Greater Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone

Macroalgae and seagrass taxonomy-related counts; Habitat characterisation

Cameras

A collection of raw format seafloor visual images acquired during a survey within the Greater Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), central Celtic Sea, in 2012. This was the first in a series of surveys to be conducted in this location. A camera system mounted on the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Autosub6000 was deployed during RRS Discovery cruise 377/8 (D377/8), and images were collected from four 4.7 km transect lines. The raw images are provided in this collection, available on request. The images are provided in a raw format unique to the Grasshopper 2 camera system. The aim of the survey was to undertake high-resolution acoustic seabed mapping and visual imagery in a Marine Protected Area, in order to highlight the capability of AUV technology for offshore seabed mapping and benthic assemblage assessment. The work was initially undertaken as part of a Defra-funded project "Investigating the feasibility of utilizing AUV and Glider technology for mapping and monitoring of the UK MPA network (MB0118)", Case study 2: Shallow-water AUV mapping off SW UK (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500733/), and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded Autonomous Ecological Surveying of the Abyss project (NE/H021787/1), involving scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK. Other supporting datasets available on request include AUV-based multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar and CTD data.

Wynn, R.B., Bett, B.J., Evans, A.J., Griffiths, G., Huvenne, V.A.I., Jones, A.R., Palmer, M.R., Dove, D., Howe, J.A., Boyd, T.J. and MAREMAP Partners (2014) Investigating the feasibility of utilizing AUV and Glider technology for mapping and monitoring of the UK MPA network. Final report for Defra project MB0118,

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