Habitat point records from 1995 OPRU Sullom Voe (Shetland) littoral survey

Re-survey of rocky shores in the region of Sullom Voe, Shetland during August 1995. The baseline survey was performed during May 1976. These re-surveys have been conducted up to the present day and comprise 20 years of data taken from the same transects (1977-1997). This allows an assessment of animal and plant populations to be made. Each site consists of a transect line down the shore with survey stations positioned along it. These sample sites are used every year. Some of the original sites have been dropped since the 1970's and some new sites added, however the coverage of Sullom Voe is still very good. Also the original sites each had approx. 20 stations located down the transect which has now been cut back to 5 stations per transect. These pre-established stations were selected to represent the five major zones of lower shore (LS), lower middle shore (LMS), middle shore (MS), upper middle shore (UMS) and upper shore (US). Each site has a double digit number, the first number (from 1 to 6) indicates the wave exposure on the Ballantine scale (Ballantine, 1961), which uses biological communities on the shore to determine wave exposure. The second number indicates a consecutive site at that exposure, e.g. Roe Clett is site number 2.3. These site numbers are included as part of the site title for the purpose of data entry onto the MNCR database. The MNCR exposure scale has been used to assess exposure at a site in preference to the Ballantine scale mentioned.