Benthic Fauna Laboratory

Benthic Faunal Identification

Sediment samples collected at sea are brought to our benthic laboratory for analysis. The sediment is sorted and all organisms are, identified, counted, and archived. Our experienced staff are skilled in the identification of specimens collected locally and from around the country, particularly the following groups:

• Crustacea
• Echinodermata
• Mollusca
• Phoronida
• Polychaeta

We have an extensive collection of specimens from around Shetland which is available for reference.

 

The benthic laboratory is a participant in the National Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control Scheme (NMBAQC), which provides external quality assurance for companies involved in the production of marine biological data.

 

Benthic survey booking forms are available here or contact us for specialist surveys.

Plankton Identification

We also provide a service to identify and count species of algae and jellyfish. This service can be provided as regular monitoring or during bloom occurrences. Training is available for sample collection.

Contact us for further information on plankton sampling.

SSQC Analytical Services also provide a monitoring service for DSP toxins in shellfish.