Marine Directorate Communications

Written 357 posts

We’ll be back! Our Return to the West Shetland Shelf

30th August 2019

MRV Scotia Survey: 1219S Programme Duration: 26 August – 11 September 2019 Introduction The survey plan outlines the monitoring survey requirements for West Shetland Shelf (WSS) Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). WSS has been identified for monitoring survey effort following discussion between Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Marine Scotland Science (MSS), taking into…

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Scotia’s Hunt for Organic Carbon

21st August 2019

I am a second-year PhD student at the University of St Andrews and was recently very fortunate to be one of the research scientists aboard the Scotia 1019S survey that took us across Scotland’s seas at the end of July. Following an unpredictable summer, we weren’t sure of what to expect weather-wise at sea. However,…

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Nephrops on the East Coast – An Update

20th August 2019

MRV Alba na Mara Programme Survey 1319A Duration: 8-24 August 2019 The annual Alba na Mara East Coast Nephrops Underwater TV survey returns once again.  A very busy week has been spent in the Firth of Forth working under challenging conditions at times, but despite 40kt easterly gales plenty of headway was made with the planned…

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Scotia Amongst the Fjords

5th August 2019

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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Productive Crossings – A Guest Blog

2nd August 2019

We are hugely excited to tell you about a recent collaboration with Sonia Mehra Chawla.  Sonia has kindly agreed to guest blog for us.

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Clicking with Marine Mammals

31st July 2019

MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 1219A Duration: 25 July – 05 August 2019 Objectives: Retrieve and deploy a series of acoustic release systems (22 subsurface moorings) with attached acoustic recording devices (22 C-POD, 7 sound recorder) as part of the ECOMMAS (East Coast Marine Mammal Acoustic Study), JOMOPANS (Joint Monitoring Programme for Ambient Noise North…

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Marine Scotland Contributes to International Publication on Ocean Acidification

25th July 2019

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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Funded Student Internships in Offshore Renewable Energy

24th July 2019

Are you a postgraduate student interested in a research project on the environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy on fish ecology and commercial fisheries, to help inform government priorities? Then this funded internship programme with Marine Scotland might just be for you! Marine Scotland invites postgraduate students (Masters and PhD), registered with any UK academic…

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Blue Carbon in the Marine Ecosystem

23rd July 2019

MRV Scotia Survey: 1019S Programme Duration: 22-31 July 2019 Objectives: Sediment sampling in the Moray Firth (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling along transect from Moray Firth to Fladen Ground (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling on the Fladen Ground (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling along transect from Fladen to Pentland Firth (grabs and cores). Gravity coring…

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Getting to know the Herring and Sprat

19th July 2019

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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