Year of discovery

Off the west coast, very rare Fan Mussels were found - at up to 48 cm long, this is Scotland's largest sea shell. Around the Small Isles more than 100 specimens were discovered, the largest aggregation in UK waters.

In the waters off Tankerness in Orkney, the prehistoric 'faceless and brainless fish' Amphioxus was uncovered. This elusive, rarely seen species is regarded as a modern representative of the first animals that evolved a backbone.

The largest Horse Mussel bed in Scotland was revealed in waters near Noss Head, Caithness. Horse Mussels stabilise mobile seabeds and provide a critical ecosystem for other species.

Other finds included Flame Shell beds in Loch Linnhe, Argyll, a cryptic species only found in a very few west coast locations with bright orange feeding tentacles.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said:"In an age where the lands of the world have been mapped out and recorded, it's amazing how many discoveries are waiting to be found under the waves.

The waters around Scotland are rich in such fascinating biodiversity and it's our responsibility to protect this fragile environment. That's why we have ramped up our marine survey work, with plans being prepared for new surveys in 2012 to further our knowledge of what lies beneath Scotland's seas."

The survey this year benefited from the use of the latest technology, with acoustic multi-beam scanners used to create 3D images of the seabed. As a result, first-ever marine maps of many new areas was possible.