Abstract A spat collection experiment was conducted to determine mussel spat settlement, spat growth and the problems of spat collection at "depth of 2 m and 6 m in Loch Etive (LE) and Loch Kishorn (LK) on the west coast of Scotland. The results showed that neither depth nor site had a significant effect on temperature, seston, particulate organic matter and chlorophyll-a, while salinity was found to be significantly higher in LE than LK (P<o.oo1). of="" mussels="" was="" affected="" and="" had="" a="" in="" lk.="" single="" peak="" peaks="" took="" place="" june-july="" le="" june-december="" uniform="" le,="" although="" there="" were="" fouling="" organisms="" (sea="" squirt="" starfish)="" which="" collection="" growth="" seed="" the="" results="" also="" demonstrated="" that="" if="" polypropylene="" ropes="" been="" suspended="" one="" or="" two="" months="" before="" than="" predicted="" settlement="" time="" they="" might="" be="" used="" as="" efficient="" spat="" collector.="" <="" p="">