The collection of seabed images and observations from the volunteer divers around Rathlin Island Marine Protected Area (MPA) presented an opportunity to gather additional species and habitats data. This enabled the production of a species list and description for each site. This data was compared with previous dive surveys and was used to inform this condition assessment of the seabed habitats and faunal communities around the MPA.
Since the introduction of the demersal mobile fishing ban in 2016, the overall condition of the seabed within the Rathlin Island Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) is considered to be ‘unfavourable recovering’.