The Scottish Association for Marine Science | NEWSLETTER 29

SAMS ISBN 1475-7214

NEW SAMS LABORATORY OPENED!

INSHORE CORAL DISCOVERED IN SEE PAGE 8 March | 05 CoastNET Conference Scottish Marine Group Aquaculture Today 2005 Palaeoclimate Change: High Coastal Spatial Strategies Postgraduate Marine Science 13-14 April 2005 Lattitudes and Ocean Circulation 15 March 2005 Research Topics Mariott Hotel 2-3 June 2005 University of Gent, Belgium 6 April 2005, 10 am – 4 pm www.aquaculturetoday.co.uk Geological Society of London Email: [email protected] The Bute Medical Building www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/earthsci/ www.coastnet.org.uk St Andrews University 2nd European Forum of Young iodpconference.shtml Contact: [email protected] Oceanographers SAMS Open Evening 11-13 May 2005 GLOBEC, IMBER, SCOR, 4 April 2005, 5.30 – 8.00 pm Biological Recording In Scotland Wimereux, France GEOHAB, NERC & CASIX SAMS, Oban Recording & Monitoring the Email: [email protected] Advances in Marine www.sams.ac.uk Marine and Coastal Habitat Modelling Research 9 April 2005 GLOBEC Symposium 27-29 June 2005 Official Opening The Bute Medical Building Climate Variability and Sub- Plymouth Marine Laboratory European Centre for Marine St Andrews University Marine www.amemr.info/ www.brisc.org.uk Biotechnology 16-20 May 2005 Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE Victoria, Canada 6th International Crustacean 5 April 2005 Launch www.pml.ac.uk/globec Congress 2005 SAMS, Oban Sealice report Email: [email protected] 18-22 July 2005 Invitation only 11 April 2005 University of Glasgow SAMS, Oban www.gla.ac.uk/icc6 diaryEmail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Front cover: The new SAMS laboratory was opened on 6 April 2004 by HRH The Princess Royal. contents © Colin Griffiths, SAMS

03 SAMS news 07 Of otters and fish farms 11 Is marine management a myth? Opening of the new found in Scottish waters 05 SAMS laboratory 08 12 Scientific diving The life and work of Studying sea urchins 06 William Speirs Bruce 10

Views expressed in this Newsletter are the views of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SAMS. About SAMS SAMS Membership SAMS Board Ordinary: anyone interested in President The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) marine science. Professor Sir John P Arbuthnott is a Scottish charity (est. 1884), learned society, Subscription - £12 Vice Presidents and company limited by guarantee committed to Student: any person under 18, or Dr Ian J Graham-Bryce improve understanding and stewardship of the Professor Sir Frederick Holliday marine environment, through research, education, registered students at Higher Education Institutes. Professor Alasdair D McIntyre maintenance of facilities and technology transfer. Sir David Smith SAMS is a Collaborative Centre of the Natural Subscription - £5 Dr John H Steele Environment Research Council, and hosts the Corporate: organisations interested in Professor Sir William Stewart National Facility for Scientific Diving, and the Culture supporting marine science. Collection of Algae and Protozoa. It is an academic Professor S A Thorpe Subscription - £60 partner in UHI Millennium Institute under whose Council (Board of Directors) auspices SAMS delivers the BSc (Hons) Marine Unwaged: anyone without a regular Mr W H S Balfour Science, and trains ca 25 PhD students. wage. Subscription - £5 Professor I L Boyd Professor M J Cowling As the owner and operator of the Dunstaffnage For further information and application materials Mrs M M Crawford please contact the company secretary Mrs Elaine Marine Laboratory - three miles north of Oban - Dr A C Goodlad Walton ([email protected]). SAMS is an internationally renowned marine research Dr A MacKenzie establishment currently employing over 120 staff. Our Dr R Scrutton research activities encompass the entire breadth of Professor J Sprent marine science. SAMS focuses much of its scientific Editor activities on multidisciplinary research questions from Dr P Thompson Scottish coastal waters to the . Dr Anuschka Miller Mr R A Thwaites Mr I Townend SAMS, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, (Observers: Dr P Newton SAMS is funded by an agreement with the Natural Oban, PA37 1QA, UK Environment Research Council for its Northern Seas Dr J Howarth) Tel 01631 559300 Programme, by commissioned research for other Board Members Fax 01631 559001 public and private organisations, and by donations Professor R. Cormack and subscriptions from its ca 600 members. SAMS Email [email protected] Professor R. Crofts operates SAMS Research Services Ltd, which delivers To keep up-to-date on events at SAMS, Lord Strathcona SAMS’ commercial activities including the European Centre for Marine Biotechnology and Seas@SAMS, please visit our website: Director and SAMS Ardtoe, an aquaculture research unit. www.sams.ac.uk Professor Graham B. Shimmield Designed by Design Links Edinburgh / Glasgow

