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The distribution of maerl around the Orkney Islands Malcolm Thomson

International Centre for Island Technology Heriot-Watt University (Orkney Campus) Old Academy Stromness Orkney Scotland. ~SUMARE~. The distribution of maerl around the Orkney Islands Malcolm Thomson. Orkney Islands. 20 km.

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The distribution of maerl around the Orkney Islands Malcolm Thomson

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  1. International Centre for Island TechnologyHeriot-Watt University (Orkney Campus)Old AcademyStromness OrkneyScotland ~SUMARE~ The distribution of maerl around the Orkney IslandsMalcolm Thomson

  2. Orkney Islands

  3. 20 km Map of Orkney showing the location of ICIT and Wyre Sound, where the first sea trials of the PHANTOM vehicle are to be held. Wyre Sound ICIT Scapa Flow

  4. what is maerl? environmental requirements importance European distribution maerl in Orkney

  5. What is maerl? • coralline red seaweed • secrete calcium carbonate (CaCO3) • coastal distribution • long lived • living & dead deposits • “patchiness”

  6. Environmental requirements • water depth/light penetration • water movement • tides & waves • temperature • water chemistry • seabed type

  7. Importance of maerl • commercial • scientific • biodiversity • sensitivity / fragility • natural & man-made threats

  8. Commercial value of maerl • soil conditioner • water purification • cosmetic ingredient • dietary additive • bone surgery • agricultural - feed, bedding material

  9. European distribution

  10. Maerl in Orkney • ICIT student research • modelling the distribution of maerl • SUMARE

  11. Personal accounts RoxAnn acoustic data Admiralty navigation charts Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) Combined data set on maerl distribution Existing data on maerl Occurrence of maerl according to environmental parameters

  12. Figure 1: The distribution of maerl as a function of depth (Admiralty and MNCR data combined)

  13. Figure 2: Distribution of maerl as a function of tidal velocity

  14. Figure 3: Distribution of maerl as a function of wave exposure

  15. Figure 4: Predicted distribution of maerl in Orkney. ( ) indicates where the presence of maerl has since been confirmed.

  16. General trends: • < 20m depth • moderate tidal velocity (0.9-3.0 knots ~ 0.45 - 1.5 ms-1) • low - moderate wave exposure

  17. Effectiveness of model • Sound of Arisaig • less accurate • large scale application • living vs dead?? • probability data

  18. Figure 4: The probability of finding maerl at a specific point as a function of depth - Admiralty chart data

  19. Figure 4: The probability of finding maerl at a specific point as a function of depth - MNCR data

  20. Figure 5: The probability of finding maerl at a specific point as a function of tidal velocity

  21. “to show the advantages of using autonomous technology” in developing a sustainable extraction policy for maerl Goals of SUMARE re. maerl area estimates (patchiness) navigation discrimination of living & dead areas

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