| ID | Feature Category | Feature Name | Description |
|---|
| 96 | Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin | Continental slope | A relatively steeply sloping surface extending from the outer edge of the continental shelf to the continental rise. Please note that this is a component of the Cenozoic structures of the Atlantic Margin geodiversity feature and not the large-scale biodiversity MPA search feature which is not included within FEAST. |
| 64 | Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin | Mud diapirs | Deep-water mounds formed from sediment that has been transferred to the seabed from strata that are more than 24 Ma old. The examples found in the UK in the Faroe-Shetland Channel are unusual in that they are the only mud diapirs that breach the seabed surface |
| 97 | Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin | Seamounts | A large-scale undersea topographic feature that rises steeply several hundred meters from the surrounding deep-ocean floor. Please note that this is a component of the Cenozoic structures of the Atlantic Margin geodiversity feature and not the large-scale biodiversity MPA search feature which is not included within FEAST. For information on the sensitivity of communities associated with seamounts, see 'seamount communities'. |
| 2 | Habitats | Burrowed mud | Soft muddy sediments peppered with the burrows of burrowing animals such as the Dublin Bay prawn and populated with other animals such as sea pens and anemones |
| 3 | Habitats | Carbonate mound communities | Large geological domed features formed from calcium carbonate that often host fragile species such as corals and sponges |
| 51 | Habitats | Continental shelf coarse sediments | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Coarse sediments such as gravel and cobbles on the continental shelf that can host a range of animals such as sponges, bryozoans, crabs and squat lobsters |
| 52 | Habitats | Continental shelf mixed sediments | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Mixed sediments from gravel and cobbles to finer sands on the continental shelf that can host a range of animals such as sponges, bryozoans, polychaete worms and sea urchins |
| 49 | Habitats | Continental shelf muds | Considered as a type of offshore deep-sea mud habitat. Seabed sediments on the continental shelf ranging from fine silty muds to sandy muds that can host a range of animals both within and on the seabed such as polychaete worms, sea urchins and star fish |
| 53 | Habitats | Continental shelf sands | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Sandy sediments on the continental shelf that can host a range of animals such as sea urchins, star fish and polychaete worms |
| 4 | Habitats | Coral gardens | Aggregations of soft and hard coral species, found on both hard and soft bottomed seabeds |
| 54 | Habitats | Deep sea mixed sediments | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Mixed sediments from gravel and cobbles to finer sands on the continental slope and abyssal plain that can host a range of animals such as sponges, bryozoans, polychaete worms and sea urchins |
| 55 | Habitats | Deep sea muddy sands | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Muddy sands on the continental slope and abyssal plain that may host a range of animals such as sea spiders, sea urchins and polychaete worms as well as sea pens |
| 50 | Habitats | Deep sea muds | Considered as a type of offshore deep-sea mud habitat. Seabed sediments on the continental slope and abyssal plain ranging from fine silty muds to sandy muds that can host a range of animals both within and on the seabed such as polychaete worms, sea urchins and star fish |
| 56 | Habitats | Deep sea sands | Considered as a type of offshore subtidal sand and gravel habitat. Sandy habitats on the continental slope and abyssal plain that may host a range of aninmals such as sea urchins, star fish and anemones |
| 5 | Habitats | Deep sea sponge aggregations | Aggregations of deep water sponge species such as the glass sponge Pheronema carpentari |
| 6 | Habitats | Flameshell beds | Beds formed by the flameshell bivalve mollusc Limaria hians. Flameshells create nests of threads that provide an attachment surface for many other marine plants and animals such as hydroids, bryozoans, ascidians and seaweeds. |
| 7 | Habitats | Horse mussel beds | Beds formed by the horse mussel bivalve mollusc Modiolus modiolous. The beds they form significantly modify the local habitat and provide hard substrate for the settlement of other species, refuge from predators and ecological niches for a wide range of organisms. |
| 8 | Habitats | Inshore deep mud with burrowing heart urchins | A habitat found in the silty muddy basins of sea lochs and other stable deep waters. The habitat is characterised by the heart urchin Brissopsis lyrifera. The habitat supports other species including burrowing bivalve molluscs, polychaete worms and also the Dublin bay prawn (Nephrops norvegicus). |