02 The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 Dear SAMS member

Dr Anuschka Miller, EDITOR

I suppose all of us involved with marine sustainably. In the annual Newth lecture science ponder from time to time whether ‘Is marine management a myth’?, what we do is of any value beyond that summarised on page 11, Dr Phil Williamson most noble human pursuit of gaining argues for an ecosystem-based approach knowledge and understanding of our as our best option for improved natural world. The importance of an management of our much pressured improved understanding of the sea has fisheries resources. recently become clear when tsunami disaster struck the surrounding It has been over a year since the last the Indian Ocean without warning. The SAMS Newsletter was published, and relevance of marine science research is I should like to thank all members for also reflected in the many advances in their patience. The delay was due to exploiting natural marine resources – such positive developments as moving and the dilemma of not being equally into a grand new building and my joy of But we shall make it up to you this year – adequate at managing this exploitation becoming a mother for the first time… the next issue is already in production! SAMSnews Professor Graham B. Shimmield, DIRECTOR

What a year it’s been! Since I last wrote < Pictured left: SAMS Director, Professor Graham this column, SAMS has expanded Shimmield, and Seafish Chief Executive, significantly, both our infrastructure, John Rutherford, agree the transfer of and our activities. ownership of the Ardtoe Sustainable Mariculture Research Unit to SAMS thanks to a package of support from NEW DUNSTAFFNAGE MARINE Enterprise, the Council, Highlands LABORATORY BUILDING & Enterprise, and Seafish.

At the beginning of 2004 all staff moved species culture with first class facilities, their offices and laboratories from the old Ardtoe complements much of the work 1960s facility into the new, purpose-built done at SAMS, and the two organisations laboratory building at Dunstaffnage. We had been collaborating over many years. celebrated this new phase in the long At a time when wild fish stocks are under history of SAMS on 6th April 2004 with a the dedication. Bruce’s biography is intense pressure, research into rearing grand opening event attended by HRH summarised on page 6. finfish in cultivation is of importance both The Princess Royal alongside around 80 to the environment and to the people of dignitaries from academia, politics, SAMS ARDTOE LTD Scotland. At SAMS we are happy that we business and the local community. We were in a position to contribute to the share some of the highlights of the day SAMS has further expanded by taking on continued survival of the excellent facility with you in the picture diary on page 5 a second site. Thanks to support from and research at Ardtoe. of this Newsletter. Lochaber Enterprise, the Highland Council, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, and the Dr Kenny Black from SAMS is acting On the day, we dedicated the new SAMS Sea Fish Industry Authority, SAMS could director of SAMS Ardtoe, and together conference room to William Speirs Bruce, acquire the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit with the staff at Ardtoe is developing a Scotland’s great pioneering marine polar from Seafish in late October 2003. Ardtoe world-class facility for fundamental and scientist and leader of the Scottish National is now managed as a SAMS subsidiary applied research in fish biology and Expedition. The increasing focus under the name of SAMS Ardtoe Ltd. environmental interactions. Research on at SAMS on polar research, especially the cultivation of marine finfish species Northern Seas, made this dedication to For many years Ardtoe researchers continues. The three most recent Bruce, whose achievements have only including Drs Jim Treasurer and Chris researchers to join Ardtoe, Drs Ben recently started to receive the recognition Cutts have been at the forefront of the Wilson, Dave Schoeman and Tim Atack, they deserve, very appropriate. We were development of halibut and later cod significantly widen the research portfolio. fortunate that in Sir we had rearing in the UK. The first farmed haddock I would like to use this opportunity to another polar explorer among our guests, in Europe was grown at Ardtoe, and warmly welcome all Ardtoe staff – new and who – on the 25th anniversary of his own Ardtoe staff pursue projects on fish feed old – to SAMS, and to thank them for their reaching the on foot – made and nutrition. As a world leader in marine great enthusiasm.

The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 03 SAMSnews CONT.

in benthic taxonomy, continues to conduct benthic surveys and coastal environmental impact assessments – from project management, field surveys and advisory roles through to taxonomic analysis, training and reporting. The customer base had previously been restricted to the aquaculture industry and the regulatory sector, but with the added resource and skills base available within SAMS, Seas@SAMS may now additional be in a position to offer its services to the oil and gas industry, the offshore wind energy sector, and port authorities.

FAREWELL AND WELCOME!

Since the last Newsletter two of SAMS’ The first two honours graduates, Louise Wilson and Daniel Vincent, receive their BSc (Hons) Marine Science certificates from SAMS President Dr Ian Graham-Bryce during his last official function. © L Robb most outstanding scientists, Dr John Gordon, leader of the deep-sea fish group, and Professor John Gage, leader FIRST HONOURS GRADUATES lecturing team. But as the vast majority of of the deep-sea benthos group, took SAMS staff are actively involved with retirement. Both had been with the Education is a major component of the teaching and supporting the degree organisation as Research Fellows for many SAMS mission, and has played an programme, the high quality of the course years, and much of the long-standing important role throughout the 121 years is an achievement all staff can be proud of. reputation of SAMS has been built on the of SAMS history. But never before was pioneering work of ‘the two Johns’. Any the Association as active as now in The presence of a significant number of deep-sea biologist will be familiar with contributing to the education of the next both undergraduate and postgraduate their work in pelagic and benthic biology, generation of marine scientists. students has significantly rejuvenated the and it is not possible for me to convey the atmosphere and style at SAMS, and keeps gratitude of the organisation for their The development of Scotland’s only us all on our toes… decades of service in a few words here. honours degree course in marine science came to a successful conclusion with the SEAS@SAMS Fortunately, both have accepted first cohort of honours students graduating Honorary Fellowships from SAMS and will at the SAMS Annual General Meeting in For many years Dr Tom Pearson and continue their work. Being freed from the November 2004. The external examiners, John Blackstock had operated the demands of institutional administration an invaluable source of advice and support environmental consultancy SEAS Ltd from and management makes retirement a in the quality assurance of the degree Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory. When rather enticing prospect… programme, were very complimentary they retired, we welcomed the remaining about the knowledge and skills of ‘our’ SEAS staff as new colleagues, and added We also warmly welcome Dr Julian graduates. The success is a tribute to the ‘Seas@SAMS’ to our growing portfolio of Overnell and Dr Tom Pearson as SAMS commitment and hard work of the course commercial activities. Seas@SAMS, with its Honorary Fellows. ● leader, Dr Keith Davidson, and the core significant expertise and good reputation

