Marine Research in Lamlash Bay

Marine biologists from the University of York are now well underway with this year’s surveying of Lamlash Bay. Leigh Michael Howarth, the PhD researcher leading the team, sends us this account:

This summer is proving hugely exciting, there is just so much going on. Myself and fellow researcher Tim Cross are continuing with the SCUBA surveys that started last year. We began by recording all the life we encountered during dives whilst simultaneously measuring the abundance and size of all the scallops. These surveys will then help determine if the No-Take Zone is of benefit to local scallop populations and other marine wildlife in the area.

Then we introduced our new idea of taking photo quadrats, in which we take detailed photographs of the seabed. Then, using specialised software, we try and determine if the seafloor within Lamlash Bay No-Take Zone is showing any measurable signs of recovery.

Another new addition to this year’s surveys is our baited underwater video camera system. With this, we are beginning to collect data on the fish populations within and around Lamlash Bay. The footage recorded so far has been both exciting and surprising, revealing species long thought to be gone from Arran’s waters, including juvenile cod, haddock and whiting. A collection of video clips have been made available on the Community of Arran Seabed Trust’s (COAST) website and are proving to be very popular.Tim Cross, Leigh’s fellow-researcher, takes up the story. “On the whole, I think the work’s been going really well. We’ve had some pretty challenging conditions, what with unusually cold waters this late in the year and huge numbers of lion’s mane jellyfish, but the work is involving and interesting, and it’s great to be part of a project with such long-term potential.”

Two Masters students, also from the University of York, have also begun conducting other new surveys on Arran. Ross Greig has been working with Arran’s only traditional creeler, Charlie Weir, to gather background data on the size, sex and age of crabs, prawns and lobster in our local waters and Rachel Bower has been trying to investigate the social effects of the No-Take Zone on local businesses, residents and tourists. Please contact Ross at rwsg500@york.ac.uk , or Rachel at rebower88@gmail.com if you would like to be included in their surveys.