| 9 | Habitats | Kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment | A habitat dominated primarily by sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), bootlace weed (Chorda filum) and various red and brown seaweeds. The turfs of seaweed may support a diverse range of animals including burrowing polychaete worms, bivalve molluscs, and scavengers including hermit crabs and fish. |
| 10 | Habitats | Low or variable salinity habitats | This habitat is dominated by sugar kelp, red and green seaweeds and encrusting coralline algae growing on cobbles, boulders and rocks. The seaweeds provide food and shelter for a range of animals including sea urchins, tube-dwelling polychaete worms, sea squirts, barnacles, starfish and brittle stars. |
| 11 | Habitats | Maerl beds | This habitat is characterised by Nodules of the calcified red seaweed maerl. In high abundances, maerl can form loosely interlocking beds. This provides perfect living conditions for a range of marine animals including sea firs, sea urchins, brittle stars, starfish and scallops. |
| 12 | Habitats | Maerl or coarse sand with burrowing sea cucumbers | As well as maerl, this habitat is characterised by high densities of the gravel sea cucumber Neopentadactyla mixta. Scallops, brittle stars, crabs and dragonets may live on the surface of the sediment. |
| 13 | Habitats | Native oyster beds | A habitat made up of beds of the native oyster Ostrea edulis. A diverse community of organisms can live on and within the sediment beneath the bed including polychaete worms and sea slugs. |
| 14 | Habitats | Northern sea fan and sponge communities | A diverse habitat made up of aggregations of the cup coral Caryophyllia smithii and the Northern sea fan Swiftia pallida on the upper and vertical surfaces of bedrock and boulders. Other animals present include keel worms, dead mans fingers, large sea squirts and feather stars. |
| 17 | Habitats | Seagrass beds | Areas of sediment that support dense grown of seagrasses. Dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltii) is found highest on the shore, while the eelgrass (Zostera marina) is predominantly subtidal. Seagrass beds stabilise sediment, provide food for waterfowl and create a surface for the attachment of sea firs, seaweeds, sea anemones and stalked jellyfish. |
| 19 | Habitats | Seamount communities | The biological communities found on the large geological structures that are seamounts. These include a range of animals from fragile corals and sponges through to polychaete worms and sea stars that may live in association with sediments on and around seamounts |
| 20 | Habitats | Tide swept coarse sands with burrowing bivalves | Tide swept coarse and gravelly sands in the shallow subtidal which supports an abundance of bivalve molluscs, most notably Tellina spp. In some areas, the habitat also supports polychaetes, surf clams and sand hoppers. |
| 21 | Habitats | Tide-swept algal communities | This habitat occurs on bedrock and mixed substrata that is swept by strong tidal currents and is dominated by seaweeds such as kelps and fucoids. As in forests on land, the fucoids create a canopy that provides shelter for a range of animals including sea squirts, sea mats and sea firs. |
| 23 | Low/limited mobility species | Fan mussel aggregations | Fan mussels are one of Britain's largest threatened molluscs. Fan mussels live with the pointed end of their shell buried in the sediment attached by fine threads made by the animal. The densest known aggregation of fan mussels in UK waters was recorded off Canna in 2009. |
| 25 | Low/limited mobility species | Northern featherstar aggregations on mixed substrata | Feather stars are a relative of the starfish. They use their branching arms to catch passing plankton and suspended organic particles. Feather stars are commonly found on sediment, shell, gravel or bedrock. In areas of low wave action and good water flow, feather stars can form dense aggregations making up a significant component of the seabed community. |
| 26 | Low/limited mobility species | Ocean quahog (aggregations) | Aggregations or individual examples of the long-lived mollusc Arctica islandica. The species tends to live within sandy seabed sediments |
| 57 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Contourite sand/silt | Extensive fine grained accumulations of sediments that have accumulated over long time scales. |
| 58 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Polygonal faults | Geomorphological features formed from dewatering processes associated with excess pore fluids. In Scotland's seas, the only example of this feature is recorded from the Hatton-Rockall Basin where they resemble hexagonal structures similar in appearance to dried out mud plains. |
