2018/06 Survey Week Highlights from Graham Saunders
In June our weeklong survey focused on setting up maerl transects in the locations we filmed in 2016 and filming and documenting other habitats in the Summer Isles. Sea Change Wester Ross collaborated with SCFF and SubSeaTV. We were also joined by Marine scientists Dr Graham Saunders and Lewis Press and divers from Ali Hughson’s scallop team and Seasearch divers from Inverness Sub Aqua Club (ISAC). We set up maerl transects, had fun and dived and explored. Our objectives were to both map the biodiversity and to film charismatic species to bring the underwater world to life - something Andy was passionate about. In doing so we found a tremendous abundance of sea cucumbers and filmed sea hares mating and a mass of feather stars covering rocks like fluffy carpets. At Reiff there were herringbone hydroids and lightbulb squirts, feather stars hiding near kelp forests and all manner of species. We found time to dive wrecks like the Fairweather which was covered with plumose anemones and lion’s mane jellyfish and fish. Sara Nason created a film which tells the story of the whole survey week called ‘An Underwater Ecosystem & Flowers of the Sea Forest’.
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