Scotland’s marine environment

A bloody henry starfish with sponges and anemones on a tideswept rocky reef in the Firth of Lorn - Photo Ben James © SNH

Scotland’s seas are one of our greatest biodiversity assets; positioned between subpolar and subtropical influences they support a fascinating and varied assemblage of marine habitats and species. The 16,500km of coastline (approximately 9% of entire coastline of Europe) is extremely diverse with a highly indented fjordic and fjardic landscape to the west, characterised by exposed islands, high sea cliffs and rocky skerries, and the North Sea coast to the east, which is predominantly low lying with sedimentary shores and only intermittent stretches of cliff. The outer isles form three major archipelagos of Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.

Close-up of a tubeworm Serpula vermicularis from the upper basin of Loch Teacuis, a sealoch on the west coast of Scotland - Photo Tom Mercer © SNH

Scotland’s seas are home to the world’s most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins, 21 other species of the world’s 82 whales and dolphins and a third of the global population of grey seals.

Beneath the waves some of the finest marine habitats in Europe can be found, including rugged rocky reefs carpeted in soft corals, sea fans and sponges; shallow beds of pink maerl - a delicate coralline seaweed; beds of seagrass; saline lagoons (Loch of Stenness at 800ha. is the largest in the UK); fragile and extremely rare tubeworm reefs (found at a handful of localities in the world). In the deeper waters around the Western Isles, there are coldwater coral reefs with remarkably rich associated animal communities (only known example within 12nm territorial waters).

 

The marine environment supplies a wealth of important natural resources, providing food from fisheries, energy and minerals, seaways and harbours for shipping and offers abundant opportunities for enjoyment which meet many of our economic and social needs. Coastal areas are therefore a focus for industry and recreation and support significant human communities. The influence of these communities is of growing concern throughout the world and, despite a relatively low population density, evidence of human impact is commonly observed around Scotland’s coasts.

 

Managing marine waters

Some 53% of Scotland’s administrative territory is either washed daily by the ebb and flow of tidal waters or is permanently submerged. The protection and preservation of the rich diversity of plants and animals inhabiting these environments is considered by many to be of the highest priority and a wide range of campaigns, management initiatives and conservation designations are currently being employed to this end.

A Crossaster papposus sunstar on a maerl bed - Photo © Graham Saunders

For a long time the protection of the ‘underwater’ component of Scotland’s natural heritage could not be delivered through mainstream conservation management legislation (provisions existed but were never used in Scotland), with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, under which Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are identified, excluding the area below mean low-water spring tides. This situation changed in 1992 with the adoption of the EC Habitats Directive and the subsequent establishment of a Europe-wide network of high-quality conservation sites, termed Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). To date 35 SACs with marine habitat and species features have been identified in Scotland and statutory site-based conservation now extends across both the littoral and sublittoral for the first time.

Sealoch amemones Protanthea simplex on a horse mussel in Loch Long - Photo Ben James © SNH

Complementary work to conserve, protect and enhance nationally and locally important habitats and wildlife has been ongoing through the Biodiversity Action Plan process - the UK governments’ response to the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Plans were prepared for 13 marine habitats and for 17 marine species or groups of species occurring in Scottish waters. Each plan has costed actions and targets and reporting on the targets is done on a 3 - 5 year cycle. The list of priority species and habitats is currently being updated as part of a periodical review to ensure that they continue to focus on the right priorities. This is the first full review of the UK BAP list and it is an opportunity to take into account emerging marine priorities, conservation successes, and the large amount of new information that has been gathered over the past decade.

Gannet on Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth - Photo Ben James © SNH

Improving governance of the wider marine environment is a current and key initiative of Scottish, UK and European political agendas. Work is currently ongoing to implement the marine elements of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, designated by Scottish Ministers under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, which gives every public body and office-holder a duty, in exercising any functions, to further the conservation of biodiversity (‘Biodiversity Duty’). The Scottish Executive published ‘Seas the Opportunity - a strategy for the long term sustainability of Scotland's coasts and seas’ in 2004 with the aim of securing clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse marine and coastal environments, managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people. In 2005 a new stakeholder group, the Advisory Group on Marine and Coastal Strategy, was established to help take forward the further development of this strategy. The Group meets regularly to discuss and make recommendations to the Scottish Executive on a range of subjects including research and science, indicators, dispute settlement, marine spatial planning, marine nature conservation and the need for new Scottish legislation.

Close-up of a queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis - Photo © Graham Saunders

 

Natural Heritage Trends

SNH recognises the need for a strong knowledge base to support and strengthen government policies and initiatives. What we know about our coasts and seas has increased dramatically over the last twenty years, due in part, to rapid advances in technology, allowing us to view, record and measure the species, habitats and physical processes that shape the marine environment. As we have gained more information, so too has the scientific, political and economic importance of our seas grown and our concerns about human impacts have become particularly prominent. As part of its ‘Trends and Indicators’ programme SNH is actively working to capture, distribute and continuously update all of the available information that may indicate where change is occurring in the marine environment. Facts and figures, when they become available, are presented on the SNH website as short information notes but are also periodically brought together in a more comprehensive publication, the most recent of which was “Natural Heritage Trends: The Seas Around Scotland 2004”.

