Atlantic Margin Environmental Survey (AMES)

The deep waters to the north and west of Scotland were the birth place of deep-sea biology. They remain an area of considerable scientific interest, but are now also subject to commercial pressures from the fishing and oil industries.

The DEEPSEAS Group, working with our colleagues in the Geology & Geophysics Group, have carried out extensive surveys of this region - see cruise pages for listing and links to cruise reports.

The first surveys were carried out on behalf of the Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network (AFEN) in 1996 and 1998. The results of that work were published as a CD-ROM. Our contributions included:

Bett, B.J. & Axelsson, M., 2000. Survey photography. Section 4.2. (download manuscript)

Bett, B.J., 2000. Benthic ecology of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel. Section 4.3.1. (download manuscript)

Bett, B.J., 2000. Comparative benthic ecology of the Rockall Trough and Faeroe-Shetland Channel. Section 4.3.2. (download manuscript)

Bett, B.J. & Masson, D.G., 2000. Main discoveries of the AFEN research project. Section 6.1. (download manuscript)

Bett, B.J. & Gage, J.D., 2000. Practical approaches to monitoring the deep-sea environment... Section 6.2. (download manuscript)

These reports can be cited in the form e.g. Bett, B.J., 2000. Benthic ecology of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, Section 4.3.1 in Environmental Surveys of the Seafloor of the UK Atlantic Margin, Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network [CD-ROM]. Available from Geotek Limited, Daventry, Northants NN11 5EA, UK. ISBN 09538399-0-7.

A synthesis of these reports was subsequently published in Continental Shelf Research: Bett, B.J., 2001. UK Atlantic Margin Environmental Survey: introduction and overview of bathyal benthic ecology. Continental Shelf Research, 21, 917-956. (download manuscript)

Work on the AMES project continued with a further three surveys carried out on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI now DBERR) in 1999, 2000 and 2002. This work formed part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. Our input to the SEA process included:

Bett, B.J., 2003. An introduction to the benthic ecology of the Faroe-Shetland Channel (SEA4). Report submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry. Strategic Environmental Assessment: SEA 4. Consultation Document. (download manuscript)

Hughes, J.A., Narayanaswamy, B.E. & Bett, B.J., 2003. SEA4: An overview of the benthic ecology of the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Report submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry. Strategic Environmental Assessment: SEA 4. Consultation Document. (downoad manuscript)

Visit DEEPSEASCAPE to search and browse for seafloor images from the AMES project