.), geometry (extent, shape, etc.), texture, and many others. The subsequent classification of objects is based on combinations of these features. The process is summarised in Figure 3 and described in more detail below.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 9

Figure 3. Flowchart outlining the process of producing the broadscale habitat map.

Data Preparation Before analysis, the bathymetry and backscatter data layers were resampled onto a common grid at 2 m resolution. A 2D Fourier filter was applied to both layers to reduce stripe noise along the vessel track (Wilken et al., 2012). Such data preparation results in a spatial grid with a single value for bathymetry (depth) and a single value for backscatter (acoustic reflectance) in each 2 m x 2 m grid cell, and it is these data values that are used in the rest of the process.

Derivatives A set of derivative datasets (see Table 4) describing topographic variability and local variability data values was calculated for bathymetry and backscatter.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 10 Table 4. Description of derivatives calculated for bathymetry and backscatter (where specified). Derivative Description Slope The slope in degrees using the maximum change in elevation of each cell and its 8 neighbours Roughness* Calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum value of each cell and its 8 neighbours Curvature (profile and planar) Curvature parallel to the direction of slope (profile) and perpendicular to the direction of slope (planar) BPI Bathymetric Position Index (Lundblad et al., 2006); radii of 3, 5, 9 and 25 cells TRI* Terrain Ruggedness Index (Wilson et al., 2007) Sobel filter* An edge detection filter calculated in x and y directions Aspect Expressed as eastness and northness (Wilson et al., 2007) Local Moran’s I Local spatial-autocorrelation (Moran, 1950) * Calculated for backscatter as well as bathymetry.

Segmentation The goal of the OBIA segmentation is to create meaningful objects in the map image. A homogeneous area of seabed will have larger objects than a heterogeneous area. The input layers used in segmentation were the primary acoustic data layers (bathymetry and backscatter strength). Segmentation was carried out first using the multiresolution segmentation algorithm in eCognition® with the scale parameter set at 5. This is an optimisation procedure that starts with an individual pixel and consecutively merges it with neighbouring pixels with similar values to form an object. The process continues until a threshold value for a scale parameter is reached. The threshold scale value restricts the internal variability of pixel values in objects, and the smaller the threshold, the smaller the consequent objects. In the second segmentation stage, the objects in the initial segmentation were further combined into larger objects, with connected objects having less than 1 db difference in their mean backscatter values.

Characterisation For each of the objects created, mean values (e.g. the mean backscatter value for the grid cells lying within the object) of the primary acoustic data layers and their derivatives (Table 4) were calculated, along with Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture values. These object-feature mean values were exported as a GIS shapefile and extracted at the location of each of the ground truth samples (video stills and grab samples) to provide an analysis dataset for classification.

Classification It was possible to distinguish four distinct types of habitat from the acoustic data. Areas of boulders and cobbles, acting as hard substratum, were identified in the video footage on raised ridges of ‘Coarse/Mixed sediments’ (A5.1/A5.4), surrounded by mobile sands (A5.2) and, in deeper areas, mud (A5.3). The patches of hard substratum were identified as ‘Moderate energy circalittoral rock and other hard substrata’ (A4.2) based on their community composition. The distributions of values for bathymetry and backscatter, together with their derivatives, in the broadscale habitat classes found in the ground truth data from the first survey, were analysed to find the variables that best separated habitat classes. Data from video and still images were used to characterise the hard substratum

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 11 class ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’. PSA data from grab samples were also used to classify the sedimentary broadscale habitats observed in the area: ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’, ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’, ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’ and ‘A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediment’. Areas raised above the seafloor, determined by a BPI with a 25-cell radius (Table 4), with backscatter values similar to the observed cobble and boulder habitats were highlighted as potential hard substratum in order to map the extent of the cobble and boulder habitats. The range of backscatter values in the hard substratum locations largely overlaps with the range of values observed for the Coarse/Mixed Sediments. This is not surprising, because there is a continuum of increasing cobble content on the coarse and mixed substrata not reflected in the PSA data collected through grab- sampling. Consequently,the areas identified as hard substratum were classified as ‘Potential (A4.2) moderate energy circalittoral rock’. Those patches which coincided with observations of hard substratum in video stills were firmly classified as ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’. The remainder of the area was classified according to cutoffs in backscatter and depth values obtained from the analysis of PSA samples. Subtidal sand and subtidal mud had significantly lower backscatter values than subtidal coarse sediment and subtidal mixed sediment, and subtidal sand and mud could be separated further based on bathymetry. None of the variables used revealed separation between subtidal coarse sediment and mixed sediments, so the latter two were not separated in the resultant habitat map. A query of the PSA data also shows that the coarse and mixed sediments are similar in particle size composition, with a continuum of gradual increase in the mud fraction through the coarse sediment samples to the mixed sediment samples. Stills observations from the second groundtruthing survey were used to validate the habitat map. Rock features have been identified in the map, with 76% of map objects classified as ‘Potential (A4.2) moderate energy circalittoral rock’ recorded as rock habitat in the new groundtruthing data (Table 5). Correct classification rates for sediment were much lower, at 31% for both ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’. Rock habitats were most commonly erroneously mapped as ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’, whilst ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ were commonly misclassfied as each other. Areas with ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’ were not included in the new groundtruthing. The gradual change between habitats and highly mosaic nature of the habitats are sources for classification error, together with potemntial positioning accuracy. Difficulty in correctly delineating coarse sediment from sand in still images also adds to the error estimates and may explain some of the misclassification between ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’. The overlap of ‘A4 Circalittoral rock’ with ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ is not unexpected, as the boundary between ‘coarse sediment with cobbles’ and ‘cobble with boulders as hard substrate’ is gradual. Both ‘A4.1 High energy circalittoral rock’ and ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’ were identified in the new groundtruthing data. It was however, not possible to differentiate between the energy levels, and consequently areas mapped as

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 12 ‘Potential (A4.2) moderate energy circalittoral rock’ were reclassified into ‘A4 Circalittoral rock’ in the final broadscale habitat map.

Table 5. Results of independent validation of the broadscale habitat map using newly acquired ground truth video and still imagery.*

Groundtruthing

A4 A5.1 A5.2 UA

A4 119 21 16 76% MAP

A5.1 74 47 29 31%

A5.2 5 42 21 31%

PA 60% 19% 24% 50%

*UA = User’s Accuracy, PA = Producer’s Accuracy where UA is how often the class on the broadscale habitat map was verified as the correct class by groundtruthing; and PA is how often the groundtruthing was correctly classified on the broadscale habitat map 3.4 Quality of updated map The technical quality of the updated habitat map was assessed using the MESH Confidence Assessment Tool1, originally developed by an international consortium of marine scientists working on the MESH (Mapping European Seabed Habitats) project. This tool considers the provenance of the data used to make a biotope/habitat map, including the techniques and technology used to characterise the physical and biological environment and the expertise of the people who had made the map. In its original implementation it was used to make an auditable judgement of the confidence that could be placed in a range of existing, local biotope maps that had been developed using different techniques and data inputs, to be used in compiling a full coverage map for northwest Europe. Where two of the original maps overlapped, that with the highest MESH confidence score would take precedence in the compiled map. Subsequent to the MESH project, the confidence assessment tool has been applied to provide a benchmark score that reflects the technical quality of newly developed habitat/biotope maps. Both physical and biological survey data are required to achieve the top mark of 100 but, because the current rMCZ exercise, requires the mapping of broadscale physical habitats rather than biotopes, it excludes the need for biological data. In the absence of biological data, the maximum score attainable for a perfect physical map is 88. In applying the tool to the current work, none of the weighting options were altered; that is, the tool was applied in its standard form, as downloaded from the internet.

1 http://www.searchmesh.net/confidence/confidenceAssessment.html [Accessed 24/03/2014]

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 13 4 Results

4.1 Site Assessment Document (SAD) habitat map The SAD habitat map was produced using a number of data sources including the UKSeaMap, outputs from the Mapping European Seabed Habitats (MESH) project and Environment Agency (EA) data sources, along with anecdotal information acquired through stakeholder consultation. The predicted extent of the main broadscale habitats shown in the SAD habitat map are reproduced in Figure 4. For further detail see the original SAD; section 3, part II.3.7 in ‘Finding Sanctuary Final report and Recommendations’ (Lieberknecht et al., 2011).

Figure 4. Habitat map from the Site Assessment Document.

