Ware , F J

English

National Museums Scotland Research Repository

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ware, Fiona (2014) Scottish Invertebrate Discoveries: The hardy invertebrates 
thriving in Scotland’s saline lagoons, Scottish Invertebrate News, V. 5 NO. 1; APR 
2014 p. 5-6.   
 
 
 
http://repository.nms.ac.uk/1209 
 
 
Deposited on: 11 June 2014 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NMS Repository – Research publications by staff of the National Museums Scotland 
 
http://repository.nms.ac.uk/  
Saline lagoons are shallow bodies of brackish 
water that are wholly or partially separated from 
the nearby sea by narrow channels, underwater 
sills, culverts, sluices or banks of shingle.  In 
larger lagoon systems there is often a gradient 
from almost marine habitats, through brackish 
water habitats, to almost freshwater habitats as 
distance from the influence of the sea increases. 
In some lagoons the salinity of the enclosed 
water can fluctuate dramatically with tidal cycles 
and in response to seasons and rainfall. 
This physiographically diverse but scarce habitat 
type has priority status (‘in danger of 
disappearing’) under Annex I of the European 
Habitats Directive and is recognised in UK 
conservation legislation.  Some lagoon sub-types 
(e.g. silled lagoons which are found mainly in the 
Outer Hebrides) have a very restricted 
distribution and consequently a high proportion of 
the UK extent of lagoons has been included in 
The associated biological communities vary 
according to the physical characteristics and 
salinity regime of the lagoon but usually only a 
limited number of species are present compared to 
other marine habitats.  However, hardy lagoon 
specialists, tolerant of environmental fluctuations, 
thrive in conditions that would cause intolerable 
stress in their saline or freshwater counterparts. 
In September 2012 Scottish Natural Heritage 
commissioned a team, including marine biologists 
from National Museums Scotland (NMS), to survey 
the biodiversity of saline lagoons in the Uists, Outer 
Hebrides.  Taxonomic confusion within a number of 
phyla had led to doubts in some existing species 
records, and without access to the original 
specimens the records could not be verified.  By 
incorporating recent NMS and Heriot-Watt 
University research on the morphological and 
molecular identification of mud snails (Hydrobiidae) 
and the morphological identification of lagoon 
isopods this survey has clarified the distribution of 
lagoon specialists in the Uists; these results will be 
used to plan a monitoring strategy. 
Two hundred and forty-three species were 
recorded during the surveys, including the lagoon 
specialist isopods Idotea chelipes and 
Lekanesphaera hookeri and the gastropods 
Hydrobia acuta neglecta and Ecrobia ventrosa.  
The Lagoon cockle Cerastoderma glaucum was 
confirmed from 3 sites in Loch Bì and the nationally 
rare Foxtail stonewort Lamprothamnium Special Areas of Conservation and 
Special Sites of Scientific Interest. 
Opossum shrimp, Praunus flexuosus  
© Bill Crighton, NMS 
Lagoon cockles (Cerastoderma sp.) in Oban a’ 
Clachain © Stewart Angus, SNH 
Loch na Ciste, North Uist © Mark Woombs, SNH 
Anemonia viridis  
© Mark Woombs 
The hardy invertebrates thriving in 
Scotland’s saline lagoons 
papulosum was rediscovered in five lagoons.  The 
results, which will be published in an SNH 
Commissioned Report, illustrate the complexity of 
the network of freshwater, brackish and marine 
lagoons in the Uists. 
Almost 600 jars of preserved zoological specimens 
(including material for molecular analysis) have 
been incorporated into the Invertebrate Biology 
collections at NMS.  The specimens will be cared 
for in perpetuity and are accessible to external 
researchers via our loans scheme. Fiona Ware, Curator of Invertebrate Biology, 
National Museums Scotland 
The hardy invertebrates thriving in 
Scotland’s saline lagoons  (continued)…. 
Lagoon isopods, Idotea chelipes (left) and 
Lekanesphaera hookeri (right) © Bill Crighton, NMS 
 
 


Scottish invertebrate discoveries: the hardy invertebrates thriving in Scotland’s saline lagoons

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