NEW SAMS PRESIDENT Our new President is Professor Sir The significant developments at SAMS over John Arbuthnott, former Principal and the last years have been directed by a Vice-Chancellor of the University of highly dynamic Council team led for the Strathclyde and Chairman of past four years by Dr Ian Graham-Bryce. In the Greater Glasgow NHS Board. Sir the name of all staff at Dunstaffnage and John’s understanding of management Ardtoe I would like to express my sincerest in academia and public service will gratitude to Ian for the clear leadership undoubtedly be of great benefit to SAMS with which he steered SAMS through a when we will further consolidate our most turbulent time into a brighter future. relationships with the NERC, SHEFC and At the last AGM, Ian stood down as the Scottish Executive in our bid to President to now join the illustrious ranks become one of the leading centres for of SAMS Vice-Presidents. marine science in Europe. ●

The new SAMS President, Professor Sir John Arbuthnott

04 The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 Opening of the new SAMS laboratory building 6 APRIL 2004 BY HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL

Dr Anuschka Miller, SAMS Images by Colin Griffiths, SAMS

HRH The Princess Royal is welcomed by SAMS Director Professor Graham Shimmield. In the background are the Lord Lieutenant for Argyllshire, Mr Kenneth A MacKinnon, and his wife Clare.

HRH in discussion with SAMS UHI PhD The Princess Royal, in conversation students Jennifer Beaumont and Jose with SAMS President Dr Ian Gonzales Vecino about undertaking Graham-Bryce, leaves SAMS postgraduate research at SAMS. Earlier with her protocol party after a Dr Axel Miller (2nd right) had spoken about 105 minute visit. the BSc (Hons) Marine Science degree. The Princess is introduced to some of the SAMS staff and visitors in the foyer – and later again in the café – of the new laboratory.

The Princess declares the new SAMS William S Bruce’s biographer, laboratory building open. Peter Speak from the Scott Polar Research Institute, delivers a During a tour of the new laboratory keynote lecture on the life and The Princess Royal meets a number of work of Bruce. SAMS scientists and students – here the leader of the marine physics group Dr Mark Inall.

On the 25th anniversary of his reaching The Director of SAMS expresses his gratitude Dr Mark Hart (left) tells the Princess the North Pole, polar explorer Sir to the Princess Royal for her endorsement of about latest developments in marine Wally Herbert dedicates the SAMS the new developments. To the right of the molecular biology and biotechnology. conference room to Scotland’s most Princess are SAMS President Dr Ian Graham- Earlier Christine Campbell (centre) of the eminent polar scientist and explorer, Bryce, his wife Elisabeth, and SAMS Deputy recently re-united Culture Collection of William Speirs Bruce. Director Dr Ken Jones. Algae and Protozoa showed the Princess Europe’s largest algal collection.

The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 05 Academia’s polar hero finally recognised

THE LIFE AND WORK OF WILLIAM SPEIRS BRUCE (1867 - 1921) Dr Anuschka Miller, SAMS

William Speirs Bruce was an oceanographer, polar scientist, and explorer of prolific activity and success, who conducted 11 Arctic and 2 Antarctic expeditions, chartered much unknown territory, published scores of papers, and sacrificed what little money he had in the pursuit of polar science. Despite that until recently he was denied the iconic status awarded to other polar explorers like Captain Scott, , , and . Now, SAMS has dedicated its new conference room to the memory of this inspirational Scottish polar scientist.