4.2 Updated habitat map based on new survey data The updated habitat map resulting from an integrated analysis of the 2012 and 2013 dedicated survey data is presented in Figure 5. It shows the seabed at the site to be a heterogenous fine scale mosaic of sand, coarse and mixed sediments, with mud habitat in deeper areas. The two broadscale habitats ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.4 Mixed sediments’ are presented in the map as a complex ‘A5.1/A5.4 Subtidal coarse/mixed sediments’. They show no differentiation in their acoustic or topographical properties that would allow them to be mapped separately. Small patches of ‘A4 Circalittoral rock’ were identified in the updated habitat map (Figure 5). The circalittoral rock habitat is present in scattered small patches, illustrated in Figure 6, a close-up of a small region in the habitat map depicting the

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 14 fine-scale mosaic nature of the BSH. The distribution of the circalittoral rock features in the rMCZ are further highlighted in Figure 7, which presents their extent separately from the sedimentary habitats. Lists of benthic macrofaunal species found in the grab samples, as well as video and stills, are presented in Appendix 4. In all, 289 infaunal taxa were identified from the grab samples and 126 epifaunal taxa were identified from the video and still image data.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 15

Figure 5. Updated map of broadscale habitats based on newly acquired survey data.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 16

Figure 6. An extract of the updated habitat map for the East of Haig Fras rMCZ, showing the fine scale variation in the heterogeneous landscape.

Figure 7. Map showing the distribution of potential 'A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock' BSH.

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 17

4.3 Quality of the updated habitat map The results of the MESH confidence assessment are shown in Figure 8. The area covered by the newly acquired data is given a score of 83 out of the 88 possible for a purely physical habitat map.

Figure 8. Overall MESH confidence score for the updated broadscale habitat map.

4.4 Broadscale habitats identified The East of Haig Fras rMCZ seabed is a fine-scale mosaic of deposits of gravel, pebbles, cobbles and boulders interspersed with mobile sandy substrata, all with a variable mud content. The habitats blend into each other, so estimates of absolute coverage for any habitat need to be treated with caution. Nevertheless, the spatial extent of each of the BSH classes shown in the updated habitat map is presented in Table 6. ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ is the most widespread, covering approximately 47% of the area of the rMCZ. The class combining ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments’ covers 32%, and another 18% of the area consists of ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’, not previously identified by the SAD. Patches of hard substratum in the form of cobbles and boulders are associated with the ‘A5.1/A5.4 Subtidal coarse/mixed sediments’ features. The cobbles and boulders form stable hard surfaces supporting a variety of epifaunal organisms, particularly hydroids, and some mobile fauna typically associated with moderate energy rock habitats, and are consequently classified as ‘A4 Circalittoral rock’. Additional targeted groundtruthing carried out in 2013 confirmed the presence of the ‘A4 Circalittoral rock’ broadscale habitat within the rMCZ. The circalittoral rock

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habitat covers approximately 3% of the area. However, the estimate of area cover is tenuous because of an overlap in the acoustic and topographical properties used to map the hard substratum with those identified for the coarse and mixed sediments. The coarse/mixed sediments and hard substratum form a continuum with increasing cobble and boulder content, making it difficult to draw distinct boundaries between the classes. The mobile sands and low relief of the hard substrata give the hard substratum habitat a potentially ephemeral nature. Sand scour also leaves the epifaunal community poorer than in a setting with more continuous and permanent bedrock outcrops or ledges.

Table 6. Broadscale habitats identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Spatial extent Spatial extent according Broadscale Habitat Type according to the to the updated habitat (EUNIS Level 3) SAD map A4 Circalittoral rock 9.79 km2 13.25 km2 A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment* 235.53 km2 129.36 km2 A5.2 Subtidal sand 154.65 km2 189.68 km2 A5.3 Subtidal mud 0 km2 76.63 km2 * Includes an unquantified proportion of mixed sediments

4.5 Habitat FOCI identified The extent of the habitat FOCI identified by the updated habitat map is shown in Figure 9 and detailed in Table 7. Areas mapped as ‘Subtidal Sands and Gravels’ (A5.1 and A5.2) cover approximately 80% of the area of the rMCZ, but that estimate includes an unquantified fraction of mixed sediments (see Section 3.3).

Figure 9. Habitat FOCI identified.

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The remainder of the area within the East of Haig Fras rMCZ (approximately 20%) mapped as BSH ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’ conforms to the description of the habitat FOCI ‘Mud Habitats in Deep Water’.

Table 7. Habitat FOCI identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Spatial extent Spatial extent according to Habitat FOCI according to the SAD the updated habitat map Subtidal Sands and Gravels (modelled)* 390.18 km2** 319.04 km2 Mud Habitats in Deep Water 0 km2 76.63 km2 * Includes an unquantified proportion of mixed sediments; ** This is the corrected value calculated using the combined estimated spatial extent of the subtidal coarse sediment and subtidal sand broadscale habitats stated in the SAD.

4.6 Species FOCI identified No low or limited mobility species FOCI and no highly mobile species FOCI were observed in the samples obtained for this study (Table 8).

Table 8. Species FOCI identified in East of Haig Fras rMCZ. Previously recorded Identified during evidence Species FOCI within rMCZ gathering survey Low or limited mobility species None recorded None recorded Highly mobile species None recorded None recorded

4.7 Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)

4.7.1 Acoustic data Acoustic data were quality assured through specification of the technical requirements of the equipment and procedures used during acquisition. All survey data and reports were reviewed by Cefas specialist staff to ensure that data and deliverables met the required specification. All survey data will be made available to the UK Hydrographic Office, where the information will undergo further checks to assess its suitability for inclusion in the pool of data used to produce navigational charts.

4.7.2 Particle Size Analysis (PSA) of sediments PSA was carried out by Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd following standard laboratory practice and the results checked by Cefas specialist staff following the recommendations of the National Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control (NMBAQC) scheme (Mason, 2011).

4.7.3 Infaunal samples from grabs Infaunal samples were processed by MES Ltd following standard laboratory practices and results checked following the recommendations of the National Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control (NMBAQC) scheme (Worsfold et al., 2010).

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4.7.4 Video and still images and analysis Video and photographic stills data acquired during the 2012 survey were processed by MES Ltd and video and stills data acquired during the 2013 survey were processed by APEM Ltd in accordance with the guidance documents developed by Cefas and the JNCC for the acquisition and processing of video and stills data (Coggan and Howell, 2005; JNCC, in prep., summarised in Annex 5).

4.8 Data limitations and adequacy of the updated habitat map The quality of the derived habitat map is assessed to be high (MESH assessment tool). The survey has provided substantial and robust evidence for the presence of the mapped sedimentary habitats and an approximation of their extent. However, because it is impractical (and undesirable) to sample the entire area of the site with grabs and video, there is a chance that a BSH or FOCI may exist within the site which has not been recorded, especially if they are limited in extent. The precise location of the boundaries between the broadscale habitats depicted on the map should be regarded as indicative rather than definitive. In nature, such boundaries are rarely abrupt and it is typical for one BSH to grade into another across a transitional boundary. In contrast, the mapped boundaries are abrupt and have been placed using best professional judgement (supported by the predictive procedures detailed in Section 3.3). This may have implications when calculating the overall extent of any of the mapped habitats or FOCI, especially at a site with such fine-scale variability. ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediment’ have similar acoustic signatures, so it is often difficult, and sometimes impossible, to distinguish the two broadscale habitats in acoustic data. Therefore, the two habitats were not mapped separately. No discernible signal was found in bathymetry, backscatter or their derivatives, to be used to distinguish between the two habitats with any confidence. The spatial variability at the site prevented the use of interpolation measures. Video observations indicate the presence of hard substratum, consisting of cobbles and boulders, which support epifaunal species, particularly hydroids, and some mobile fauna. The patches of hard substratum are part of a continuum observed from sandy or muddy habitat through an increasing gravel, pebble and cobble content in the sediment, with occasional boulders, and their acoustic signature overlaps to an extent with that of coarse/mixed habitats. The overlap causes some ambiguity about the boundary between hard substratum and coarse/mixed substratum, which renders the estimates of extent more uncertain.

4.8.1 Presence of Species FOCI No species FOCI were included in the recommendations for proposal of this rMCZ or were recorded at any of the stations sampled at the site.

4.9 Observations of human activities within the rMCZ No evidence of human activities was observed in the newly acquired data for the site.

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5 Conclusions

5.1 Presence and extent of broadscale habitats

5.1.1 Presence  The 2012 and 2013 dedicated surveys have confirmed the presence of the ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’, ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ and ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ broadscale habitat classes. These were included in the recommendations made by the SAD for designating the site as an MCZ.

 The 2012 and 2013 dedicated surveys also revealed the presence of ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’ habitat class, not previously identified in the SAD.

5.1.2 Extent  The spatial extent of the ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’ BSH according to the SAD habitat map was 9.79 km2. According to the updated habitat map, the potential extent of this habitat is 13.25 km2, 3.46 km2 more than the spatial extent in the SAD habitat map.

