Description
On behalf of SalMar Farming AS has Aqua Kompetanse AS conducted a survey of vulnerable species and habitats in shallow waters (0–50 m) and deep waters (>50 m). The purpose of the survey is to identify the presence and observed density of vulnerable species that may form habitats listed on the Norwegian Red List for Ecosystems and Habitat Types (Artsdatabanken, 2018), on OSPAR’s list of threatened and/or declining habitats (OSPAR 2008-06, revised in 2021), and among the proposed management-relevant habitat types for fisheries and aquaculture (Institute of Marine Research Report, 2024-16). At depths greater than 50 meters, the focus is mainly on corals, sponges, and sea pens. However, other red-listed and/or vulnerable species that live in close interaction with the three-dimensional habitats formed by the aforementioned groups will also be described when relevant. At depths shallower than 50 meters, the survey includes kelp forests, soft-bottom shoreline areas, coarse substrate bottoms, marine seagrass beds, exposed blue mussel beds, oysters, scallop populations, corals, sponges, sea pens, and any other red-listed shallow-water species. The investigation is based on the Institute of Marine Research’s proposed methodology for surveying vulnerable species and habitats in deep water (>50 meters depth) in connection with applications for marine aquaculture (Kutti and Husa 2021).
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 670 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Haddad C (2025). Mapping of vulnerable marine species and habitats, Midfjorden in Vestnes. Version 1.1. Aqua Kompetanse. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.gbif.no/resource?r=3220-4-24k&v=1.1
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Aqua Kompetanse. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: bd3b3d15-1a5a-4cfa-8c0d-b59a0b629cc6. Aqua Kompetanse publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Norway.
Keywords
Vulnerable marine species; corals; sponges; sea pen; kelp; maerl; occurrences; ROV; mapping; Observation
Contacts
- User
Geographic Coverage
Midfjorden in Vestnes municipality, Møre og Romsdal
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [62.646, 6.707], North East [62.657, 6.745] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
Occurrences are identified to the lowest possible level with current knowledge and technology.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
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| Phylum | Porifera, Cnidaria, Echinodermata |
| Class | Demospongiae, Echinoidea, Anthozoa |
| Order | Alcyonacea, Scleractinia, Gorgonacea, Pennatulacea, Echinoida |
| Family | Virgulariidae, Primnoidae, Capnellidae, Caryophylliidae, Acanthogorgiidae, Coralliidae, Funiculinidae, Pennatulidae, Kophobelemnidae, Echinidae |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2024-05-06 / 2024-05-23 |
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Sampling Methods
The survey was conducted on May 6, May 22, and May 23, 2024. A total of 21 transects were mapped within the investigation area. These transects were designed by a consultant from Aqua Kompetanse AS based on the Institute of Marine Research's proposed methodology for mapping vulnerable species and habitats in shallow and deep water for marine aquaculture applications (Kutti and Husa, 2021; Kutti and Husa, 2022), as well as a professional assessment of the site's bathymetry and current conditions. The ROV was operated by a dedicated ROV pilot, while a consultant with a master’s degree in biology made ongoing assessments of conditions along the transects and any necessary adjustments. Continuous video recordings were made of the transects, and still photos were also taken in the field, with findings documented in a survey log. The video material from the ROV’s HD camera was analyzed by a consultant with a master's degree in biology or oceanography and experience in analyzing underwater video footage. Data was generated through continuous video analysis, with spatial data points placed every 50 meters along each transect (one data point = 50 meters of video line). There is significant uncertainty regarding the estimation of the exact area surveyed by the ROV. Aqua Kompetanse AS uses a camera with a 58.2-degree angle. During ROV operation, the camera captures both vertical and some horizontal angles. The mapping width of each video transect line is estimated by Aqua Kompetanse AS to be approximately 5 meters. While it is not possible to identify all species and individuals within this area, Aqua Kompetanse AS considers that the presence of vulnerable habitat types will be detected. If such habitats are observed, the ROV operator will investigate the extent of the finding more closely, which may involve deviating from the planned transect lines. The ROV is equipped with both an HD camera and a lower-resolution camera that captures a wider field of view. This allows the field consultant to ensure that relevant findings along the transect are detected as effectively as possible. The ROV also has a mounted laser, with two parallel beams fixed at 5 cm, which is used to measure the size of observed features during video analysis. For each data point, the dominant substrate type was recorded, based on the European standard for visual mapping of seabeds in deep-water locations (EN 16260:2012). Substrates were categorized as: bedrock and large boulders (FF), very coarse sediment (St), coarse sediment, sand and gravel (G), silt and clay (S), coral rubble (KG), and dead coral framework (DK). Substrate type was also recorded for each individual observation. Findings included in the mapping were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Sponges that could not be identified to species level through visual observation were grouped by genus when possible or otherwise categorized by morphotype as described by Kazanidis et al. (2019) and later in Norwegian by Kutti and Husa (2021). Sponges smaller than 5 cm were not registered, nor included in the density calculations. Reference: Alegretti, C.B.; Haddad, C. (2024). Kartlegging av sårbare marine arter og naturtyper ved Myrane i Vestnes kommune, mai 2024. Rapportnummer: 3220-4-24K, levert av Aqua Kompetanse AS.
| Study Extent | The area investigated is located in Midfjorden, in Vestnes Municipality. The depth beneath the facility ranges from approximately 40 to 250 meters. Water currents at the site are governed by bathymetry and are somewhat influenced by wind (Kjerstad, 2014). The dispersal current (at 75 m depth) and bottom current (at 125 m depth) are clearly bidirectional, moving along bearings of 68 and 248 degrees. The survey area was designed in accordance with guidelines from the Institute of Marine Research (Kutti and Husa, 2021; 2022). The measured current directions align with the orientation of the bathymetry, and the mapped area is extended 1000 meters in both directions, as recommended by Kutti and Husa (2021). A distance of 250 meters is initially mapped outward from the edge of the aquaculture facility in directions not aligned with the main current flow. The survey area is slightly constrained by shallows located to the south of the site. Areas shallower than 10 meters are not surveyed using ROV, as this method is not suitable for such depths. The total area of the planned survey is 1.88 km². Reference: Alegretti C.B., Haddad C. (2024). Kartlegging av sårbare marine arter og naturtyper ved Myrane i Vestnes kommune, mai 2024. Rapportnummer: 3220-4-24K, levert av Aqua Kompetanse AS. |
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Method step description:
- Equipment: Aqua Kompetanse AS normally uses an Aegir 50 ROV from Ocean Robotics, equipped with a minimum of 3 x 3500 lumen LED lights, an HD camera with zoom, and Advanced Navigation underwater positioning with an accuracy of 1.5 meters per 100 meters. The positioning system is connected to a GNSS antenna from Advanced Navigation. The size of observed objects is measured using a mounted laser with two fixed beams spaced 50 mm apart. The type of ROV used is selected based on the survey area, depth, and logistical considerations. All equipment used meets, at a minimum, the baseline requirements specified by Kutti and Husa (2021 and 2022). Reference: Alegretti C.B., Haddad C. (2024). Kartlegging av sårbare marine arter og naturtyper ved Myrane i Vestnes kommune, mai 2024. Rapportnummer: 3220-4-24K, levert av Aqua Kompetanse AS.
Additional Metadata
| Alternative Identifiers | https://ipt.gbif.no/resource?r=3220-4-24k |
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