BRUCE’S EARLY YEARS an emergency camp. This, his 5th polar expedition marks the end of Bruce’s time as Bruce was born in 1867 in London into a William Speirs Bruce was ‘a man who had an apprentice polar scientist. wealthy middle-class family of Scottish more that a little of the stuff that heroes are made of, a man who did great things with a descent. After an unremarkable childhood, he THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL quiet will and a gentle heart, who rarely got acquired his life-long passions for natural ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION that public recognition which was the due of history and Scotland as a 20-year-old his achievements’ (John A Thomson, 1924). freshman during biology courses at the On his return Bruce applied to join the British © The Royal Scottish Geographical Society Scottish Marine Station in Granton. Studying National Antarctic Expedition under Captain Scott onboard (1901-1904), but was medicine at the , in his On 21 July 1904, after a 53,000 km round ignored by Sir , originator spare time he assisted John Murray, editor trip, the returned to Millport to a of the expedition and President of the Royal of the reports, in welcome party, and a congratulatory Geographical Society. Bruce thus began to analysing biological and geological samples message from the King. from the first oceanographic expedition. He plan leading a separate Scottish National To retain, study, catalogue and display the later also proof-read and compiled scientific Antarctic Expedition. Antarctic expeditions vast collection and publish the results from reports. As a consequence the young Bruce from Germany and Sweden coincided with the the expedition, Bruce founded the Scottish met many of the leading natural scientists of two British voyages, but explored different Oceanographic Laboratory in Edinburgh in the time, and gained experience in locations and had complementary objectives. 1907. Unfortunately, only half the expedition conducting and reporting research. Financed by the Coats family, the 35-year-old results were ever published as Bruce could Bruce never finished his medical studies. In Bruce purchased a Norwegian sealer, had not meet all the costs of publishing. 1892 he joined a commercial whaling it converted into an ice-strengthened Bruce’s plans for a second Antarctic expedition to the Antarctic as naturalist and oceanographic ship, and renamed it Scotia. expedition to the and a surgeon. At that time the interior and much He hired 26 experienced crew and six trans-antarctic trip remained unfulfilled, of the coastline of continental seasoned scientists. They departed from as the funding was instead awarded to were entirely unknown. While the commercial Troon on 2 November 1902. Two Shackleton’s ill-fated Endurance expedition. nature of the expedition meant that he books detail the voyage1, 2, and the names returned with scant data and few biological , Scotia Ridge, and samples, he still published his first paper, and commemorate the two-year voyage. Some was hooked on : “The taste of the highlights of the expedition were: If he could not explore the Antarctic, then the I have had has made me ravenous.” • the founding of a meteorological station on Arctic was his next choice. He undertook six more expeditions to Spitsbergen between After a year as meteorologist at the Ben Laurie , which is today Antarctica’s 1906 and 1919. He became involved with the Nevis Observatory, Bruce joined the Jackson- longest permanently occupied base coal mining development of the area, Harmsworth Expedition in 1896 surveying • the detailed mapping of claimed mining rights, but handed them over Zemlya Frantsa-losifa. The following year the • the first oceanographic exploration of the to the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate in 1908. wealthy textile manufacturer, Major Andrew south-eastern Weddell Sea, reaching Returning from his last trip to Spitsbergen in Coats, recruited Bruce as naturalist on a 74°01'S 22°00'W pleasure cruise to . When 1920, Bruce was exhausted and died on 21 • the discovery of Coats Land meeting Prince Albert of Monaco, owner of October 1921. His ashes were scattered in the finest oceanographic research vessels of • the production of some of the earliest the . cine film & recording of Antarctica its time, the Princess Alice, Bruce was invited The Bruce biography3 by Peter Speak is a to join the team of outstanding scientists Bruce’s team was sufficiently experienced - recommended read for further details. on a hydrographic survey to Spitsbergen. and perhaps lucky - not to suffer the Returning on the Princess Alice to misfortune of their ship becoming trapped References Spitsbergen in 1899 for more detailed in ice over winter. Careful planning, 1 Bruce WS (1992) ‘The log of the Scotia Expedition, hydrographic surveying, Bruce was in charge experience and good leadership will also 1902-1904’ (Editor P Speak), Edinburgh University Press of salinity and plankton measurements, and – have limited the death toll to just one man, 2 Rudmose Brown RN, Pirie JH, and Mossman RC (2002) when the ship ran aground near Bruce Point chief engineer Alan Ramsey, who The voyage of the Scotia. Mercat Press Ltd., Edinburgh – for the safety of the crew and equipment at died from heart problems. 3 Speak P (2003) William Speirs Bruce. NMS Publishing

