Habitat point records from 1978-79 PCT Clyde Sea littoral survey

Raw data in the literature report is considered to be no's per sixteenth m-2. Small worms, listed at the bottom of each data table, were sampled and processed separately and therefore omitted from input data values. This survey was intended to provide information about the relative biological richness of the different types of littoral habitat present in the Clyde Sea Area. Principle objectives: 1. to provide information about the relative biological richness of the many different shores within the C.S.A. and to attempt to zone the shores according to their biological richness, amenity value, degree of pollution, accessibility and other attributes; 2. to tie in as closely as possible with work to be done by the M.B.A./S.M.B.A. Site descriptions are provided for 42 rocky shore sites and 48 sedimentary shore sites. For the rocky shores a list of 10 areas of particular biological, or other, interest has been compiled from sites visited by this survey, from other data and from study of maps. The areas are listed with reasons for their inclusion. The principal shore types of the C.S.A. are the sea loch shores - rock or boulder. Open coast shores are fewer in number and so good examples of these are in greater need of protection within the C.S.A. than are the sea loch shores. For the sedimentary shores, generally the sea lochs are well populated and diverse and being reasonably sheltered, there is a tendancy towards sessile polychaete and bivalve populations. In all, five species of polychaete worm were found which previously had not been recorded from the Clyde - Exogone hebes, Audouinia tentaculata, Paraonis fulgens, Aonides oxycephala and Streblospio shrubsoli. In the course of the survey there was very little direct evidence of pollution, except at the Gare Loch and Gourock Bay, but it is also likely that considerable areas of the Ayreshire coast are being subjected to an increasing organic load. The sea lochs also receive quantities of untreated sewage and waste materials (military and commercial) but at present this does not appear to be having a damaging effect. Proposed Conservation Areas: 1. Kyles of Bute/Loch Riddon/Loch Striven/Ardlamont Point. 2. South Arran, (The Cleats) around Bennan Head. 3. Saint Ninian's Point, Bute. 4. Ailsa Craig. 5. Carradale Point, Kintyre. 6. Corsewall Point, Galloway. 7. Loch Goil. 8. Garroch Head and South Bute. 9. Port Ann, Loch Fyne. 10. Culzean Castle and Turnberry Light, Ayrshire.