 The spatial extent of the ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’ BSH according to the SAD habitat map was 235.53 km2. According to the updated habitat map, the extent of this habitat is 129.36 km2, 106.17 km2 less than the spatial extent in the SAD habitat map.

 The spatial extent of the ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ BSH according to the SAD habitat map was 154.65 km2. According to the updated habitat map, the extent of this habitat is 189.68 km2, 35.03 km2 greater than the spatial extent in the SAD habitat map.

 The spatial extent of the ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’ BSH according to the SAD habitat map was 0 km2. According to the updated habitat map, the extent of this habitat is 76.63 km2, 76.63 km2 greater than the spatial extent in the SAD habitat map.

5.2 Presence and extent of FOCI habitats

5.2.1 Presence  The 2012 and 2013 dedicated surveys have confirmed the presence of the ‘Subtidal Sands and Gravels’ FOCI which was reported in the SAD as present within the rMCZ.

 The 2012 and 2013 dedicated surveys have confirmed the presence of the ‘Mud Habitats in Deep Water’ habitat FOCI. This FOCI was not reported in the SAD.

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5.2.2 Extent and distribution  The recalculated spatial extent of the ‘Subtidal Sands and Gravels’ habitat FOCI according to the SAD habitat map was 390.18 km2. According to the updated habitat map, the spatial extent of this habitat FOCI is 319.04 km2, 71.14 km2 less than in the SAD habitat map.

 The extent of the ‘Mud Habiats in Deep Water’ habitat FOCI identified, acording to the updated habitat map, is 76.63 km2. This habitat FOCI was distributed towards the deeper, western extent of the rMCZ.

5.3 Presence and distribution of species FOCI  No ‘Low or limited mobility species FOCI’ and no ‘Highly mobile species FOCI’ were observed in the samples obtained for this study.

5.4 Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ  No evidence of human activities was observed in the newly acquired data for the site.

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References

Astrium (2011). Creation of a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the British Isles continental shelf: Final Report. Prepared for Defra, Contract Reference: 13820. 26 pp. Blaschke, T. (2010). Object based image analysis for remote sensing. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 65, 2-16. Coggan, R., Mitchell, A., White, J. and Golding, N. (2007). Recommended operating guidelines (ROG) for underwater video and photographic imaging techniques www.searchmesh.net/PDF/GMHM3_video_ROG.pdf [Accessed 24/03/2014] Coggan, R. and Howell, K. (2005). Draft SOP for the collection and analysis of video and still images for groundtruthing an acoustic basemap. Video survey SOP version 5, 10 pp. JNCC (in prep.). Video/Stills Camera Standard Operating Procedure for Survey and Analysis: for groundtruthing and classifying an acoustic basemap, and development of new biotopes within the UK Marine Habitat Classification. JNCC Video and Stills Processing SOP v2. 6 pp. JNCC and Natural England (2012). Marine Conservation Zone Project: JNCC and Natural England’s advice to Defra on recommended Marine Conservation Zones. Peterborough and Sheffield. 1455 pp. Lieberknecht, L.M., Hooper, T.E.J., Mullier, T.M., Murphy, A., Neilly, M., Carr, H., Haines, R., Lewin, S. and Hughes, E. (2011). Finding Sanctuary final report and recommendations. A report submitted by the Finding Sanctuary stakeholder project to Defra, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England. http://findingsanctuary.marinemapping.com/ Final report as one document (PDF, 43MB) - 14 September 2011 version [Accessed 24/03/2014] Lundblad, E. R., Wright, D. J., Miller, J., Larkin, E. M., Rinehart, R., Naar, D. F., Donahue, B. T., Anderson, S. M. and Battista, T., (2006). A Benthic Terrain Classification Scheme for American Samoa. Marine Geodesy 29, 89-111. Mason, C. (2011). NMBAQC’s Best Practice Guidance Particle Size Analysis (PSA) for Supporting Biological Analysis. Moran, P. A. P. (1950). Notes on continuous stochastic phenomena. Biometrika 37, 17-23. Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2010). The Marine Conservation Zone Project: Ecological Network Guidance. Sheffield and Peterborough, UK. Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2012). SNCB MCZ Advice Project-Assessing the scientific confidence in the presence and extent of features in recommended Marine Conservation Zones (Technical Protocol E) Ware, S., Whomersley, P. and Vanstaen, K. (2013). East of Haig Fras rMCZ survey report. 56 pp.

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Wilken, D., Feldens, P., Wunderlich, T. and Heinrich, C. (2012). Application of 2D Fourier filtering for elimination of stripe noise in side-scan sonar mosaics. Geo- Marine Letters 32, 337-347.

Wilson, M.F.J., O’Connell, B., Brown, C., Guinan, J.C. and Grehan, A.J. (2007). Multiscale terrain analysis of multibeam bathymetry data for habitat mapping on the continental slope. Marine Geodesy 30, 3-35.

Worsfold, T.M., Hall., D.J. and O’Reilly, M. (2010). Guidelines for processing marine macrobenthic invertebrate samples: a processing requirements protocol version 1 (June 2010). Unicomarine Report NMBAQCMbPRP to the NMBAQC Committee. 33 pp. [Accessed 24/03/2014]

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 25

Data sources

All enquiries in relation to this report should be addressed to the following e-mail address: [email protected]

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Annexes

Annex 1. Broadscale habitat features listed in the ENG Broadscale Habitat Type EUNIS Level 3 Code High energy intertidal rock A1.1 Moderate energy intertidal rock A1.2 Low energy intertidal rock A1.3 Intertidal coarse sediment A2.1 Intertidal sand and muddy sand A2.2 Intertidal mud A2.3 Intertidal mixed sediments A2.4 Coastal saltmarshes and saline reed beds A2.5 Intertidal sediments dominated by aquatic angiosperms A2.6 Intertidal biogenic reefs A2.7 High energy infralittoral rock* A3.1 Moderate energy infralittoral rock* A3.2 Low energy infralittoral rock* A3.3 High energy circalittoral rock** A4.1 Moderate energy circalittoral rock** A4.2 Low energy circalittoral rock** A4.3 Subtidal coarse sediment A5.1 Subtidal sand A5.2 Subtidal mud A5.3 Subtidal mixed sediment A5.4 Subtidal macrophyte dominated sediment A5.5 Subtidal biogenic reef A5.6 Deep seabed*** A6 * Infralittoral rock includes habitats of bedrock, boulders and cobble in the shallow subtidal zone that typically support seaweed communities ** Circalittoral rock is characterised by animal-dominated rather than seaweed-dominated communities *** The deep seabed broadscale habitat encompasses several different habitat subtypes, all of which should be protected within the MPA network. The broadscale habitat deep seabed habitat is found only in the southwest of the MCZ project area and MCZs identified for this broadscale habitat should seek to protect the variety of subtypes known in the region.

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Annex 2. Habitat FOCI listed in the ENG* Habitat Features of Conservation Importance (FOCI) Blue Mussel Beds (including Intertidal Beds on Mixed and Sandy Sediments)** Cold-Water Coral Reefs *** Coral Gardens*** Deep-Sea Sponge Aggregations*** Estuarine Rocky Habitats File Shell Beds*** Fragile Sponge and Anthozoan Communities on Subtidal Rocky Habitats Intertidal Underboulder Communities Littoral Chalk Communities Maerl Beds Horse Mussel (Modiolus modiolus) Beds Mud Habitats in Deepwater Sea-Pen and Burrowing Megafauna Communities Native Oyster (Ostrea edulis) Beds Peat and Clay Exposures Honeycomb Worm (Sabellaria alveolata) Reefs Ross Worm (Sabellaria spinulosa) Reefs Seagrass Beds Sheltered Muddy Gravels Subtidal Chalk Subtidal Sands and Gravels Tide-Swept Channels * Habitat FOCI have been identified from the ‘OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats’ and the ‘UK List of Priority Species and Habitats (UK BAP)’. ** Only includes natural beds on a variety of sediment types, so excludes artificially created mussel beds and those on rocks and boulders. *** Coldwater coral reefs, coral gardens, deep sea sponge aggregations and file shell beds currently do not have distributional data which demonstrate their presence within the MCZ project area.