06 The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 Otters in : IMPACTS OF PROLONGED FISH FARMING ACTIVITY

Jane Twelves, SAMS member

SOUTH UIST Otters are seldom found on west but inland an amazing and South Uist is an island in the Outer complex network of otter runs link the low Hebrides archipeligo, off the north west lying freshwater and brackish lochs and coast of Scotland. It measures roughly lead to the rocky seashores. There is a 30 miles from north to south and 6 to 8 pattern to this network as otters take the miles from west to east. Its interesting shortest route between two adjacent lochs. geomorphology provides a range of contrasting habitats across the island. Most otters occur on the rocky east coast. They live in underground burrows The west coast is an almost unbroken known as holts, and mark their territories - stretch of sandy , where the especially the area around their holts - by calcareous is composed of small leaving their faeces or spraints on well- shell particles. Over centuries this sand has defined sprainting sites. been blown inland by westerly winds and formed the famous machair. A rib There is a direct relationship between the > Otters hunt for their prey amongst bown seaweed. © Bill Jackson, of blackland with neutral runs down standing crop of both intertidal and sub- [email protected] the middle of the island. The east is tidal brown seaweeds and the number of dominated by acid peat moorlands and otters. This, of course, is to do with their hills and is bisected by five fjordic sea mostly fishy food, which they hunt for in lochs. The east coast is rocky and the amongst the seaweed. Otter numbers shore is clothed in brown seaweeds. are thus highest along complex coastlines Inland there are hundreds of freshwater and sheltered waters. lochs, with pHs ranging from high in the machair lochs to low in the peaty Most female otters with dependent moorland lochs, while brackish lochs cubs live on the rocky seashore all year occur at the heads of the sea lochs. round because of the good supply of > Thirty years of salmon farming on South Uist has had little or no effect on otters. food throughout the year. Single adult and © Jim Wood OTTERS ON SOUTH UIST sub-adult animals roam in the extensive freshwater habitat during the summer Otters are native to the island, and their months feeding often exclusively on distribution and the use they make of the eels (Anguilla anguilla). But when eels different aquatic habitats are fascinating hibernate on the bottom of the lochs and as a transect from west to east across are thus difficult to locate, these otters South Uist reveals. return to the feeding grounds on the rocky coast. > Otters are shy and their presence is easiest OTTERS AND SALMON FARMS assessed using tracks and sprainting sites. © R Shucksmith In 1974 the first salmon farm in the was set up in Loch Sheilavaig in use the habitat in exactly the same way South Uist. As the first cages were being as their forbears, there were just as many constructed, my concern grew that there signs of otters in Loch Sheilavaig as there may be a conflict between this new had been 23 years earlier. industry and the otters living in the loch. I thus began to monitor holt usage, but In the 27 years of salmon farming between found no indication of diminished use as 1974 and 2001 an estimated 10,000 the salmon farm became established. tonnes or more of salmon were harvested at this site. Assuming an average food I conducted a thorough survey of the area conversion ratio of 1.3:1, approximately in 1978, when I mapped all signs of otters. 13,000 tonnes of fish food were entered Since then I have continued to monitor into Loch Sheilavaig. particular holts, which have continued to be used as the fish farm grew in size. My surveys suggest that this intensity of fish farming activity over nearly In 2001 I repeated the in-depth survey 30 years has had little or no effect > Otters occur mostly on the rocky east coast of South Uist. (Map: S Gontarek) and found that, although the current on the top predators in the aquatic generation of otters does not seem to ecosystem, the otters. ●

The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 07 A coral reef in Scottish SAMS SCIENTISTS MAP OUT A LOPHELIA REEF IN THE SEA OF THE

Dr J Murray Roberts, SAMS

The most commonly recorded species of reef framework-constructing coral in the NE Atlantic is Lophelia pertusa. Records of Lophelia in the Sea of the Hebrides go back to Victorian times when Philip Henry Gosse described it from fishermen’s reports in his classic ‘History of British Sea Anemones and Corals’ in 1860. Since then there have been a few reports of Lophelia from the Minches – a fine specimen made its way to Glasgow University’s Hunterian Museum from a long-line fisherman in the 1900s. More recently dead coral was recovered by dredging east of Mingulay in the late 1960s, and John Wilson, the UK’s longest-standing cold-water coral expert, saw colonies of Lophelia growing on a seabed ridge during pioneering manned submersible dives using Pisces in 1970.

> The Lough Foyle docks at the > The most common reef framework-constructing > Scientists are carefully sieving coral Dunstaffnage pontoon. © JM Roberts coral is Lophelia pertusa. © JM Roberts rubble samples before preserving them. © G Saunders, SNH

The last ten years have seen a large Mingulay and to record some 3.5kHz assess the distribution and status of coral research effort focussed on cold-water echosounder lines. Dead coral rubble, a habitats in the Minch. Focussing on corals around the world, and many fragment of live Lophelia, and a diverse the Mingulay site with the most recent new reef areas have been discovered. animal community were recovered, while records, we also planned to investigate Particularly large and spectacular Lophelia the echosounder revealed an intriguing the Stanton Banks, where Lophelia had reefs have been found on the Norwegian pattern: the surface of the seabed looked been brought in by fishermen in the , some growing to very complex, supporting perhaps a 1960s, and two sites described by Phillip form chains kilometres in length. Sadly boulder field or even a reef area. Henry Gosse, one to the west of Skye and alongside these exciting discoveries, it has the last between the islands of Rum and become clear that many of the reef areas The following year, in the summer of . Our strategy was to survey each have been damaged by fishing activities, 2002, we teamed up with Dr Richard area with a multibeam sonar to produce especially bottom trawling. Bates of the University of St Andrews an accurate bathymetry, which could then and set off for the Mingulay site on the be used to identify promising areas to Interest at SAMS in the Hebridean SAMS vessel Calanus. However, as we deploy cameras for seabed videography Lophelia areas began seven years ago made our way across the Minch, the in search of live Lophelia reefs. with the start of cold-water research at weather worsened, and there was only Dunstaffnage. The existing UK records time for a quick camera deployment In the winter of 2002 and spring of 2003 were collated with the British Geological before running for cover in the face of we built a partnership of organisations Survey for a report in 1999, and we began more gale force winds. On the positive all contributing to the MINCH project. to wonder whether live Lophelia reefs side, the video images showed coral The partnership grew to include SAMS, still occur in the Minch, and how rubble on the seafloor. Our case to the Department of Agriculture and Rural widespread they might be. Our first survey the area was growing. Development in Northern Ireland, the opportunity to look came in 2001 during British Geological Survey, TOPAZ a SAMS research cruise aboard RRS Given these tantalising glimpses of what Environment and Marine, Scottish Natural Discovery. As the ship sheltered in the might be there, we began the process Heritage, and the Scottish Executive. Minch from autumn gales, a few hours of developing the MINCH project – of ship time were used to sample the Mapping INshore Coral Habitats. The Work began in earnest in April 2003, when seabed in the calmer waters east of idea behind this project is to map and the Lough Foyle was surveyed and fitted

08 The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 waters! HEBRIDES

with a special multibeam transducer bracket while she was in dry dock.

