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| Minke whale, basking sharks and Risso's dolphins will be among a wide range of biodiversity and geological features to be safeguarded following the designation of four new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). A further 12 sites have been given Special Protection Area status, providing additional protection to Scotland's vulnerable marine birds including sea ducks, divers, grebes and our iconic seabirds. |  |
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| Mandatory controls over the harvesting of wild wrasse for managing sea lice in the salmon farming industry have been announced by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing. The new measures are to be introduced following a recent consultation with the industry and will be brought into effect from 1 May 2021. Fishers will have to meet certain criteria, show they have an appropriate relationship with an aquaculture business and have a proven track record to obtain a permit for harvesting wild wrasse. | |
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| In conversation with Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, about the Scottish Government's recently published Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. | |
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| Colleagues on our marine research vessel (MRV) Scotia recently came to the assistance of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) while they were out conducting sampling work in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. The scientists onboard Scotia received notification from the Marine Autonomous Robotic Systems (MARS) facility, within NOC, that the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) they were piloting, remotely, was in trouble. | |
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| The Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme has commissioned research to confirm the existence of Sabellaria spinulosa (Sabellaria) in reef form off the Scottish east coast. Sabellaria has been known to exist in Scotland for a while, but the significance of classifying it as a 'reef' is that it gains protection under the Habitats Directive and under OSPAR. As well as confirming the presence of Sabellaria reef habitats, the study uncovered a new subtype of Sabellaria reef off the east coast of Aberdeenshire. | |
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| It's not easy to learn about what is going on under the surface of the ocean, but a new study is exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help Marine Scotland uncover the secrets under our seas. Published as part of the Scottish Marine Research Energy (ScotMER) Programme the new report considers how Marine Scotland could harness AI technology to get better datasets and information that complement the wider research around offshore renewable energy and support decision-making. | |
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