| 59 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Sand wave field | Geomorphological features formed by the action of deep-ocean currents |
| 62 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Scour moat | A depression in the seabed usually occuring around deep-ocean rises such as seamounts. The depression or 'scour moat' is caused by the effect of the deep-ocean rise on local current speeds and the direction of current flow. |
| 61 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Sediment drift | Sediments deposited from bottom-water currents and elongated in the direction of current flow |
| 60 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed | Sediment wave field | Geomorphological features formed by the action of deep-ocean currents |
| 75 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Bank (unknown substrate) | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 76 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Longitudinal bedform field | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 78 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Sand ribbon field | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 81 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Sand wave field (shelf) | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 77 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Sandbank | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 82 | Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed | Sediment wave field (shelf) | A geomorphological feature of the seabed formed by the action of tides and currents. |
| 102 | Mobile species | Arctic tern (breeding) | Arctic tern have one of the longest migrations of any bird species and often travel between the Arctic and Antarctic each year. They breed in coastal colonies, and feed primarily on small fish from the top few centimetres of the water column. |
| 98 | Mobile species | Basking shark | The world's second largest fish (up to 10m)which has a global distribution and forms seasonal aggregations on the continental shelf of the Atlantic, including Scotland. It feeds on zooplankton, is slow to mature, has low fecundity and gives birth to live young. |
| 36 | Mobile species | Black guillemot | Members of the auk family, black guillemot are a resident non-migratory species that generally remain close inshore. They nest along cliffs and offshore islands and generally feed i kelp forests. |
| 116 | Mobile species | Black-throated diver (non-breeding) | Black-throated diver is an elegant and distinctive species that typically uses sheltered coastal waters during the non-breeding season. Feeds predominantly upon fish, alongside other prey groups. |
| 29 | Mobile species | Blue ling | A deep water fish species that forms spawning aggregations in the deep waters to the west of Scotland |
| 108 | Mobile species | Common scoter (non-breeding) | Common scoter is a non-breeding visitor to Scotland that typically feeds and roosts far offshore. Forages on benthic species, mainly molluscs. |
| 30 | Mobile species | Common skate | Studies have shown that common skate are in fact two species - the blue skate and the flapper skate. It is the flapper skate that is predominantly recorded in Scottish waters. This skate is the largest in European waters and tends to live on sandy, muddy and gravel bottoms from the coast down to 600m. |
| 104 | Mobile species | Eider (non-breeding) | The largest duck species found in Scotland. Eider is a seaduck which dives to the seabed to forage on benthic molluscs and crustaceans, primarily selecting mussels. |
| 110 | Mobile species | Goldeneye (non-breeding) | Goldeneye is a medium-size duck species occurring in highest numbers during the non-breeding season, although a small population does breed in Scotland. Goldeneye dive to forage for food, mainly molluscs and crustaceans, but fish and plant material can also make up a small part of their diet. |
| 103 | Mobile species | Great northern diver (non-breeding) | The largest diver species. Spends its winters in a range of coastal habitats, preferring shallow inshore waters. Feeds on a mix of freshwater and marine prey, mainly fish. |
| 101 | Mobile species | Guillemot (breeding) | Members of the auk family, guillemot are a migratory species that generally breed on coastal cliffs, and spend the rest of the year at sea. They generally feed on fish. |
| 114 | Mobile species | Little tern (breeding) | Scotland's smallest tern species. Breeding colonies are located on beaches nearby shallow, sheltered waters which offer good foraging for small fish and invertebrates. |
| 107 | Mobile species | Long-tailed duck (non-breeding) | Long-tailed duck is a gregarious seaduck that forms large non-breeding flocks. Long-tailed duck dives to the seabed to forage on a range of prey including benthic molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish. |
