Fisheries Research Services (FRS) is ready with its survey findings from the Pentland Firth for companies involved in the development of wave and tidal power generation in Scotland.
At the request of the Scottish Government Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group (MESPG), and in collaboration with Scottish Renewables, FRS undertook surveys of the seabed.
Potential developers will be briefed with the initial seabed survey findings that were collected using a multibeam echo sounder, underwater video and digital camera.
“Sea bed mapping will help underpin our approach to Marine Spatial Planning in the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters,” said Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead.
Jason Ormiston, chief executive of the green energy trade body Scottish Renewables, said if the Scottish marine energy sector is to be successful it needs to know what the seabed is like.
“The FRS seabed survey of the Pentland Firth is timely and will be of significant interest to the 38 companies and consortia which expressed an interest to The Crown Estate recently in installing marine energy devices in this region,” said Ormiston.
Related link: Summary of FRS’ Seabed survey work within The Pentland Firth And Orkney Islands, 2006 - 2008
According to FRS, it surveyed nine areas (0.5 to 100 km2) in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Islands using a Kongsberg Simrad EM950 multibeam echo sounder and RoxAnn system in 2008. Five of the areas were surveyed using a dropframe instrument to collect video footage and digital stills of the sea bed. The MBES data have been processed using Caris Hips and Sips software to produce bathymetric maps and cross-sections, and then exported into Arc View for further interpretation.
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