Scottish Government

ISBN 978 1 78045 877 9 (Web publication only)
ISSN 2043 7722
DPPAS 13075

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Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Literature Review - Environment
1.3 Literature Review - Biodiversity
1.4 Literature Review - Non-Fishing Human Impacts
1.5 Literature Review - Fishing (Pelagic and Shelfish)
1.6 Heath and Speirs (2011)
1.7 A Management Data Tool
1.8 Suggestions for Future Work
1.8.1 Clyde Hydrodynamic Model
1.8.2 Clyde Ecosystem Model
1.8.3 Clyde Inshore Benthic Survey
1.8.4 Clyde - an MSFD Development Area?
1.8.5 Clyde Pelagic Fish Stock Acoustic Survey
1.8.6 Clyde Demersal Fish Survey
1.8.7 Improving the Clyde Management Evaluation Model

2. INTRODUCTION
2.1.1 An Ecological Desert - Thurston and Roberts (2010)
2.1.2 A Changed Ecosystem - Heath and Speirs (2011)
2.1.3 This Report

3. THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CLYDE SEA
3.1 Definition of the Clyde Sea
3.2 Geological History of the Clyde
3.3 Bathymetry and Sedimentology
3.4 Hydrography
3.4.1 An Annual Cycle in the Clyde
3.4.2 Warming Sea Temperatures
3.5 Plankton
3.5.1 Phytoplankton
3.5.2 Zooplankton
3.6 Concluding Remarks
3.7 Suggestions for Further Work

4. BIODIVERSITY
4.1 Background
4.2 Benthic Fauna
4.3 Maerl beds
4.4 Seabirds
4.5 Megafauna
4.6 Threats to Biodiversity
4.6.1 Invasive species
4.6.2 Climate change
4.7 Protection of Biodiversity
4.8 Suggestion for Further Work

5. HUMAN IMPACTS (OTHER THAN FISHING)
5.1 Background
5.2 Assessment of Pollution
5.3 Marine Litter
5.4 Shipping
5.5 Aquaculture
5.6 Scotland's Marine Atlas - Overall Assessment
5.6.1 Activities and Pressures
5.6.2 Clean and Safe
5.6.3 Healthy and Biologically Diverse
5.6.4 Response / Forward Look
5.7 Concluding Remark

6. HUMAN IMPACTS - FISHERIES
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Legislation
6.3 Stock Assessment
6.4 Pelagic Fisheries
6.4.1 Herring
6.5 Demersal Fisheries
6.5.1 Cod
6.5.2 Hake
6.5.3 Saithe
6.6 Shellfish fisheries
6.6.1 Nephrops
6.6.2 Scallops
6.6.3 Other Shellfish
6.7 Sea Angling
6.8 Environmental Effects of Fishing
6.8.1 Trawling
6.8.2 Dredging
6.8.3 Discards
6.9 Suggestion for further work

7. THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE CLYDE DEMERSAL FISH COMMUNITY
7.1 Summary of Demersal Clyde Landings
7.2 A Climatic Effect ?
7.3 Limitations of Landings Data
7.4 Research Vessel Survey Data
7.4.1 Constructing the Time-Series
7.4.2 The Basic Fish Data
7.4.3 Demersal Fish - Changes in Biomass
7.4.4 The Mix of Demersal Fish Species in the Clyde
7.5 Concluding Remarks
7.6 Suggestions for Further Work

8. ECOSYSTEM COMPARISONS
8.1 Black Sea
8.2 Gulf of St Lawrence
8.3 Mediterranean

9. CLYDE MANAGEMENT EVALUATION MODEL (CMEM)
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Methodology and Model Data Layers
9.2.1 Create grid
9.2.2 Masks
9.2.3 Bathymetry
9.2.4 Areas and Volumes
9.2.5 Habitat Type
9.2.6 Fishing Activity Data (VMS)
9.3 Results
9.3.1 Bathymetry
9.3.2 Depth Distribution
9.3.3 Spatial Limit Masks
9.3.4 Areas and Volumes of the Clyde Spatial Domains
9.3.5 Sediment Distribution
9.3.6 Fishing Activity - Raw VMS
9.3.7 Fishing Activity - Interpolated Maps
9.3.8 Concluding Remarks
9.3.9 Suggested Further Work

10. Bibliography
10.1.1 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh B, Volume 90, 1986

11. Annex - Species list for the Clyde from Heath and Speirs (2011)