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Annex 3. Low or limited mobility species FOCI listed in the ENG* Group Scientific name Common Name Brown Algae Padina pavonica Peacock’s Tail Red Algae Cruoria cruoriaeformis Burgundy Maerl Paint Weed Grateloupia montagnei Grateloup’s Little-Lobed Weed Lithothamnion corallioides Coral Maerl Phymatolithon calcareum Common Maerl Annelida Alkmaria romijni** Tentacled Lagoon-Worm** Armandia cirrhosa** Lagoon Sandworm** Teleostei Gobius cobitis Giant Goby Gobius couchi Couch’s Goby Hippocampus guttulatus Long Snouted Seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus Short Snouted Seahorse Bryozoa Victorella pavida Trembling Sea Mat Cnidaria Amphianthus dohrnii Sea-Fan Anemone Eunicella verrucosa Pink Sea-Fan Haliclystus auricula Stalked Jellyfish Leptosammia pruvoti Sunset Cup Coral Lucernariopsis campanulata Stalked Jellyfish Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis Stalked Jellyfish Nematostella vectensis Starlet Sea Anemone Crustacea Gammarus insensibilis** Lagoon Sand Shrimp** Gitanopsis bispinosa Amphipod Shrimp Pollicipes pollicipes Gooseneck Barnacle Palinurus elephas Spiny Lobster Mollusca Arctica islandica Ocean Quahog Atrina pectinata Fan Mussel Caecum armoricum** Defolin’s Lagoon Snail** Ostrea edulis Native Oyster Paludinella littorina Sea Snail Tenellia adspersa** Lagoon Sea Slug** * Species FOCI have been identified from the ‘OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats’, the ‘UK List of Priority Species and Habitats (UK BAP)’ and Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. ** Those lagoonal species FOCI may be afforded sufficient protection through coastal lagoons designated as SACs under the EC Habitats Directive. However, this needs to be assessed by individual Regional MCZ Projects.

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Annex 4. Highly mobile species FOCI listed in the ENG* Group Scientific name Common Name Teleostei Osmerus eperlanus Smelt Anguilla anguilla European Eel Elasmobranchii Raja undulata Undulate Ray * Species FOCI have been identified from the ‘OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats’, the ‘UK List of Priority Species and Habitats (UK BAP)’ and Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

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Annex 5. Video and stills processing protocol The purpose of analysing video/stills is to identify the habitats seen in a video record, to provide semi-quantitative data on their physical and biological characteristics and to note where one habitat changes to another. A minimum of 10% of the videos needs to be reanalysed for QA purposes. Video Analysis

 The video record is initially viewed rapidly (at approximately 4x normal speed) in order to segment it into sections representing different habitats. The start and end points of each segment are logged, and each segment subsequently subjected to more detailed analysis. Brief changes in habitat type lasting less than one minute of the video record are considered as incidental patches and are not logged.

 For each segment, note the start and end time and position from the information on the video overlay. View the segment at normal or slower than normal speed, noting the physical and biological characteristics, such as substratum type, seabed character, species and life forms present. For each taxon record actual (where feasible) or semi-quantitative abundance (e.g. SACFOR scale).

 Record the analyses on the video pro forma provided (paper and/or electronic), which is a modified version of the Sublittoral Habitat Recording Form used in the Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) surveys.

 When each segment has been analysed, review the information recorded and assign the segment to one of the broadscale habitat (BSH) types or Habitat FOCI listed in the Ecological Network Guidance (as reproduced in Annexes 1 and 2 above). Note also any species FOCI observed (as per Annex 3 above). Stills analysis

 Still images should be analysed separately, to supplement and validate the video analysis, and to provide more detailed (i.e. higher resolution) information than can be extracted from a moving video image.

 For each segment of video, select three still images representative of the BSH or FOCI to which the video segment has been assigned. For each image, note the time and position it was taken, using information from the associated video overlay.

 View the image at normal or greater than normal magnification, noting the physical and biological characteristics, such as substratum type, seabed character, species and life forms present. For each taxon, record actual (where feasible) or semi-quantitative abundance (e.g. SACFOR scale).

 Record the analysis on the stills pro forma provided (paper and/or electronic), which is a modified version of the Sublittoral Habitat Recording Form used in the MNCR surveys. Assign each still image to the same BSH or Habitat FOCI as its parent segment in the video.

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Taxon identification In all analyses, the identification of taxa should be limited to a level that can be achieved confidently from the available image. Hence, taxon identity could range from life form level (e.g. sponge, hydroid, anemone) to species level (e.g. Asterias rubens, Alcyonium digitatum). Avoid the temptation to guess species identity if it cannot be determined positively from the image. For example, Spirobranchus sp. would be acceptable, but Spirobranchus triqueter would not, because the specific identification normally requires the specimen to be inspected under a microscope.

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Appendices

Appendix 1. Survey Metadata (CEND 03/12) Date Stn No Station code Gear Latitude Longitude 09/02/2012 345-SOL EHF_C1 Camera Sledge 51.91949 -5.91615 09/02/2012 345-EOL EHF_C1 Camera Sledge 51.9207 -5.91654 10/02/2012 350 EHF_R1 HamCam 50.42311 -6.78009 10/02/2012 351-SOL EHF_R1 Camera Sledge 50.42089 -6.77877 10/02/2012 351-EOL EHF_R1 Camera Sledge 50.42267 -6.77994 10/02/2012 353 EHF_S3 HamCam 50.42718 -6.73756 10/02/2012 355 EHF_C4 HamCam 50.43348 -6.69611 10/02/2012 357 EHF_S1 HamCam 50.41227 -6.66946 10/02/2012 358-SOL EHF_S1 Camera Sledge 50.4126 -6.66893 10/02/2012 358-EOL EHF_S1 Camera Sledge 50.41412 -6.66742 10/02/2012 360 EHF_S2 HamCam 50.41992 -6.62591 10/02/2012 362 EHF_C2 HamCam 50.42614 -6.58488 10/02/2012 364 EHF_C3 HamCam 50.4321 -6.5433 10/02/2012 365-SOL EHF_C3 Camera Sledge 50.43201 -6.54346 10/02/2012 365-EOL EHF_C3 Camera Sledge 50.432 -6.5457 10/02/2012 367 EHF_C1 HamCam 50.41234 -6.51459 10/02/2012 369 EHF_C9 HamCam 50.45777 -6.53075 10/02/2012 371 EHF_C7 HamCam 50.45145 -6.57237 10/02/2012 373 EHF_C6 HamCam 50.44552 -6.61412 10/02/2012 374-SOL EHF_C6 Camera Sledge 50.446 -6.61515 10/02/2012 374-EOL EHF_C6 Camera Sledge 50.44545 -6.61419 10/02/2012 376 EHF_C5 HamCam 50.43963 -6.65503 10/02/2012 378 EHF_S4 HamCam 50.44682 -6.76651 10/02/2012 380 EHF_C8 HamCam 50.453 -6.72484 10/02/2012 381 EHF_C10 HamCam 50.45908 -6.68367 10/02/2012 382-SOL EHF_C10 Camera Sledge 50.45886 -6.68407 10/02/2012 382-EOL EHF_C10 Camera Sledge 50.45901 -6.68391 10/02/2012 384 EHF_C11 HamCam 50.46527 -6.64228 10/02/2012 386 EHF_C12 HamCam 50.47123 -6.60064 10/02/2012 388 EHF_C13 HamCam 50.47741 -6.55969 10/02/2012 389-SOL EHF_C13 Camera Sledge 50.47773 -6.55936 10/02/2012 389-EOL EHF_C13 Camera Sledge 50.47745 -6.55812 10/02/2012 391 EHF_C15 HamCam 50.48331 -6.51814 10/02/2012 393 EHF_C19 HamCam 50.5029 -6.54718 10/02/2012 395-SOL EHF_C18 Camera Sledge 50.49733 -6.5888 10/02/2012 395-EOL EHF_C18 Camera Sledge 50.49616 -6.5877 10/02/2012 396 EHF_C18 HamCam 50.49689 -6.58932 10/02/2012 398 EHF_C17 HamCam 50.49069 -6.63015 10/02/2012 400 EHF_C16 HamCam 50.48512 -6.67139 10/02/2012 402 EHF_C14 HamCam 50.4785 -6.71269 10/02/2012 403-SOL EHF_C14 Camera Sledge 50.47864 -6.71316 10/02/2012 403-EOL EHF_C14 Camera Sledge 50.4784 -6.71146 11/02/2012 405 EHF_S5 HamCam 50.47239 -6.75401 11/02/2012 407 EHF_S6 HamCam 50.4921 -6.78275

