Author(s)

G.E. Jones & G.E. Glegg

Abstract

Given increased concern for sustainable management and its application to marine areas, the aim of this paper is to assess how best sublittoral marine habitats may be surveyed in order that the marine environment may be monitored, in compliance with the requirements of the scientific community, and that of the European Community, in both a cost effective and sustainable manner. Habitat surveys require information on the geomorphology and the biology of an area so that biotope units can be classified. A range of different survey approaches can be used for habitat identification all of which have both advantages and disadvantages. The final product usually results from a combination of at least two different approaches - for example, a remotely sensed sidescan sonar image of the site with ground

Keywords