Biodiversity & Conservation

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Deep rock (often vertical walls) in the landward basins of fjordic sea lochs often have dense Protanthea simplex growing on rock and tubes of Chaetopterus sp. and amongst Sabella pavonina. The underlying rock surfaces are covered with Neocrania anomala and large solitary ascidians such as Corella parallelogramma, Polycarpa pomaria, Ascidia mentula and Ascidia virginea are often present amongst the worm tubes. ROV records in Loch Duich from 60-160 m show a gradual change from the above to a community dominated by white Sabella and large numbers of Protula tubularia. (Information taken from the Marine Biotope Classification for Britain and Ireland, Version 97.06: Connor et al., 1997a, b).