In the first week of July 2003, the research vessel Lough Foyle tied up to the Dunstaffnage pontoon to set out surveys and taking seabed samples. > 3-D view from the multibeam survey of ridge on the MINCH project. Blessed this time Grab samples of the dead coral rubble features east of Mingulay. The coral reef is with perfect, calm weather we began to showed that it supported a wonderfully represented by the many small mounds next to this ridge. © MINCH project run multibeam survey lines across the diverse community of sponges, Mingulay study site. We had chosen a bryozoans, anemones, bristle worms, sonar system from Kongsberg-Simrad, crustaceans – the list goes on. These climate changes. We know that reefs are and Chris Harper from Fathoms ran the samples were carefully preserved to hot-spots of biodiversity, but we know acoustic surveys overnight while the rest compare with the growing SAMS little of the ecological relationships of the team slept. Before breakfast each collection of animals associated with between species, nor how species day everyone gathered to review the cold-water coral reefs in the NE change from area to area. Until very night’s survey and pick out areas to Atlantic. The overall tally to date from recently there had been no research on examine more closely with the seabed the European ACES (Atlantic Coral how cold-water corals reproduce or video. The first multibeam survey clearly Ecosystem Study) project comes to over disperse in the water currents. The showed the seabed ridge described by 1,300 species. Some of the coral skeleton physiology, feeding and growth of cold- John Wilson from the Pisces dives. Next samples are around 4,000 years old, water corals remain largely unstudied. to this ridge the seabed formed into a suggesting that the reef structures series of hummocks. They looked similar started to grow as the ice sheet retreated At SAMS our cold-water coral reef to the surveys the Norwegians had and water temperatures warmed some research strategy revolves around produced of their Lophelia reefs. Clearly 10 - 14,000 years ago. monitoring the environmental regime on these hummocks were a top priority for the reefs by sending down a purpose- the camera work. Apart from their intrinsic value and built instrument package that lands on interest, there are a host of research the seabed (the SAMS benthic There was a growing sense of avenues opening up from the study of photolander) and using this information excitement on board when the cameras cold-water coral reefs. The reefs are to help us design laboratory studies of were lowered. As the ship drifted across long-lived structures, and the chemistry live coral to investigate coral growth and the survey area, the habitats on the of the coral skeletons and other animals activity patterns. The Mingulay discovery seabed changed from soft burrowed can be used to estimate seawater allows us to further expand this work. sediments, to areas with fireworks sea temperatures back in time – obviously Our next step will be to visually survey anemones and small stones colonised important to build a picture of past the reef using a remotely operated by colourful crinoids. Then larger rocks vehicle, and plans are afoot to develop a emerged, some of which supported fan- live seafloor observatory to monitor the shaped sponges. A little while later we reef and feed both data and video saw the first patches of coral rubble on information from the Mingulay reef to the seabed. These became progressively the laboratory and across the Internet. denser until – finally – scattered live coral colonies came into view. This looked like The foundation for all these studies the classic zonation pattern through the must be a good understanding of the dead coral rubble bands that surround distribution of coral habitats. The Norwegian Lophelia reefs. Shortly mapping work aboard Lough Foyle afterwards the cameras flew across large succeeded in demonstrating the white coral heads, characteristic of live technology available today for broad- Lophelia. We had found it! There is a live scale habitat mapping. Surely in the Lophelia reef in the Sea of the Hebrides, 21st century it is time to take up where just as the early reports and fishermen’s pioneers like Phillip Henry Gosse left observations had suggested. off and apply modern habitat mapping techniques to describe Scotland’s diverse Buoyed up by this discovery the rest of and valuable marine heritage. We don’t the cruise was spent completing survey > Map of the Sea of the Hebrides with study know what other surprises might be work at the other stations, running video areas. (Map: S Gontarek) out there. ●

The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 09 My PhDA prickly problem: Project Researching sea urchins and their environment

