200th Rockall anniversary 28/9/11
Two hundred years on from the first
recorded landing, researchers have compiled the first ever high-
On September 8, 1811, a Royal Navy officer with a small crew landed on the isolated
North Atlantic islet and scaled the 19 metre high summit. From this initial claim
Rockall has became Scotland’s most westerly point, 187 miles due west of the St Kilda
archipelago, despite counter-
Until now, no detailed maps have existed of the shallow waters surrounding Rockall – famed for it’s inclusion in the regular shipping weather forecasts – and the nearby Helen’s Reef. However, a research collaboration between Marine Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), carried out this summer, has revealed a spectacular array of underwater reefs, pinnacles and ridges.
The survey took place in July aboard the Marine Research Vessel Scotia, with multibeam
echo-
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “Over the decades this enigmatic rock has been the subject of international disputes over ownership, a magnet for adventurers and even a location for pirate radio broadcasters.
“It’s fantastic that Scotland has reaffirmed our possession of Rockall through this survey, which enabled a new high definition map to be developed, uncovered amazing underwater features, as well as studies of the marine life found around Rockall and Helen’s Reef.
“Using state-
“The research forms part of an ambitious programme of surveys Marine Scotland is taking forward throughout 2011, in coordination with partner organisations, to improve our knowledge of Scotland’s seas. All the new information gathered – including from the Rockall survey – will prove critical as we seek to strike the right balance between marine conservation and economic development.”
Francis Neat from Marine Scotland, chief scientist in the Rockall survey team, commented: “Rockall has a rich natural history and supports some very valuable fisheries. In the past we've faced ferocious weather conditions that have prevented survey work around Rockall taking place. However, this year we got lucky – the sea was calm and the quality of the data gathered is excellent.
“It's really incredible to finally be able to appreciate what Scotland’s most remote marine ecosystem looks likes beneath the waves. Video footage of the reef area shows much is scoured bedrock interspersed with sand and boulders. The coral reefs tend to be found in the deeper areas on the bank, much of which has been recently protected from fishing activity.
“By using fish traps we also discovered the reef is inhabited by huge conger eels,
ling and tusk. Fishing vessels catch squid in the deeper trench that runs between
the rock and reef; a risky business due to the treacherous reefs, but the rewards
can be substantial. Our goal is to support long-
The UK’s ownership of Rockall (and the surrounding seas and continental shelf) has been disputed over the decades by Ireland, Iceland and Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands). The United Nations has committed to examine the competing claims under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Rockall is a renowned fishing ground and supports large stocks of haddock and monkfish. In the deeper areas on the plateau it also supports some of the most extensive coldwater coral reefs in the north east Atlantic.
Now that the new map is available, video imaging and more detailed analysis will
be undertaken to identify the types of habitat and marine fauna present. This will
build toward a better basis for the management of the area for both fisheries and
conservation.
The new images of the Rockall area can be accessed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marinescotland/sets/72157627732904756/