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Date Stn No Station code Gear Latitude Longitude 11/02/2012 408-SOL EHF_S6 Camera Sledge 50.49221 -6.7827 11/02/2012 408-EOL EHF_S6 Camera Sledge 50.49176 -6.78142 11/02/2012 410 EHF_S7 HamCam 50.49827 -6.74165 11/02/2012 412 EHF_C20 HamCam 50.50427 -6.70027 11/02/2012 413-SOL EHF_C20 Camera Sledge 50.50426 -6.70005 11/02/2012 413-EOL EHF_C20 Camera Sledge 50.50303 -6.69864 11/02/2012 415 EHF_C21 HamCam 50.51021 -6.65855 11/02/2012 417 EHF_C22 HamCam 50.51647 -6.61725 11/02/2012 418-SOL EHF_C22 Camera Sledge 50.51653 -6.61708 11/02/2012 418-EOL EHF_C22 Camera Sledge 50.51543 -6.61694 11/02/2012 420 EHF_C23 HamCam 50.52253 -6.57591 11/02/2012 422 EHF_C24 HamCam 50.52851 -6.53475 11/02/2012 423-SOL EHF_C24 Camera Sledge 50.52948 -6.53461 11/02/2012 423-EOL EHF_C24 Camera Sledge 50.52773 -6.53597 11/02/2012 425 EHF_C28 HamCam 50.55426 -6.52174 11/02/2012 427 EHF_C27 HamCam 50.54815 -6.56338 11/02/2012 428-SOL EHF_C27 Camera Sledge 50.54818 -6.56298 11/02/2012 428-EOL EHF_C27 Camera Sledge 50.54794 -6.5611 11/02/2012 430 EHF_C26 HamCam 50.54188 -6.60522 11/02/2012 433 EHF_C25 HamCam 50.53615 -6.6463 11/02/2012 434-SOL EHF_C25 Camera Sledge 50.53617 -6.64684 11/02/2012 434-EOL EHF_C25 Camera Sledge 50.53638 -6.64559 11/02/2012 436 EHF_S10 HamCam 50.53008 -6.68781 11/02/2012 438 EHF_S9 HamCam 50.52383 -6.72916 11/02/2012 439-SOL EHF_S9 Camera Sledge 50.52319 -6.72825 11/02/2012 439-EOL EHF_S9 Camera Sledge 50.52417 -6.72939 11/02/2012 441 EHF_S8 HamCam 50.51801 -6.77091 11/02/2012 443 EHF_S11 HamCam 50.54364 -6.75805 11/02/2012 444-SOL EHF_S11 Camera Sledge 50.54389 -6.7579 11/02/2012 444-EOL EHF_S11 Camera Sledge 50.54299 -6.75786 11/02/2012 446 EHF_S12 HamCam 50.54959 -6.7169 11/02/2012 448 EHF_S13 HamCam 50.55564 -6.67529 11/02/2012 449-SOL EHF_S13 Camera Sledge 50.55591 -6.67485 11/02/2012 449-EOL EHF_S13 Camera Sledge 50.55429 -6.67694 11/02/2012 451 EHF_S14 HamCam 50.56179 -6.63379 11/02/2012 453 EHF_C29 HamCam 50.56803 -6.59243 11/02/2012 454-SOL EHF_C29 Camera Sledge 50.56819 -6.59197 11/02/2012 454-EOL EHF_C29 Camera Sledge 50.56767 -6.59283 11/02/2012 456 EHF_C30 HamCam 50.57414 -6.55127 11/02/2012 458 EHF_S19 HamCam 50.58759 -6.6213 11/02/2012 459-SOL EHF_S19 Camera Sledge 50.58751 -6.62079 11/02/2012 459-EOL EHF_S19 Camera Sledge 50.58748 -6.6229 11/02/2012 461 EHF_S18 HamCam 50.58142 -6.6624 11/02/2012 463 EHF_S17 HamCam 50.57561 -6.70412 11/02/2012 464-SOL EHF_S17 Camera Sledge 50.57549 -6.70449 11/02/2012 464-EOL EHF_S17 Camera Sledge 50.57608 -6.70352 12/02/2012 466 EHF_S16 HamCam 50.56923 -6.74562 12/02/2012 468 EHF_S15 HamCam 50.56311 -6.78712

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Date Stn No Station code Gear Latitude Longitude 12/02/2012 469-SOL EHF_S15 Camera Sledge 50.56321 -6.78705 12/02/2012 469-EOL EHF_S15 Camera Sledge 50.5635 -6.78454

Key: EOL: End of line; SOL: Start of line; HamCam: Hamon camera

Survey Metadata (CEND 05/13)

Cruise Date Stn No Stn Code Gear SOL Lat SOL Lon EOL Lat EOL Lon CEND0513 23/04/2013 103 A1/A2 SS/MB 50.52061 -6.52804 50.54147 -6.57557 CEND0513 23/04/2013 115 EOHF01 DC 50.45877 -6.59777 50.45791 -6.59897 CEND0513 23/04/2013 116 EOHF02 DC 50.4604 -6.59661 50.46110 -6.59857 CEND0513 23/04/2013 117 EOHF03 DC 50.4668 -6.59699 50.46735 -6.59500 CEND0513 23/04/2013 118 EOHF04 DC 50.46981 -6.59482 50.47043 -6.59347 CEND0513 23/04/2013 119 EOHF05 DC 50.48993 -6.59048 50.48993 -6.58889 CEND0513 23/04/2013 112 EOHF06 DC 50.49405 -6.58634 50.49407 -6.58783 CEND0513 23/04/2013 120 EOHF07 DC 50.50416 -6.5868 50.50536 -6.58704 CEND0513 23/04/2013 121 EOHF08 DC 50.50628 -6.58442 50.50578 -6.58289 CEND0513 23/04/2013 122 EOHF09 DC 50.51166 -6.58283 50.51274 -6.58148 CEND0513 23/04/2013 123 EOHF10 DC 50.52644 -6.5768 50.52722 -6.57800 CEND0513 23/04/2013 124 EOHF11 DC 50.52864 -6.58035 50.52986 -6.57957 CEND0513 23/04/2013 125 EOHF12 DC 50.53838 -6.57302 50.53953 -6.57493 CEND0513 23/04/2013 107 EOHF13 DC 50.52316 -6.52231 50.52250 -6.52073 CEND0513 23/04/2013 108 EOHF14 DC 50.5183 -6.53257 50.51674 -6.53230 CEND0513 23/04/2013 109 EOHF15 DC 50.51233 -6.54611 50.51141 -6.54775 CEND0513 23/04/2013 110 EOHF16 DC 50.5057 -6.56334 50.50530 -6.56516 CEND0513 23/04/2013 111 EOHF17 DC 50.498 -6.57844 50.49700 -6.57940 CEND0513 23/04/2013 113 EOHF18 DC 50.48995 -6.59573 50.48927 -6.59732 CEND0513 23/04/2013 114 EOHF19 DC 50.48367 -6.60784 50.48415 -6.60917

Key: EOL: End of line; SOL: Start of line; SS: Side scan; MB: Multibeam; DC: Drop Camera

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Appendix 2. Outputs from Acoustic Surveys

East of Haig Fras rMCZ: Post-survey Site Report 36

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Appendix 3. Evidence of human activities within the rMCZ None observed.

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Appendix 4. Species List Species list for grab samples (Species FOCI indicated by grey shading, if present) ranked by % occurrence for each major taxon group, calculated as the ‘Number of samples where the species occurs/total number of samples x 100’.

Taxa % Occurrence FORMANIFERANS Astrorhiza 29 SPONGES Cliona 2 HYDROIDS, CORALS, JELLYFISH, ANEMONES Edwardsiidae 19 Lovenella clausa 13 Cerianthus lloydii 10 ACTINIARIA 10 Scleractinia 6 Leptolida 4 Leuckartiara octona 4 Hydractiniidae 2 Hydrallmania falcate 2 Sertularia 2 Campanulariidae 2 Clytia 2 FLATWORMS Turbellaria 19 RIBBONWORMS Nemertea 85 ROUNDWORMS Nematoda 15 PENIS WORMS Priapulida 2 GOBLET WORMS Entoprocta 2 ARROW WORMS Chaetognatha 2 PEANUT WORMS Aspidosiphon muelleri 52 Thysanocardia procera 13 Golfingia elongata 2 Golfingia vulgaris 2 Phascolion strombus 2 SEGMENTED WORMS Galathowenia oculata 79 Lumbrineris cingulata 69 Spiophanes kroyeri 63 Owenia fusiformis 46 Chaetozone zetlandica 40 Aponuphis bilineata 38 Ampharete falcata 35 Cirrophorus branchiatus 33

