BROAD-SCALE BENTHIC COMMUNITY ANALYSIS IN THE GREATER MINCH AREA (SCOTTISH WEST-COAST) USING REMOTE AND NONDESTRUCTIVE TECHNIQUES

A number of surveys were carried out in the Greater Minch Area to inve stigate the variety and distribution of benthic habitats and their res ident faunal communities. RoxAnn(TM), an acoustic seabed classificatio n system, was used to map the different substrata whilst the benthic c ommunities were investigated using both photographic and underwater te levision techniques. A variety of substrata were identified ranging fr om bedrock and boulders to fine silty mud. Statistical analysis of the faunal data revealed the presence of four distinct benthic communitie s which could be related to the substratum type. The application of ac oustic and underwater television techniques to broad-scale mapping of benthic communities is discussed.