Table - Summary of the perceived status of the sea pens and burrowing megafauna biotope complex within each SAC

Summary Table

The table below summarises the perceived status of the biotope complex within each SAC, its importance relative to others of its type, and recommended management options. Summaries are presented for seven ‘demonstration’ candidate SACs, and one possible SAC (Loch Alsh/Duich/Long system).

Loch nam Madadh	Status and monitoring value: Probably good examples in a near-pristine environment. Contains species of national conservation importance. Potential management concerns: Probably none at present Recommended action: Quantitative survey of communities by towed video and diving
Loch Duich etc.	Status and monitoring value: Good examples in a near-pristine environment. Contains species of national conservation importance. Potential management concerns: Probably none at present, but expansion of aquaculture should be monitored. Recommended action: Population census of Pachycerianthus, Funiculina and further identification of burrowing megafauna would be valuable.
Sound of Arisaig	Status and monitoring value: Biotopes extensive, possibly good examples in a near-pristine environment, but community composition poorly known. Potential management concerns: Nephrops trawling? Possibly none. Recommended action: Quantitative survey of communities by towed video.
Strangford Lough	Status and monitoring value: Probably good examples, but community composition not known in detail. Potential management concerns: Probably none at present. Recommended action: Quantitative survey of communities by towed video/ROV.
Cardigan Bay	Status and monitoring value: Little-known. Two mud-shrimp species recorded, both nationally common and widespread. Potential management concerns: Probably none. Recommended action: None. Benthic sedimentary biotopes incidental to conservation importance of the area.
Plymouth Sound & Estuaries	Status and monitoring value: Biotope details not known. Variety of burrowing megafauna present, but no records of nationally-rare species Site much influenced by human activity. Potential management concerns: Probably none. Any existing communities must be highly tolerant of human impacts. Recommended action: Diving or video survey of megafaunal distributions could be made, but not a high priority.
Chesil & the Fleet (Portland Harbour)	Status and monitoring value: Possibly a good example of a regionally-uncommon biotope. Contains a nationally-rare anemone and red band-fish (rare in SACs). Potential management concerns: Unknown. Site much influenced by human activity, so existing communities must be fairly robust. Recommended action: Diving survey to provide information on current status and possible human impacts.
Berwickshire & N. Northumberland Coast	Status and monitoring value: Biotope possibly extensive, but community composition largely unknown. Potential management concerns: Unknown. Possibly none. Recommended action: Quantitative survey of communities by towed video.

It can be seen from the table that the sites definitely known to contain good examples of the biotope complex, or in which nationally-rare species are known to occur, are Loch nam Madadh, Loch Duich, Strangford Lough and Portland Harbour.

The Sound of Arisaig and Berwickshire/North Northumberland contain extensive and potentially good examples of the biotope complex and should be investigated further.

The conservation importance of the biotope complex is probably lowest in Plymouth Sound and Cardigan Bay.

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