Adam Hughes, SAMS UHI

You usually get one of two responses when you tell someone that you study sea the intertidal biota of sea lochs. The urchins. Either their attention wanders somewhere into the middle distance, or they evolution of this experiment is that I am come out with some witticism such as ‘Urchins eh? That must be a prickly problem’, now using metal cages to exclude the and then go on to ask about the football. But they are not far from the truth: sea urchin urchins from the experimental areas. research is a tricky subject and one that has a long and fascinating history. As well as field experiments I am using These inscrutable creatures occur from The idea behind my PhD is to study various analytical techniques to the poles to the tropics, from the deep- the impact of sea urchin grazing on investigate the trophic of urchins. sea to the intertidal shallows and rock invertebrate communities. Two species of By using fatty acid analysis combined with pools. They often dominate the mobile sea urchin commonly occur on the west stable isotope ratio analysis I hope to link macro fauna and, when found in large coast of Scotland, the green sea urchin, temporal and spatial variation in diet with numbers, can profoundly alter their Psammechinus miliaris, and the edible the reproductive and nutritional status of environment. Their infamous cousin, the sea urchin, Echinus esculentus. Both different urchin populations. crown of thorns starfish, is well known for are omnivorous and feed on a range destroying large areas of coral reefs over of invertebrates such as barnacles and A final problem that has been taxing me, the past decades. But similarly large mussels, and both can occur in high as it has taxed a great number of my aggregations of sea urchins roam the densities. Despite this, their impact on urchin-studying predecessors, is the temperate waters, and equally devour all, invertebrate communities is poorly question of how to tell one urchin from leaving nothing but barren rock behind documented. another. This is relevant if you want to them. Whether these ‘urchin barrens’ investigate foraging behaviour, migration, are a natural phenomenon, or a result of My investigation combines a number of growth rates, or longevity. To this end I over-exploitation of the urchins’ techniques - some well tried and tested, am investigating the use of RFID tags to predators, such as lobsters and otters, is some new and possibly novel - to improve identify individual urchins. These tags, just one of many unanswered questions. our understanding of the relationship similar those used with pets, can be For such a long-studied and ubiquitous between sea urchins and their prey implanted into sea urchins and then read creature many such questions remain species. I have completed a series of field using a scanning machine. This will allow unanswered. For example no one is sure experiments which involved the removal us to return year after year to collect data just how long an urchin lives for. A recent (by hand!) of 5,500 urchins from three on movement, growth and mortality of study that used changes in isotope ratios intertidal sites. Unfortunately I was individual sea urchins. Who knows what following testing of nuclear bombs as a unprepared for quite how tenacious and surprises that will reveal… ● marker, estimated one large urchin mobile these creatures are, and days after species to grow to at least 100 years, and my diligent relocation the urchins had Adam is a third year UHI PhD student probably much more. This exceeds returned to their original homes. In spite of supervised by Dr Maeve Kelly at SAMS previous longevity estimates by an order these problems, the study demonstrated and Dr Dave Barnes from the British of magnitude. that urchin grazing can profoundly alter Antarctic Survey.

> The edible sea urchin, Echinus esculentus. > The green sea urchin, Psammechinus miliaris. © A Hughes © M Lilley

10 The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 THE 14TH ANNUAL NEWTH LECTURE (Dunstaffnage, 4th November 2003) Is marine management a myth?

Dr Phil Williamson

The anecdote of King Canute’s inability to from our imperfect understanding of the Recovery of specific fish stocks, such control the waves used to be given in dynamics of the marine environment. Yet as cod in the North Sea, to their school history books as an example of knowledge deficiencies for the oceanic abundance levels of the 1960s and 70s is regal arrogance. The more sophisticated realm are hardly surprising, given its a laudable management aim: whether it is interpretation is that he was well aware of relative inaccessibility to humans, and its achievable may depend as much on the human limitations in marine management, greater physical complexity compared strength of the Stream as on catch but needed to show such fallibility to with land-based ecosystems. restrictions or the decommissioning of sycophantic courtiers. We have come Furthermore, the microscopic size and fishing vessels. some way since then, in that breakwaters short life-times of most marine primary and other coastal structures significantly producers necessarily result in greater Some optimism is possible. Most marine change local circulation patterns, offshore seasonal and year-to-year variability. species have experienced global change oil and wind-power developments require Somewhat paradoxically, planktonic many times before, with around 50 major environmental impact assessments and inhabitants of the ‘constant ocean’ are climatic oscillations in the past million well-regulated management, and marine therefore more sensitive to environmental years. For temperate, shallow-water aquaculture necessarily depends on the changes occurring at the planetary scale. species, sea level changes over this time manipulation of natural processes to period have caused a ten-fold change in provide human benefit. Worldwide, the total fish catch has been habitat availability. relatively stable since 1985, at around 130 Yet in many ways we are still at the million tonnes per year. However, major With regard to improving marine hunter/gatherer stage with regard to changes in species composition have management practices, the future of the human use of most marine natural occurred within the global total over that the UK fishing industry has been the focus resources. Despite worthy aims of time, with many stocks declining in of various reports and commissions. achieving sustainability, it is arguable that importance and previously unexploited Political momentum exists for their marine resources – particularly biological stocks taking their place. As a result, an recommendations to be implemented. ones – are inherently unmanageable, increasing proportion of fish stocks are On the research side joint initiatives are since they can never be directly now considered to be overfished (~ 30%) being developed between NERC, controlled. Thus management is or fished at full capacity (~ 25%), and no government departments, and the fishery essentially a socio-economic activity, undeveloped stocks remain. For European laboratories. SAMS scientists already have involving policies and regulations that are fisheries subject to stock assessments, the well-established expertise and interests in directed at human activities, not the overfished and full capacity figures are ecosystem-based approaches to marine resource itself. currently 34% and 46% respectively – management: there could now be new leaving only a fifth of stocks with opportunities to develop partnerships Even with a broader definition of sustainable status, within safe limits. with research users and scientific management that includes exploitation- colleagues, to help achieve sustainable resource interactions, as well as policy European fisheries are, of course, exploitation of marine bioresources. ● and legislation, marine success stories are highly regulated, with policy decisions lacking: management failures seem much underpinned by the work of several Particular thanks are due to Peter Boyle, more prevalent. That is not only because hundred marine scientists in the UK and Martin Angel, Manuel Barange, Keith people misbehave, not doing what others elsewhere – who benefit from well- Brander and David Sampson for expect they should – perhaps because developed infrastructure and facilities, discussions relevant to this lecture. maritime communities rely strongly on and around a century of research effort, their own cultural mores, and hence are catch statistics, and environmental data. Dr Phil Williamson is the UEA-based inherently sceptical of externally-imposed Science Coordinator for three NERC constraints – but also because marine So where did it go wrong, and can it be directed programmes (Marine Productivity, ecosystems misbehave, not conforming put right? No single sector (scientists, Marine & Freshwater Microbial Biodiversity, to human expectations of quasi-stability, policy-makers or fishers) is uniquely at and UK Surface Ocean – Lower Atmosphere nor giving the anticipated responses to fault for past mistakes, but future success Study). changes in exploitation pressures or will require a more conciliatory and other perturbations. cooperative approach between the parties. For information on the NERC Marine Success will also require an appreciation Productivity programme, see Such apparent contrariness of the natural that ecosystem effects, arising from large- www.nerc.ac.uk/marprod world is demonstrated by the ‘stochastic’ scale environmental changes, can no occurrence of good years and poor years longer be considered as noise, averaging For information on the international Global for harvested species, and regime shifts out over a few years: Even in the most Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics project, see between different ecosystem states. optimistic scenarios, the future will www.globec.org The inexplicability of these events arises inevitably be very different from the past.

