Habitat point records from 1982 MBNE Farne Islands sublittoral survey

This report, commisioned by the NCC, outlines the findings of the first year's pilot survey of a three year comprehensive survey of the marine fauna of the Farne Islands being carried out by Marine Biology North-East (MBNE). The Farne Islands are best known for their large populations of breeding sea-birds, and as a grey seal breeding area. They are also of interest from a marine biological point of view being perhaps the most southerly point on the English coast of the North Sea where rocky shores, shelving rapidly into deep, reasonably clear water, are encountered. Further south, the sublittoral commonly shelves only gently and the sea is generally turbid, clearing only after prolonged periods of calm weather. The offshore position of the Farne Islands, particularly the outer islands, allows a marked degree of water movement (both wave action and tidal streams) to occur without the severe increase in turbidity and consequent reduction in light penetration which afflicts most of the coast south of Berwick. As a result, certain species are present at the Farne Islands which are near their southern limits on the east coast and otherwise not known from north-east England, for instance the Devonshire cup coral, Caryophyllia smithii. Together with St Abb's Head, the Farne Islands provide some of the best diving and most spectacular marine life in the north-east. The marine life of St Abb's has been the subject of several recent studies, but that of the Farnes has been little studied apart from in the littoral zone. MBNE decided, for this reason, to embark on this long term study of these islands. During the three year survey period, specimens will be collected and photographed by SCUBA divers and collection supplimented by collection on the shore. Specimens will be preserved, identified with the aid of specialist taxonomists where necessary and a labelled collection deposited in the Hancock Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. A publication of a check-list of the marine fauna by taxonomic group is to be produced, with notes on the ecology of the species (abundance, preferred habitats, depth distribution etc). There will be a compilation of a dossier of photographs of the species collected, and a poster display of the Farne Islands marine life for visitors to Seahouses and the Farne Islands. This preliminary report outlines dives carried out and sites visited on the outer Farnes in 1982. Full site descriptions are given together with a list of faunal specimens collected. Previous records of marine animals recorded from the Farnes are listed, as there are about 60 new and previously unpublised records for the islands from the 1982 MBNE study derived from collected and photographed species. A list of 100 photographs collected for the Farne Islands sublittoral survey dossier is also provided. (These slides are held by the NCC at Huntingdon, copies also held by the MBNE and NCC region). The report recommends other sites for investigation, including the Inner Farnes, to give a balanced view of the island's marine life, although there is still much to do at the 1982 sites. It notes that it is hoped to carry out some shore surveys in 1983, such as were carried out during previous studies in the 1960's. It is suggested that future work on the Farnes by MBNE might usefully concentrate on certain groups of animals and study their distribution and abundance with respect to both depth and substrate type. Seasonal changes at particular sites would be interesting to study, and sections of rock face could be marked and photographed and studied from month to month. The report concludes that the 1982 pilot study achieved its objectives and should provide an excellent basis for further marine biological work at the Farnes by Marine Biology North-East in collaboration with the Underwater Conservation Society. Records currently considered sensitive have been removed from this dataset.

Organization: Joint Nature Conservation Committee