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Taxa % Occurrence Amphictene auricoma 33 Terebellides stroemi 33 Notomastus latericeus 31 Glycinde nordmanni 29 Magelona minuta 29 Diplocirrus glaucus 29 Polycirrus 29 Peresiella clymenoides 27 Clymenura 27 Glycera (juv) 23 Glycera lapidum 23 Aonides paucibranchiata 23 Pseudonotomastus southerni 23 Glycera oxycephala 21 Nephtyidae (juv) 21 Scoloplos armiger 21 Euclymene (Type A) 21 Sthenelais limicola 19 Hyalinoecia tubicola 19 Minuspio cirrifera 19 Spiophanes bombyx 19 Nephtys hombergii 17 Praxillella affinis 17 Streblosoma intestinalis 17 Laonice bahusiensis 15 Scolelepis korsuni 15 Magelona alleni 15 Aphelochaeta (Type A) 15 Maldanidae 15 Ophelia borealis 15 Ampharete lindstroemi 15 Polynoidae 13 Harmothoe antilopes 13 Goniadidae (juv) 13 Goniada maculata 13 Podarkeopsis capensis 13 Syllis cornuta 13 Chaetozone setosa 13 Myriochele danielsseni 13 Lagis koreni 13 Amaeana trilobata 13 Grania 13 Glycera unicornis 10 Abyssoninoe hibernica 10 Aricidea 10 Aricidea laubieri 10 Paramphitrite birulai 10 Exogone verugera 8 Onuphidae (juv) 8 Poecilochaetus serpens 8

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Taxa % Occurrence Tharyx killariensis 8 Amphicteis gunneri 8 Terebellidae 8 Pista cristata 8 Ditrupa arietina 8 Malmgreniella darbouxi 6 Pseudomystides limbata 6 Eulalia mustela 6 Eumida sanguinea 6 Glyceridae 6 Glycera alba 6 Ophiodromus pallidus 6 Ancistrosyllis 6 Glyphohesione klatti 6 Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata 6 Scolelepis bonnieri 6 Mediomastus fragilis 6 Ampharetidae (juv) 6 Malmgreniella castanea 4 Anaitides groenlandica 4 Goniadidae 4 Ophiodromus flexuosus 4 Aglaophamus rubella 4 Nephtys hystricis 4 Nothria conchylega 4 Nematonereis unicornis 4 Lumbrineridae 4 Lumbrineridae (juv) 4 Orbiniidae 4 Aricidea wassi 4 Paradoneis 4 Paradoneis lyra 4 Spionidae 4 Polydora caeca 4 Spiochaetopterus 4 Caulleriella alata 4 Chaetozone 4 Euclymene lumbricoides 4 Opheliidae (juv) 4 Ophelina acuminata 4 Oweniidae 4 Sabellaria spinulosa 4 Paramphitrite tetrabranchia 4 Hydroides norvegica 4 Pisione remota 2 Aphroditidae 2 Pholoe baltica (sensu petersen) 2 Pholoe inornata (sensu petersen) 2 Sigalionidae 2 Hesionura elongata 2

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Taxa % Occurrence Anaitides rosea 2 Glycera celtica 2 Glycera fallax 2 Goniada pallida 2 Goniadella gracilis 2 Ancistrosyllis groenlandica 2 Syllis (Type H) 2 Exogone hebes 2 Exogone naidina 2 Eunereis longissima 2 Nephtyidae 2 Nephtys kersivalensis 2 Eunicidae 2 Marphysa bellii 2 Schistomeringos rudolphi 2 Orbinia 2 Orbinia sertulata 2 Aricidea cerrutii 2 Magelonidae 2 Magelona 2 Magelona filiformis 2 Chaetopteridae 2 Cirratulidae 2 Chaetozone christiei 2 Cirratulus (Type A) 2 Monticellina dorsobranchialis 2 Capitellidae 2 Maldanidae (juv) 2 Euclymene oerstedii 2 Asclerocheilus intermedius 2 Scalibregma inflatum 2 Polygordius 2 Pectinariidae (juv) 2 Sosane sulcata 2 Terebellidae (juv) 2 Lanice conchilega 2 Phisidia aurea 2 Chone 2 Euchone 2 Jasmineira caudata 2 Serpulidae 2 Tubificoides pseudogaster 2 SEA SPIDERS Anoplodactylus petiolatus 8 Paranymphon spinosum 4 CRUSTACEANS Urothoe elegans 38 Copepoda 25 Ampelisca spinipes 17 Unciola planipes 17

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Taxa % Occurrence Westwoodilla caecula 13 Photis longicaudata 13 Hippomedon denticulatus 10 Atylus vedlomensis 10 Iphinoe serrata 10 Maera othonis 8 Harpinia antennaria 6 Ampelisca 6 Ampelisca tenuicornis 6 Ampelisca typica 6 Eurydice truncata 6 Harpinia pectinata 4 Scopelocheirus hopei 4 Siphonoecetes striatus 4 Diastylis laevis 4 Scalpellum scalpellum 2 Ostracoda 2 Leucothoe incisa 2 Leucothoe lilljeborgi 2 Acidostoma nodiferum 2 Lepidepecreum longicorne 2 Tryphosites longipes 2 Ampelisca brevicornis 2 Cheirocratus 2 Cheirocratus sundevallii 2 Eriopisa elongata 2 Maerella tenuimana 2 Aoridae 2 Leptocheirus hirsutimanus 2 Phtisica marina 2 Hyperia galba 2 Natatolana borealis 2 Tanaopsis graciloides 2 Bodotriidae 2 Diastylis 2 Callianassidae (juv) 2 Paguridae (juv) 2 Anapagurus laevis 2 Ebalia (juv) 2 Liocarcinus depurator 2 Goneplax rhomboides 2 MOLLUSCS Thyasira flexuosa 21 Polinices pulchellus 19 Abra (juv) 19 Abra prismatica 19 Corbula gibba 17 Antalis entalis 15 Cardiidae (juv) 15 Kurtiella bidentata 10

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Taxa % Occurrence Epitonium trevelyanum 8 Lucinoma borealis 8 Phaxas pellucidus 8 Cylichna cylindracea 6 Nucula nucleus 6 Myrtea spinifera 6 Thyasira (juv) 6 Abra nitida 6 Falcidens crossotus 4 Roxania utriculus 4 Pelecypoda 4 Nucula sulcata 4 Epilepton clarkiae 4 Spisula (juv) 4 Timoclea ovata 4 Hiatella arctica 4 Cuspidaria cuspidata 4 Chaetoderma nitidulum 2 Neomenia carinata 2 Leptochiton asellus 2 Turritella communis 2 Polinices montagui 2 Eulima bilineata 2 Eulimella laevis 2 Okenia leachii 2 Scaphopoda 2 VENEROIDA 2 Montacuta substriata 2 Tellimya ferruginosa 2 Acanthocardia echinata 2 Arcopella balaustina 2 Dosinia (juv) 2 Thracia (juv) 2 Lyonsia norwegica 2 Pandora (juv) 2 Pandora pinna 2 SEAMATS Schizomavella 6 Alcyonidium diaphanum 2 HORSESHOE WORMS Phoronis 35 SEA STARS, URCHINS, SEA CUCUMBERS Echinocyamus pusillus 88 Ophiuroidea (juv) 71 Amphiura filiformis 46 ECHINOIDEA (juv) 19 Ophiuroidea 17 Echinoidea 8 Asteroidea (juv) 6 Cucumariidae (juv) 6

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Taxa % Occurrence Amphiura chiajei 4 Astropecten irregularis 2 Amphipholis squamata 2 SPATANGOIDA (juv) 2 Echinocardium flavescens 2 Pseudothyone raphanus 2 Cucumaria frondosa 2 Leptosynapta 2 Leptosynapta inhaerens 2 ACORN WORMS Enteropneusta 8 SEA SQUIRTS Ascidiacea 13 LANCELETS Branchiostoma lanceolatum 2

Species list for video and still image samples (Species FOCI indicated by grey shading, if present), where the % occurrence is calculated as the ‘Number of video and still image samples where the species occurs/total number of samples x 100’.

