RESEARCH MADE IN ST ABBS

1 I Research made in St Abbs www.marinestation.co.uk I 1 St Abbs Marine Station

Located on the East coast of Scotland, St Abbs Marine Station has different sized experimental tanks up to 7 metres long, a large mesocosm, and a minimal electromagnetic footprint.

COMMERCIAL CHARTER AND FISHING BOATS

St Abbs

100,000 LITRE MESOCOSM 275m2 RESEARCH AQUARIUM

OFFICE AND LABORATORY

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2 I Research made in St Abbs

Research Made in St Abbs

St Abbs Marine Station Our Vision 4

Introduct ion 5 Research The So cial-E cological S etting 6  Research Framework 7 Training including environmental

Marine S tre ssors 8 Influence  Su stainab le M anage m e n t 12

Long-term Surveillance and Contextual Studies 17  scientists Pa t hw ay to Impact 18 Contact 19

www.marinestation.co.uk I 3 Our Vision

To deliver scientific excellence to tackle local, regional and global marine issues, with particular reference to: • conservation and sustainability, including environmental enhancement • the diverse coastal ecosystems of St Abbs and the wider North Sea • providing training for marine scientists

4 I Research made in St Abbs Introduction

Coastal Seas Under Change Our coastal seas and oceans are facing unprecedented environmental change. Rising sea temperatures, altered water chemistry, new pollutants and fishing can have widespread effects, as can the construction and decommissioning of built structures. In response, new and sometimes untested forms of Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas are emerging to address some of these challenges.

Who We Are St Abbs Marine Station is a private charity dedicated to marine science, conservation and education. We have a tripartite agreement involving the Marine Station and Edinburgh Napier and Heriot-Watt Universities. This is an innovative example of structured collaboration between publicly and privately funded organisations in Marine Science. Our research focuses on the effects of marine stressors and on sustainable management.

www.marinestation.co.uk I 5 The Social-Ecological Setting

St Abbs is an iconic destination on the Scottish North Sea coast and a multi- stakeholder system. It is visited by tens of thousands of divers and naturalists each year due to its clear waters, spectacular geology and coastal walks. The nearshore waters of St Abbs have extensive kelp forests and soft coral habitats and belong to a European protected area. They are also part of one of the oldest Voluntary Marine Reserves in the UK. The cliffs of St Abbs rugged coastline, belonging to a National Nature Reserve managed by the National Trust for Scotland, provide nest sites for thousands of seabirds during their breeding season. St Abbs village has been a fishing community since the 18th century. Fishing activities have changed in that time from herring and white fish to crustacean creeling. Today the village of less than 100 residents is still home to several well- established fishing families, diving charter operators and others involved in the tourist industry.

6 I Research made in St Abbs www.marinestation.co.uk I 7 MARINE STRESSORS

CLIMATE Effects of Climate Change on Temperate Marine Species CHANGE Heat-trapping greenhouse gases are emitted by many human activities. Since the industrial revolution, average air and ocean temperatures have been steadily rising, and are projected to increase further. In the North Sea, sea surface temperature has risen by 1.31°C between 1982 and 2006. Rising water temperatures can affect the metabolism, growth, reproduction and behaviour of species and drive shifts in species ranges. Warming further reduces the mixing of water masses, decreasing the availability of oxygen for marine life at depth. The increased temperatures in the North Sea have changed many trophic interactions, in favour of jellyfish, crustaceans and echinoderms. Climate change also affects the chemistry of the seawater. The oceans absorb one third of the emitted carbon-dioxide, which lowers the pH of the water, making it more acidic. The rate of this acidification is 10 times faster than anything experienced during the last 65 million years. The decreasing pH will have detrimental effects on calcifying organisms, and has even been shown to impair the ability of fish to detect predators. Finally, storms and heavy rainfall events may occur more frequently, which can pose further threats to marine life.

Example Research Questions: • How does the onset of reproduction vary between years; is there a consistent trend? • Is there indication for a mismatch of the timing of biological events of different taxonomic (and functional) groups? • Are there any trends in changes of species compositions and species interactions? • Do life stages differ in their vulnerability to climate change associated stressors?

