Citation: Sides, E.M., Picton, B.E., Costello, M.J., Crean, E., Emblow, C.S., Gillmore, J., Kelly, K.S. & Morrow, C.C. 1995 Identification and mapping of marine biotopes. In M. Carroll & K. Dubsky (ed.), , pp. 198-203. Coastwatch Europe Network, Dublin
Number of Pages: 6
Series Title: Coastal zone management: from needs to action
Keywords: Biotope, Community, Conservation, Diving, Management, Map, Marine, Methods
Abstract: One of the basic requirements for castal zone management is information on the distribution and conservation importance of marine biotopes (i.e. habitats and their fauna and flora). As part of the Biomar project, a team of ecologists at Trinity College Dublin are surveying the intertidal and subtidal biotopes around Ireland. Survey sites are selected to cover as wide a range of habitats, fauna and flora are photographed and identified. Sediment samples are taken for laboratory anaylis of infauna. This data, and information from published literature, are entered into a database and analysed. The conservation importance of sites is assessed and a list of candidate marine Natural Heritage Areas, will be produced. Other participants in Biomar are using this and British field data to develop a classification of marine biotopes of the North-East Atlantic and are assessing the utility of rapid and remote survey methods (e.g. sonar, aerial photography) in mapping marine biotopes. Additionally, Geographical Information Systems are being developed at TCD to predict the occurence of habitats from digitised cartographic and climatic data, and to produce an electronic data dissemination product.