Taxa % Occurrence SPONGES Porifera 87 Axinella 46 Axinella infundibuliformis 10 Hymedesmia paupertas 10 Polymastia boletiformis 10 Ciocalypta penicillus 5 Dysidea fragilis 5 Desmacidon fruticosum 2 Haliclona simulans 2 Phakellia ventilabrum 2 Polymastia penicillus 2 Raspailia ramosa 2 HYDROIDS, CORALS, JELLYFISH, ANEMONES Caryophyllia smithii 55 Nemertesia 35 Bolocera tuediae 34 Actiniaria 32 Hydroids 27 Abietinaria 22 Nemertesia antennina 20 Aglaophenia 12 Edswardsiella carnea 12 Mesacmaea mitchelli 12 Adamsia palliata 10 Adreus vesicularis 10 Aulactinia verrucosa 10 Aureliania heterocera 10

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Taxa % Occurrence Cerianthus lloydii 10 Plumulariidae 10 Halcampoides elongatus 5 Parazoanthus anguicomus 5 Sagartia elegans 5 Urticina eques 5 Diphasia 5 Cerianthidae 3 Capnea sanguinea 2 Metridium senile 2 Peachia cylindrica 2 Tubulariidae 2 Turritella communis 2 Urticina felina 2 SEGMENTED WORMS Serpulidae 65 Salmacina dysteri 17 Eulimidae 2 Harmothoe extenuata 2 Lanice conchilega 2 Nereididae 2 Sabellidae 2 CRUSTACEANS Paguridae 58 Munida rugosa 39 Ebalia 10 Pagurus prideaux 10 Inachus 7 Galathea 5 Processa 5 Pandalidae 3 Atelecyclus rotundatus 2 Brachyura 2 Cirripedia 2 Hyas 2 Macropodia 2 Palliolum tigerinum 2 Processa canaliculata 2 MOLLUSCS Novocrania anomala 41 Pecten maximus 23 Gastropoda 12 Coryphella 10 Janolus cristatus 10 Euspira catena 7 Gibbula tumida 7 Goniodoris nodosa 7 Aequipecten opercularis 5 Buccinidae 5 Calliostoma zizyphinum 5

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Taxa % Occurrence Eledone cirrhosa 5 Leptochiton asellus 5 Nassarius incrassatus 5 Ocenebra erinacea 5 Pectinidae 3 Aeolidiidae 2 Ancula gibbosa 2 Atrina fragilis 2 Berthella plumula 2 Colus gracilis 2 Euspira pulchella 2 Jujubinus montagui 2 BRYOZOANS Reteporella 27 Omalesecosa ramulosa 24 BRYOZOA 22 Cellaria 2 HORSESHOE WORMS Phoronis 2 SEA STARS, URCHINS, SEA CUCUMBERS Echinus acutus 44 Porania pulvillus 39 Ophiura 32 Asteroidea 25 Amphiura securigera 17 Holothuroidea 17 Ophiocomina nigra 17 Ophiuroidea 12 Luidia ciliaris 10 Antedon bifida 10 Spatangidae 8 Psammechinus miliaris 7 Marthasterias glacialis 5 Astropecten irregularis 5 Stichastrella rosea 5 Echinidae 3 Echinus 3 Amphiuridae 2 Echinocardium cordata 2 Luidia sarsi 2 Ophiothrix fragilis 2 SEA SQUIRTS Ascidiacea 22 FISH Actinopterygii 32 Trisopterus luscus 20 Gobiidae 10 Chelidonichthys lucernus 7 Phynorhombus norvegicus 5 Pleuronectidae 5

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Taxa % Occurrence Osteichthyes 5 Scyliorhinus 5 Arnoglossus laterna 3 Ammodytidae 2 Ctenolabrus rupestris 2 Gadidae 2 Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis 2 Pollachius pollachius 2 Solea solea 2

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Appendix 5. Analyses of sediment samples: classification and composition Stn Gravel Sand Silt/clay No. Stn Code Latitude Longitude Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH (%) (%) (%) 367 EHF_C1 50.41234 -6.51459 Coarse: Coarse gravelly shelly sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment 43.55 50.21 6.24 381 EHF_C10 50.45908 -6.68367 Sand: Sand with broken shells A5.2 Subtidal sand 10.00 79.29 10.71 384 EHF_C11 50.46527 -6.64228 Sand: Sand with broken shells A5.2 Subtidal sand 0.36 91.61 8.02 386 EHF_C12 50.47123 -6.60064 Coarse: Gravelly sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment 2.38 74.00 23.62 388 EHF_C13 50.47741 -6.55969 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 2.17 81.87 15.96 402 EHF_C14 50.47850 -6.71269 Sand: Slightly muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 30.83 66.95 2.22 391 EHF_C15 50.48331 -6.51814 Sand: Shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 2.76 94.98 2.26 400 EHF_C16 50.48512 -6.67139 Sand: Slightly muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 6.99 79.22 13.80 398 EHF_C17 50.49069 -6.63015 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 8.92 86.28 4.81 396 EHF_C18 50.49689 -6.58932 Sand: Slightly muddy, shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 7.52 90.34 2.15 362 EHF_C2 50.42614 -6.58488 Sand: Fine sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 3.85 91.38 4.77 412 EHF_C20 50.50427 -6.70027 Mixed: Muddy sand with cobbles A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments 8.93 81.90 9.17 415 EHF_C21 50.51021 -6.65855 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 12.04 73.03 14.93 417 EHF_C22 50.51647 -6.61725 Sand: Fine shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 6.83 87.73 5.44 420 EHF_C23 50.52253 -6.57591 Sand: Fine sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 1.60 92.78 5.62 422 EHF_C24 50.52851 -6.53475 Sand: Muddy sand (slightly gravelly) A5.2 Subtidal sand 2.45 81.61 15.93 433 EHF_C25 50.53615 -6.64630 Sand: Muddy sand with shell A5.2 Subtidal sand 4.16 87.97 7.87 430 EHF_C26 50.54188 -6.60522 Sand: Shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 21.67 71.25 7.08 427 EHF_C27 50.54815 -6.56338 Mixed: Gravelly Mud with Pebbles A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments 17.78 63.44 18.78 425 EHF_C28 50.55426 -6.52174 Sand: Muddy shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 20.24 73.18 6.59 453 EHF_C29 50.56803 -6.59243 Sand: Sand with broken shell, muddy, slightly gravelly A5.2 Subtidal sand 25.69 59.15 15.16 364 EHF_C3 50.43210 -6.54330 Sand: Coarse sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 27.03 64.62 8.35 355 EHF_C4 50.43348 -6.69611 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 1.23 73.90 24.88 376 EHF_C5 50.43963 -6.65503 Coarse: Pebbles and sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment 48.01 47.68 4.31 373 EHF_C6 50.44552 -6.61412 Mud: Sandy mud A5.3 Subtidal mud 5.51 89.16 5.33 371 EHF_C7 50.45145 -6.57237 Coarse: Gravelly sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment 10.53 75.41 14.06 380 EHF_C8 50.45300 -6.72484 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 1.56 87.39 11.06 369 EHF_C9 50.45777 -6.53075 Mixed: Gravelly, shelly mud A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments 28.65 49.32 22.04 350 EHF_R1 50.42311 -6.78009 Coarse: Gravelly sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment 5.31 87.91 6.78 357 EHF_S1 50.41227 -6.66946 Mixed: Gravelly Mud A5.4: Subtidal mixed sediments 48.02 35.12 16.86

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Stn Gravel Sand Silt/clay No. Stn Code Latitude Longitude Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH (%) (%) (%) 436 EHF_S10 50.53008 -6.68781 Sand: Muddy sand with shell fragments (slightly A5.2 Subtidal sand 3.34 88.12 8.54 gravelly) 443 EHF_S11 50.54364 -6.75805 Mud: Sandy mud A5.3 Subtidal mud 0.38 84.93 14.68 446 EHF_S12 50.54959 -6.71690 Mud: Sandy mud with shell A5.3 Subtidal mud 1.13 83.21 15.66 448 EHF_S13 50.55564 -6.67529 Sand: Shelly sand (slightly gravelly, muddy) A5.2 Subtidal sand 26.42 69.61 3.97 451 EHF_S14 50.56179 -6.63379 Sand: Sand with broken shell (muddy) A5.2 Subtidal sand 14.91 80.55 4.54 468 EHF_S15 50.56311 -6.78712 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 0.12 79.31 20.57 466 EHF_S16 50.56923 -6.74562 Mud: Sandy mud A5.3 Subtidal mud 0.28 81.54 18.17 463 EHF_S17 50.57561 -6.70412 Sand: Slightly muddy medium sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 0.14 95.98 3.88 461 EHF_S18 50.58142 -6.66240 Sand: Slightly gravelly, shelly sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 6.89 83.10 10.01 458 EHF_S19 50.58759 -6.62130 Sand: Sand with broken shell A5.2 Subtidal sand 9.33 88.14 2.53 360 EHF_S2 50.41992 -6.62591 Mixed: Gravelly Mud A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments 20.42 66.17 13.41 353 EHF_S3 50.42718 -6.73756 Sand: Medium sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 1.20 93.92 4.88 378 EHF_S4 50.44682 -6.76651 Mud: Sandy mud A5.3 Subtidal mud 1.64 79.04 19.32 405 EHF_S5 50.47239 -6.75401 Sand: Shelly muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 0.97 79.00 20.03 407 EHF_S6 50.49210 -6.78275 Sand: Fine sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 0.58 94.68 4.73 410 EHF_S7 50.49827 -6.74165 Sand: Muddy sand A5.2 Subtidal sand 1.25 74.40 24.36 441 EHF_S8 50.51801 -6.77091 Mud: Sandy mud with shell A5.3 Subtidal mud 1.08 89.86 9.06 438 EHF_S9 50.52383 -6.72916 Mud: Sandy mud with shell A5.3 Subtidal mud 1.29 83.22 15.49

