Habitat point records from 1985 Smith Loch Sween littoral survey

Loch Sween is situated on the east side of the Sound of Jura, in south-west Scotland. It opens to the south-west and its mouth is partially protected by the small MacCormaig Isles. The main body of the loch is relatively straight, with a fringe of rocks or gravel giving way to a sandy or muddy seabed. There are a number of arms to the loch which add considerably to the diversity of habitats present. Linne Mhuirich forms an arm to the west, with a constricted mouth into Loch Sween forming an area of tidal rapids. At the head of the loch, arms include the silled Caol Scotnish. Adjacent to Loch Sween, once connected to it but now separated by causeway, is Loch na Cille. Loch Sween has been proposed as a Marine Nature Reserve by NCC on account of the high scientific interest and conservation importance of the habitats and communities within the loch. Although a site of historical marine biological recording and research, NCC commissioned extensive systematic littoral and sublittoral surveys in 1982. Further information was required on the distribution and types of littoral habitats and communities present to assess the relative importances of individual areas and the integrated importance of the whole loch. The aims of the shore surveys in 1985 were; to investigate the shores around Ceann an t-Sailein; to assess any temporal variation in faunal communities, particularly molluscan, in the Linne Mhuirich area; and to describe the shores of Loch na Cille. Survey work was carried out during spring and autumn visits. Descriptions of all the sites are included in the report, which also contains a detailed species list and tables showing the numbers of Mollusca associated with algae. The discussion is limited to a summary of the more important information found during the spring surveys. The report concludes that Ceann an t-Sailein adds another habitat type (a shallow tidal bay with a clay floor) to those already known in Loch Sween. Several community types were recorded from the sediment shores. Further variability in molluscan populations was noted but showed no clear pattern which could be related to seasonality. Several mollusc species new to Loch Sween were recorded. Records currently considered sensitive have been removed from this dataset.