Geological background to coldwater coral occurrences in the Minch

• Main Authors: Long, D., Wilson, C.K.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: British Geological Survey 2003
• Subjects: Marine Sciences; Stanton; Lophelia pertusa
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/502970/; https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/502970/1/IR_03_149%20Geology%20of%20Mingulay%20reef.pdf

This report describes work undertaken on behalf of the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage and as part of a BGS research programme “seabed processes and GIS project” The Scottish Natural Heritage project is called MINCH (Mapping INshore Coral Habitats). The first part of the report introduces the project and provides the regional geological background to the areas surveyed, with more detailed existing geological data provided in chapter 3. As the potential occurrence of the cold water coral Lophelia pertusa, a species identified in the EU Habitats directive, was the trigger to this survey, details of previous coral finds are given in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 gives a brief synopsis of the actual survey and chapter 6 provides an analysis of mounds found on the multibeam echosounder data. In two areas, Mingulay 1 and Mingulay 5, these are interpreted as coral colonies. A geological interpretation of the survey data is given Chapters 7 and 8 integrating with existing data. As the Mingulay area was the prime objective of the survey, and the only area where corals were found, most effort is given to assess the geological context there (Chapter 7) with only cursory comments on the other areas, Stanton Banks, Skye and Sound of Rum (Chapter 8). A range of technical, methodological and scientific conclusions are given in Chapter 9 together with recommendations for future work.