Marine Scotland

  • Sampling with Sir John

    12th November 2019 by

    MRV Sir John Murray Programme Survey: 0119SJM Duration: 11-19 November 2019 Sampling Gear: 2 m beam trawl with 50 mm cod-end – Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Demersal trawl with 50 mm cod-end – SEPA Day grab and table – SEPA Catamaran and neuston net – Marine Scotland Science (MSS) Nisken water bottle – MSS…

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  • Scotia Amongst the Fjords

    5th August 2019 by

    I was one of 11 scientists on-board the MRV Scotia seeking to better understand carbon dynamics in the sediments and water column around Scotland. My personal goal was to sample sea lochs (fjords) around the northern and western coast of Scotland. Fjords are globally recognised as hotspots for the burial and storage of organic carbon…

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  • Marine Scotland Contributes to International Publication on Ocean Acidification

    25th July 2019 by

    Concern is growing globally about the impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on the marine environment. OA results from a change in the carbonate chemistry of the ocean making it more acidic, primarily as a result of the increased uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This increased acidity of seawater may negatively impact many marine…

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  • Getting to know the Herring and Sprat

    19th July 2019 by

    MRV Scotia Survey: 0919S Programme Duration: 27 June – 19 July 2019 Sampling Gear: Midwater trawls PT160 x 3 Demersal trawl (BT237) Scanmar trawl eye sensor SIMRAD FS70 net sonde x 2 RBR-Concerto CTD with Dissolved Oxygen probe Water sampler for collecting water samples from bottom of CTD dips GoPro cameras x 2 with underwater…

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  • Surveying in the Moray Firth Wind Farm Sites

    17th July 2019 by

    Marine Scotland Science (MSS) colleagues and University of Aberdeen (UoA) postgraduate students set sail on the Alba na Mara to undertake a multi-disciplinary survey within the Moray Firth wind farm sites from the 8th – 12th of June 2019.  The aim of this survey was to characterise the distribution of the prey species (fish schools,…

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  • Scallops, Starfish and Heavy Metal

    24th June 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 1019A Programme Duration: 15 June – 04 July 2019 Fishing Gear: Scallop dredges Objectives: Carry out a survey of scallop stocks on the East Coast. Age, measure and assess shell damage on all scallops caught. Collect information on by-catch of other commercial fish and shellfish species. Identify and quantify numbers…

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  • BOWLing for Prey Species

    20th June 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 0919A Programme Duration: 8-12 June 2019 Equipment: Pelagic net PT 154; “Bongo” net plankton sampling equipment; Seabird SBE19 CTD; Water sampling mini-rosette; Sandeel dredge; Day grab and grab table; and EK 60 sounder. Location Names: Beatrice Offshore Wind farm Limited  (BOWL); Moray East Offshore Wind farm (MEOW); and Moray West…

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  • All Eyes on New Worm Species

    18th June 2019 by

    There’s a worm at the bottom of the sea – and it’s been discovered off the Scottish coast by a team of scientists from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Marine Scotland Science (MSS) and Thomson Environmental Consultants. But this isn’t an ordinary worm – the newcomer has a unique anatomy with its eyes in…

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  • Coastal Temperature Data Published on World Oceans Day

    8th June 2019 by

    As part of the Scottish Coastal Observatory, Marine Scotland and a group of dedicated volunteers record coastal water temperatures around Scotland. Today, on World Oceans Day, the coastal water temperature data from 14 monitoring locations are being published. The volunteer-based observing network works by the volunteers receiving a small self-recording temperature sensor every three months…

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  • Grabbing Samples at Decommissioned Murchison

    14th May 2019 by

    MRV Scotia Survey: 0619S Programme Duration: 28 April – 05 May 2019 Equipment: Day grab; Sieve table; TV drop frame with lasers; Armoured cable; Multibeam echosounder system; Sound Velocity Profile (SVP); Time-lapse cameras; and Associated moorings. Objectives Assess the macro benthic ecology of drill cuttings material using time-lapse cameras. Procedure MRV Scotia will depart from…

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