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Appendix 6. BSH/EUNIS Level 3 descriptions derived from video and stills Stn Station Habitat MNCR No. Code No. Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH Code 345 EHF_C1 1 Muddy gravel A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments SS.SMx 365 EHF_C3 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 374 EHF_C6 1 Rippled sand and cobbles A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 374 EHF_C6 2 Rippled sand and cobbles A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 374 EHF_C6 3 Rippled sand and cobbles A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 382 EHF_C10 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 389 EHF_C13 1 Rippled sand with very occasional cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 403 EHF_C14 1 Rippled sand with some small areas of clustered cobbles on sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 395 EHF_C18 1 Rippled sand with occasional cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 413 EHF_C20 1 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 413 EHF_C20 2 Mixed sediments of sand, boulders and cobbles A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 413 EHF_C20 3 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 413 EHF_C20 4 Mixed sediments with sand, boulders and cobbles A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments SS.SMx 413 EHF_C20 5 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 418 EHF_C22 1 Rippled sand with occasional boulders, cobbles and small patches A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS of mixed sediment 423 EHF_C24 1 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 423 EHF_C24 2 Mixed sediments with sand, boulders and cobbles A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 423 EHF_C24 3 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 423 EHF_C24 4 Mixed sediments with sand, boulders and cobbles A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 423 EHF_C24 5 Rippled sand with occasional boulders and cobbles A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 434 EHF_C25 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 428 EHF_C27 1 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 454 EHF_C29 1 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 351 EHF_R1 1 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 351 EHF_R1 2 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 351 EHF_R1 3 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 351 EHF_R1 4 Rippled sand A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS

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Stn Station Habitat MNCR No. Code No. Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH Code 351 EHF_R1 5 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 351 EHF_R1 6 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 358 EHF_S1 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 358 EHF_S1 2 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 358 EHF_S1 3 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 408 EHF_S6 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 408 EHF_S6 2 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 408 EHF_S6 3 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 408 EHF_S6 4 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 408 EHF_S6 5 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 408 EHF_S6 6 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 408 EHF_S6 7 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 408 EHF_S6 8 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 408 EHF_S6 9 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 439 EHF_S9 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 439 EHF_S9 2 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 444 EHF_S11 1 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 449 EHF_S13 1 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 449 EHF_S13 2 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 449 EHF_S13 3 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 449 EHF_S13 4 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment SS.SCS 469 EHF_S15 1 Rippled sand A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 469 EHF_S15 2 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 469 EHF_S15 3 Rippled sand and occasional cobbles. A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 469 EHF_S15 4 Boulders, cobbles and pebbles with sand A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock CR.MCR 464 EHF_S17 1 Rippled sand with occasional and clustered cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 459 EHF_S19 1 Rippled sand with occasional and clustered cobbles A5.2 Subtidal sand SS.SSa 115 EOHF01 1 Mostly boulders and cobbles with some pebbles between patches A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR of gravelly sand. 115 EOHF01 2 Fine sand with sparse cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa

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Stn Station Habitat MNCR No. Code No. Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH Code 116 EOHF02 1 Mixture of various sized cobbles and pebbles with a few boulders A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR between large patches of slightly gravelly sand. 117 EOHF03 1 Coarse sand patches throughout between cobbles and pebbles A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR plus segment of sand for last 4 minutes of video. 117 EOHF03 2 Fine sand with sparse cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 118 EOHF04 1 Silted sand and pebbles between dense and scattered patches of A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR pebbles, cobbles and boulders 118 EOHF04 2 Fine, silted sand with some pebbles and cobbles. A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 119 EOHF05 1 Both dense and scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR some boulders between areas of coarse to fine sand. 112 EOHF06 1 Slightly gravelly sand with some shell, followed by a mixture of A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa sand and both dense and scattered cobbles, pebbles and boulders, followed by sand. 120 EOHF07 1 Slightly gravelly sand A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 120 EOHF07 2 Slightly gravelly sand with some shell, followed by both dense and A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with some boulders between small areas of sand, followed by coarse sand, 120 EOHF07 3 Coarse sand A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 121 EOHF08 1 Fine sand with sparse boulders, cobbles and patches of pebbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 121 EOHF08 2 Mostly fine sand with sparse boulders, cobbles and patches of A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa pebbles. 121 EOHF08 3 Fine sand with sparse boulders, cobbles and patches of pebbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 122 EOHF09 1 Sand with occasional cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 122 EOHF09 2 Slightly gravelly sand with both dense and scattered patches of A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa boulders, cobbles and pebbles, sand. 122 EOHF09 3 Sand with occasional cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 123 EOHF10 1 Sand with occasional cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 123 EOHF10 2 Gravelly sand, followed by sand patches between both dense and A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa scattered cobbles and pebbles, followed by sand. 123 EOHF10 3 Sand with occasional cobbles A5.2 - Subtidal Sand SS.SSa 124 EOHF11 1 Sand and gravel A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS

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Stn Station Habitat MNCR No. Code No. Sediment Description EUNIS Level 3/BSH Code 124 EOHF11 12 Gravelly sand then dense and scattered patches of cobbles and A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR pebbles with some boulders between small areas of sand. 124 EOHF11 3 Sand and gravel A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 125 EOHF12 1 Both dense and scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR some boulders between areas of coarse to fine sand. 107 EOHF13 1 Gravelly sand A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 107 EOHF13 2 Slightly gravelly sand between dense patches and widely A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR separated boulders/cobbles and pebbles. 107 EOHF13 3 Gravelly sand A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 108 EOHF14 1 Slightly gravelly sand between dense patches and widely A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR separated boulders/cobbles and pebbles. 109 EOHF15 1 Slightly gravelly sand between dense patches and widely A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR separated boulders/cobbles and pebbles. 110 EOHF16 1 Gravelly sand A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 110 EOHF16 2 Both dense and scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR some boulders between areas of coarse to fine sand. 110 EOHF16 3 Gravelly sand A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 111 EOHF17 1 Both dense and scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR some boulders between areas of coarse to fine sand. 111 EOHF17 2 Gravelly sand with cobbles A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 113 EOHF18 1 Gravelly sand with cobbles A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 113 EOHF18 2 Gravelly sand followed by both dense and scattered patches of A4.1 - High Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.HCR cobbles and pebbles with some boulders between small areas of sand. 113 EOHF18 3 Gravelly sand with cobbles A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 114 EOHF19 1 Gravelly sand with cobbles A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS 114 EOHF19 2 Both dense and scattered patches of cobbles and pebbles with A4.2 - Moderate Energy Circalittoral Rock CR.MCR some boulders between areas of coarse to fine sand. 114 EOHF19 3 Gravelly sand with cobbles A5.1 - Subtidal Coarse Sediment SS.SCS .

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Appendix 7. Example images from survey for broadscale habitats Broadscale Habitat Description Example Image taken during survey & Station Code A4.1: High energy Occurs on extremely circalittoral rock wave-exposed to exposed circalittoral Image from station code bedrock and boulders EOHF14 subject to tidal streams ranging from strong to very strong.

A4.2: Moderate energy Deeper water rock, circalittoral rock with some shelter from waves and currents. Image from station code EHF_S13

A5.1: Subtidal coarse Coarse sediments sediment including coarse sand, gravel, pebbles, Image from station code shingle and cobbles EHF_C14 which are often unstable because of tidal currents and/or wave action.

A5.2: Subtidal sand Clean medium to fine sands or non-cohesive Image from station code slightly muddy sands EHF_C3 on open coasts, offshore or in estuaries and marine inlets.

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Broadscale Habitat Description Example Image taken during survey & Station Code A5.3: Subtidal mud Subtidal mud and cohesive sandy mud Image from station code extending from the EHF_S15 extreme lower shore to offshore, circalittoral habitats.

A5.4: Subtidal Mixed Mixed seabeds can Sediment have a range of different types of Image from station code sediment from muddy, EHF_C1 gravelly sands to mosaics of cobbles and pebbles in or on a sand, gravel or mud seabed.

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Appendix 8. Example image from survey for habitat FOCI Habitat FOCI Description Example Image taken during survey & Station Code Subtidal Sands and Sand and gravel Gravels seabeds widespread around the UK Image from station code EHF_C25

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