8 I Research made in St Abbs MARINE STRESSORS

ANTHROPOGENIC Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Marine Invertebrates NOISE/ VIBRATION Levels of introduced anthropogenic underwater noise have increased considerably over the last century through shipping traffic, seismic surveys and the construction and operation of marine renewable energy devices, affecting marine biota. Man-made noise is now formally recognised as a marine pollutant. Marine invertebrates have initially been overlooked in noise research, yet given their omnipresence and multiple ecological roles, they are key to an understanding of any larger- scale effects of noise. There is now evidence that some species are negatively affected, but the responses of most marine invertebrates to noise are still unknown, including those targeted by fisheries. Our aim therefore is to generate relevant information for a wide range of species and to advise regulatory bodies and the government on the wider effects of noise (including vibration) in the environment, and on strategies to help reduce noise pollution.

Example Research Questions: • What are the molecular, physiological and behavioural responses of different invertebrate species to anthropogenic noise? • Do life-history stages differ in their vulnerability? • Does noise mask natural sounds important for navigation and communication? • Do species acclimatise/adapt to noise? • Does noise alter the community structure? • Does noise affect the species’ ecological performance? • Does vibration from marine renewables affect shellfish and other invertebrates?

www.marinestation.co.uk I 9 MARINE STRESSORS

ELECTRO- Effects of Electromagnetic Fields MAGNETIC FIELDS The UK leads the world in the generation of electricity from marine renewable energy devices such as offshore windfarms. There are more projects in planning or construction than in any other country. One consequence of Marine Renewable Energy Devices (MREDs) is electromagnetic field (EMF) emission from subsea power cables. Industry standard insulation prevents electric field (E field) emission but not magnetic field (B field) leakage. The cable configurations combined with the existing B-field creates induced electromagnetic fields (iE field). These EMF can cover large areas of the seabed and vary considerably in strength. Many species are known to utilise the Earth’s geomagnetic field for migration, orientation, hunting and finding a mate. Therefore, anthropogenic EMF in the marine environment could have significant effects on these processes. There is clearly a need to understand the implications of these Marine Renewable Energy Devices (MREDs). However, there is almost nothing known of the ecological effects on particularly invertebrate species that are important to the UK economy.

Example Research Questions: • How are different species affected by EMF? • Does EMF alter life stage development in marine benthic species? • What are the trade-offs with increased bio-space on MRED infrastructure when combined with increased EMF around developments? • What effect does subsea cable burying and subsequent EMF exposure have on endobenthic species?

10 I Research made in St Abbs MARINE STRESSORS MICROPLASTICS, Prevalence and Effects of Microplastics, CHEMICAL AND MICROBIAL Chemical and Microbial Pollution POLLUTION Most pollutants in our oceans originate from land, such as from sewage, cars and trucks, farms and industry. Coastal pollution can adversely affect marine biota and people, and our economy. Marine litter is a key component of coastal pollution. It is defined as any persistent solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in marine and coastal environments. Marine litter comprises larger size debris as well as microplastics (particles < 5mm, usually much smaller). These are released through the use of cosmetics, clothing and industrial processes or through degradation of larger litter. There is now no ecosystem on the planet where microplastics are not found, yet our understanding of its effects is still at an early stage. These particles are actively or passively ingested by marine organisms, often accumulating in their bodies and tissues. Microplastics also have the capacity to absorb and release chemical pollutants, which may further negatively affect marine life. The European Marine Framework Strategy Directive, part of UK legislation since 2010, is bringing a commitment to ensure that “Properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment”.

Example Research Questions: • What quantity and which types of microplastics are present in the seawater and sediments surrounding St Abbs? • What is the prevalence of microplastics in selected species, and what is its effects? • What is the microbial composition of the seawater near St Abbs and surrounding waters?

www.marinestation.co.uk I 11 SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

MARINE Marine Protected Areas PROTECTED AREAS There have been marine habitats in ‘modern’ protected areas for over a 100 years, but in the last 25 years Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have increased more than tenfold in their global coverage. In the UK more than 16% of our coastal waters are now protected. The St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve is one of the oldest in the UK, whilst the area is also within a designated Natura 2000 site. Protected area management in an ever increasingly crowded marine space brings new challenges. The functional and societal value of protected species and habitats is now as important to understand as their biodiversity conservation value if multi-stakeholder conflicts are to be reconciled. New environmental pressures on biota have to be understood to inform management, as do the dynamics and interactions of a wide range of habitats and species.

