The purpose of this benthic survey in the Southern Trench, Outer Moray Firth, was to identify the presence of any other priority marine features (PMFs) or MPA search features such as burrowed mud biotopes and ocean quahog (arctica islandica) communities in the shelf deep area. An underwater video and still photograph survey was conducted by Heriot-Watt University and SNH for MS between the 6th and 11th September 2011 to collect detailed biological information on the seabed species and habitat features present. Drop-down video drift tows were undertaken at 74 sites within the Southern Trench shelf deep area. The images and infaunal samples, analysed under SNH contract by Heriot-Watt University, were used to describe the nature of the seabed in terms of the physical structure and the species assemblages. An infaunal grab survey was also undertaken on this survey at a subset of 20 drop-down video stations, selected to target areas of historic records of shelf deep habitat and where PMFs were most likely to occur with the overall aim of gaining a broader understanding of the habitat type and assist in biotope assignment. The vessel RV Alba na Mara was used for this survey - samples were also collected from Noss Head on the same cruise.