The Scottish Association for Marine Science NEWSLETTER 29 11 Diving in the pursuit of science ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF SCUBA DIVING FOR STUDYING SUBTIDAL POPULATIONS

Chris Poonian, King’s College London

In recent years SCUBA diving has been widely employed for assessing commercial stocks, for conservation studies, and for detailed ecological research in both temperate and tropical environments. SCUBA allows in situ observation of organisms and provides information unobtainable by other survey methods. However, much scientific work employing SCUBA simply utilises standard or convenient procedures, despite evidence of unacceptable levels of imprecision and consequent low reliability and repeatability.

As SCUBA dive time is limited due to Also the mobility of the organism under financial and logistical considerations, it scrutiny varies, and operates in conjunction is particularly important that surveys are with spatial distribution. Mobility in rare conducted with highly efficient techniques. organisms may increase the precision of It is, however, impossible to provide strict estimates because they are more likely to rules for the design of underwater surveys be noticed by a scientific diver. However, using SCUBA. Optimal sample unit sizes mobility can have a negative effect on for a given survey may vary by orders of precision of estimates for common magnitude, depending on the characteristics species as the scientific diver has to of the target organism, environmental identify individuals. This usually results variation, habitat variability, and available in overestimates when individuals are resources. Despite that it is appropriate to counted more than once. suggest guidelines for certain types of surveys and how different factors may affect Cryptic species pose particular problems. surveys. Digital technology also requires estimates obtained. It is likely that most They are usually underestimated because similar survey and analysis times. But surveys will require pilot studies to optimise observers easily miss many individuals. photography has serious limitations in sampling technique, which will save time The precision for estimates of cryptic sub-optimal turbidity and light conditions, and expense in the long term. species can often be improved when particularly when one considers the relatively small sampling units are surveyed, relatively poor definition of photographs as this can help to focus the observer’s currently obtainable from digital cameras. attention. Divers are more likely to miss These effects reduce the size of the cryptic species if too large a sampling possible sampling unit, decrease the unit is surveyed. minimum subject plane-camera distance, and may significantly lower detection The complications of camouflage incidents of small and cryptic species. are exasperated in complex and Large species on the other hand may heterogeneous habitats such as the rocky not fit in the photo frame, while mobile subtidal, where small sampling units may species may be disturbed by divers and be less representative. Larger sampling camera apparatus. units encompass the variability, and thus create more reliable estimates. Artificial The benefits of SCUBA as a means for reefs constructed from standardised the study of subtidal organisms clearly materials, such as the Artificial need to be weighed against the inherent Spatial characteristics of the target Reef, are excellent locations for precise biases in these techniques to devise organism and survey scale are factors ecological investigations because of reliable methods for a given study. that can seriously affect the results. More their structural homogeneity. In such Each study should thus be considered effort is for example required to survey rare environments, small sampling units individually to determine the most species at a given level of precision than provide dependable pseudo-replicates, appropriate sampling unit or method, common species. The size of sampling where even low levels of sampling effort and indeed whether SCUBA is the most unit employed must thus encompass the achieve high precision. appropriate technique. ● scale of distribution of the organism under consideration. Failure to follow PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYS This study was carried out as part of an MSc this recommendation leads to results in Aquatic Resource Management at King’s College, London, and was supervised by Dr Martin Sayer, that exhibit a skewed distribution that Underwater photography as a population SAMS. Diving and underwater photography were misrepresent the population, and estimation technique can produce data arranged by Dr Simon Thurston and Hugh Brown data that hinder statistical analysis. comparable to that from visual diving from the National Facility for Scientific Diving at SAMS. All fieldwork was funded by a SAMS bursary.

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