2016/08/25 Planet Rock (macro)

Sea Change Wester Ross, the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation (SCFF) and SubSeaTV collaborated to undergo a weeklong survey in 2016.  The main objective of the survey was to create a baseline map of maerl beds and their condition to monitor recovery and change, to explore areas where new fish farms were proposed (to the east of Tanera, near Horse Island and near Bottle Island) for priority marine features and assess and the seabed under existing fish farms. During the survey we discovered a new maerl bed (or at least a much more extensive one from previous survey markers).  The survey was a steep-learning curve and helped us decide on our true priorities and we began to developed good survey protocols and discipline. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) now Nature Scot helped by getting much of footage assessed by Heriot Watt University and this fed in to SNH’s official report to the Minister on the Wester Ross MPA which was published in 2019. Andy Jackson did return to the maerl bed that Ali Hughson had first led us to - and filmed it again with a macro lens. He loved getting lost in the world of tiny things and could spend hours down there if he didn't have to come up for air. See some of the footage below. 

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Video by Andy Jackson

Video by Andy Jackson

Video by Andy Jackson