Exploration of the seas off the north-east coast of Scotland will get underway this week (9 August), to find out more about some of Scotland's most important marine wildlife.

A team of marine scientists from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the British Geological Survey and the Northern Lighthouse Board, will survey the waters around Noss Head, near Wick, and the Southern Trench, a deep underwater channel in the outer Moray Firth. Using acoustic multibeam survey techniques to create a 3D image of the seabed, the information gathered will be used to identify marine habitats of high conservation value.

One of a series of surveys being carried out around the coast of Scotland this year, the findings will be used to advise the Scottish Government and others on conservation and development in the marine environment.

The area around the Southern Trench is frequently visited by minke whales and features a deep and distinctive gouge in the seabed, formed during the last ice age. However, relatively little is known about this area.

A previous survey carried out off Noss Head for Scottish and Southern Energy in 2010, revealed a bed of horse mussels that maybe the largest in Scottish waters. Apart from this discovery, there is scant information on marine wildlife in the area.

Laura Clark, SNH's project manager for the survey, explained: "We'll cover a large area during the survey, which ranges from 10 - 150 metres deep, using the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel, NLV Polestar. Then in September we'll carry out a detailed biological survey of areas of particular interest with scientists from Marine Scotland Science and Heriot-Watt University. At that stage we'll use a drop-down video camera to capture undersea footage, and take grab' samples from the seabed for analysis."

Other areas being surveyed in 2011 include the Minch, the Sound of Canna and Lochs Linnhe, Etive, Leven and Eil on the west coast.

Funded by Marine Scotland, the surveys are part of the Scottish Marine Protected Area (MPA) project, a joint initiative between Marine Scotland, Historic Scotland, SNH and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

Laura added: "Scotland has responsibility for 13% of Europe's seas - they are a huge environmental, economic and recreational resource. These surveys are helping us better understand the distribution and extent of the wildlife and habitats found here. This helps us provide up-to-date information when advising Government and others on marine developments, and how best to meet our international commitments to designate a network of marine protected areas in Scottish waters."

The surveys will be completed by the middle of September. A report on the findings will be published next spring on the SNH website.

To see video clips of Scotland's internationally important marine wildlife and habitats go to www.snh.gov.uk/priority-marine-features www.snh.gov.uk/marine-protected-areas.