| 32 | Mobile species | Orange roughy | A deep water fish species that forms spawning aggregations in the deep waters to the west of Scotland |
| 99 | Mobile species | Puffin (breeding) | Members of the auk family, puffin are a migratory species that generally breed in burrows on offshore islands, and spend the rest of the year at sea. They generally feed on fish, crustaceans may also form part of their diet. |
| 100 | Mobile species | Razorbill (breeding) | Members of the auk family, razorbill are a migratory species that generally breed on coastal cliffs and spend the rest of the year at sea. They primarily feed on small fish including sandeel, sprat and herring. |
| 105 | Mobile species | Red-breasted merganser (non-breeding) | Red-breasted merganser is a diving duck, gregarious and seen in large groups during the non-breeding season. It feeds primarily on small fish along with small amounts of vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. |
| 117 | Mobile species | Red-throated diver (breeding) | The smallest of Scotland's diver species. Typically breeds on inland water bodies in open moorland or blanket bog landscapes. Feeds on a mix of freshwater and marine prey, mainly fish. |
| 118 | Mobile species | Red-throated diver (non-breeding) | The smallest of Scotland's diver species. Winters in a range of coastal habitats, preferring shallow inshore waters. Feeds on a mix of freshwater and marine prey, mainly fish. |
| 34 | Mobile species | Sandeels | A small burrowing fish that tends to be found living within sandy sediments. Sandeels are very important to the diets of many animals feeding in the North Sea |
| 113 | Mobile species | Sandwich tern (breeding) | One of Scotland's four tern regularly breeding species. Sandwich tern colonies vary dramatically from year to year. This is due to variable breeding effort and to mass movements between alternate colony sites. |
| 115 | Mobile species | Scaup (non-breeding) | Scaup is a gregarious winter visitor to Scotland. An omnivorous diving forager that mostly feeds upon benthic molluscs. |
| 112 | Mobile species | Shag (breeding) | Shag is resident in Scotland, and is a species that shows high nesting site fidelity at its coastal colonies. A diving pursuit feeder mainly preying on sandeels. |
| 111 | Mobile species | Shag (non-breeding) | Shag is resident in Scotland, and in non-breeding season typically remains within 100-200km from its breeding colony site. A diving pursuit feeder mainly preying on sandeels. |
| 106 | Mobile species | Slavonian grebe (non-breeding) | Slavonian grebe is an migratory species seen in the seas around Scotland in the non-breeding season. A strong swimmer and diver that feeds mainly on fish and crustaceans. |
| 109 | Mobile species | Velvet scoter (non-breeding) | Velvet scoter is a non-breeding visitor to Scotland that typically feeds and roosts far offshore, often in association with common scoter. Forages on benthic species, mainly molluscs. |
| 89 | Quaternary of Scotland | Continental slope channels | Channels in the continental slope resulting from the scouring effect of grounded icebergs during the last ice age. |
| 88 | Quaternary of Scotland | Glaciated channel/trough | Depressions in the seabed resulting from the scouring effect of grounded icebergs during the last ice age |
| 94 | Quaternary of Scotland | Iceberg ploughmark fields | Erosional furrows caused by the scouring effect of grounded icebergs during the last ice age |
| 95 | Quaternary of Scotland | Landscape or aerial glacial scour | Scouring caused by the landscape or glacial deposition |
| 92 | Quaternary of Scotland | Megascale glacial lineations | Large marks caused by the scouring effect of grounded icebergs during the last ice age |
| 90 | Quaternary of Scotland | Moraines | Submarine glacial ridges, composed of poorly sorted sediments (boulders, gravels, sands and clay), which were deposited at an ice limit during the deglaciation of the last ice age. |
| 93 | Quaternary of Scotland | Prograding wedge | Large sediment accumulation linked to submarine movement processes |
| 91 | Quaternary of Scotland | Sub-glacial tunnel valley | Depressions in the seabed which are thought to be formed by pressurised melt-water flowing beneath the ice sheet during the last ice sheet |
| 74 | Seabed Fluid and Gas Seep | Pockmarks | Seabed depressions caused by the escape of fluids through the seabed |
| 87 | Submarine Mass Movement | Continental slope turbidite canyons | Canyons in the continental slope resulting from large scale slides and movements of sediments |
| 86 | Submarine Mass Movement | Slide deposits | The deposition of sedimentary fans and other such features as part of submarine mass movement processes. |
| 85 | Submarine Mass Movement | Slide scars | A feature depicting the movement of large volumes of sediment as part of submarine mass movement processes |