Sea scorpion Taurulus bubalis amongst red algae - Photo Ben James © SNH

SNH Grants Programme

SNH continues to work with others to protect and improve Scotland’s natural heritage and to help people understand, enjoy and care for it. We offer grants to help others to do this as well. We will deliver our grants through eight new grant schemes. In the autumn of 2005 we introduced some changes in the way we assess applications for grants. If you are seeking a contribution from us of less than £10,000, you can continue to apply at any time (web links to our grants internet pages provided below).

 

Video clips

Below are a few short video clips from recent SNH surveys. Each is provided with a brief description. To view the clips simply click on the Movie Reel at the preferred resolution. A pop-up window will appear and the movie will download and begin automatically.

Movie Files	Description
Mingulay Coral’ - SMALL - MPEG 1 - 17MB Mingulay Coral’ - LARGE - MPEG 2 - 49MB	Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) video footage of Lophelia pertusa reefs located off Mingulay in the Sea of Hebrides.
Near Miss !’ - SMALL - MPEG 1 - 10MB ’Near Miss !’ - LARGE - MPEG 2 - 28MB	Whilst attempting to film the cold water corals in the Sea of Hebrides the SNH ROV was accidentally ‘sucked’ into one of the survey boats bow thrusters. Fortunately a metal grate saved the vehicle and once the thrusters were turned off the ROV could begin its decent to the reefs below.
Serpulid Reefs’ - SMALL - MPEG 1 - 15MB ’Serpulid Reefs’ - LARGE - MPEG 2 - 45MB	Comparative footage of ‘reefs’ and smaller aggregations of the marine worm Serpula vermicularis within two sealochs on the west coast of Scotland.
’Aquatic Acrobats’ - SMALL - MPEG 1 - 11MB ’Aquatic Acrobats’ - LARGE - MPEG 2 - 31MB	Guillemots ‘flying’ past SNH divers in shallow water at Petticowick - a small cove situated within the Berwickshire and North Northumberland SAC.

Other useful links and information

Biodiversity Scotland - managed by the Scottish Biodiversity Implementation Team.

Scottish Biodiversity Forum Marine Working Group - taking forward the delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) Marine Implementation Plan.

UK Biodiversity Action Plan

Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS) - online information system that supports the planning, monitoring and reporting requirements of national, local and company Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs).  Progress against the SBS Marine Implementation Plan can also be viewed via BARS.

Scottish Executive Marine Branch - the Marine Branch is responsible for co-ordinating marine issues throughout the Scottish Executive and for raising the public awareness of Scotland's marine environment.  The branch is made up of three teams, Water Quality, International Agreements and Marine and Coastal strategy.

Seas The Opportunity 2005 - the Scottish Executive’s strategy document for securing the long term sustainability of Scotland's marine and coastal environments for future generations.

Advisory Group on Marine and Coastal Strategy (AGMACS) - advisory group formed in September 2005 to take forward the development of the Scottish marine and coastal strategy.  The group is chaired by the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs.

Coastal and marine national parks - Scottish Executive web pages - SNH web pages.

SNH Trends and Indicators website

The Seas Around Scotland 2004 - produced as part of SNHs Natural Heritage Trends series - a summary review of the state of Scotland’s marine environment.

Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code - a marine wildlife watching code for Scotland - a guide for everyone, including wildlife tourism operators explaining how to watch our wildlife in such a way that it stays wild and stays around!  The guide covers whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, otters, turtles, seabirds and shore birds.  The Code is being launched on the 27^th November 2006 by Rhona Brankin (Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs).

SNH Grants programme - online grant application forms and guidance - marine biodiversity related projects should be submitted under ‘Waters for Life’ or ‘Supporting biodiversity’ themes.

SNH publications - 'Scotland’s Living Landscapes' series, 'Scotland’s Wildlife' series, 'Naturally Scottish' series and the SNH Marine Videos series

Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) - provides information for marine environmental management, protection and education.  It is a centre of excellence in spatially based and time-series marine biological information and supports good stewardship in the marine environment.

Marine Conservation Society - the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to caring for our seas, shores and wildlife.

Seasearch - Seasearch is a national project for volunteer sports divers who have an interest in what they're seeing underwater, want to learn more and want to help protect the marine environment.

 

Forthcoming marine events

· "Marine Spatial Planning: A Scottish Perspective” - Annual Clyde Forum conference, 21^st November 2006, The Lighthouse, Glasgow" - http://www.clydeforum.org/

· “Climate Change and the Marine Environment. The state of knowledge and our responses” - A Coastal Futures Conference 30^th November 2006 London - http://www.coastms.co.uk/

· Scottish Marine Biodiversity Conference - SNH Battleby on 22^nd March 2007 - workshop based event focussing on the development of the next iteration of SBS Marine Biodiversity Plans.