Example of Broad Research Questions: • What are the ecosystem function and societal benefits of habitats of conservation management importance? • Are there detectable impacts of specific human activities on important marine conservation features? • What are the consequences of different levels of management on the trophic structure and biodiversity outcomes in MPAs, including parasites?

12 I Research made in St Abbs SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL In the North East Atlantic, seabed habitats have in the most part changed as a result of human RESTORATION activities. Oyster beds are a classic example, having been over-exploited and damaged by human pressures such as dredging in the 1800s: they are now amongst the most threatened marine habitats on the planet. However, in an era of rapid changes in the use of marine space through built structures, Marine Protected Areas and Marine Spatial Planning, and corresponding changes in the distribution of historical fishing pressures, there are emerging opportunities for the re-establishment of certain habitats and species. Multiple policy and legislative drivers make restoration a multi-sector ‘win-win’ through a number of potential business models. The ecological evidence that supports cases for restoration and the methods by which it can be achieved are core work priorities at St Abbs Marine Station.

Example of Broad Research Questions: • What are the ecosystem function and societal benefits of restoring specific habitat types? • What methods can be used to enhance and maximise the effectiveness of restoration efforts? • What management approaches are compatible with restoration activities?

www.marinestation.co.uk I 13 SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

TOURISM St Abbs receives thousands of recreational divers each year, plus 45,000 land-based naturalists. There has been conflict between local stakeholders and tourists in the past, and as one consequence, three decades ago the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve was established. The combined effects and opportunities of tourism at St Abbs on terrestrial/ marine biota and the socio-economic situation are little understood. Possibly, St Abbs could benefit from becoming an enhanced sustainable tourism destination, along with effective planning and visitor management, promoting conservation, minimising visitor impact and further benefit the socio-economic involvement of local people.

Example Broad Research Questions: • Are there unresolved stakeholder conflicts between tourists and residents/local industry? How can these be managed? • Is there any indication of negative effects of tourists on local terrestrial and marine wildlife (e.g. their distribution, behaviour, reproductive success)? • Is there potential and local interest for becoming a recognised and marketed sustainable tourism destination? What would be the pros and cons and necessary steps for implementation and marketing?

14 I Research made in St Abbs SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABLE INSHORE Globally, crustacean and mollusc fisheries have grown considerably in importance in recent decades, SHELLFISH partly in an attempt to compensate declining yields that have occurred in many fin-fisheries. In 2013 FISHERIES shellfish has accounted for 33% of the value of fish stocks globally (FAO). Scottish inshore fisheries depend heavily on species such as the European lobster (Homarus gammarus), the Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and crabs (the edible and velvet crabs Cancer pagurus and Necora puber, respectively). All are long-lived and relatively slow growing species, making them particularly vulnerable to increasing fishing pressures and overfishing. Fishermen, both locally and globally report declining yields and are seeking to develop and establish new innovative approaches for best practice, based on sound research.

Example of Broad Research Questions: • What is the population structure and density of the targeted species inshore waters of St Abbs; what is the current fisheries effort and yield of exploited shellfish? • What is best practice to maintain and enhance larval release of commercially landed female crustaceans? • Can densities of commercially important crustaceans be enhanced through artificial habitat and its complexity? • What is the post-discard survivability rate and can it be enhanced?

www.marinestation.co.uk I 15

MARINE STRESSORS SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

Long-term Surveillance and Contextual Studies

Despite the increase in marine stressors and the requirement for sustainable management, our knowledge of marine systems is typically very limited: what we do not know is vastly more than what we do know. For example, less than 30% of our coastal seas are mapped to the level of habitat and communities. Added to this, changes in many basic marine environmental variables are not routinely studied for more than a handful of years. The number of long-term studies of marine communities in the NE Atlantic that exceed 10 years is small. The St Abbs Marine Station with its core-funded staff is uniquely positioned to develop long-term datasets of marine environmental variables and community changes, as well as high resolution understanding of the distribution of the underlying local marine communities.

Example of Broad Research Questions: • What are the yearly and decadal changes in the basic oceanographic conditions of the St Abbs coastal environment? • Where are the habitats of greatest societal value located? • What direct evidence is there of changing climatic conditions in St Abbs, and the surrounding areas? • What are the patterns in settlement of key species and community composition?

www.marinestation.co.uk I 17 Pathways to Impact

• Scaling up our lab experiments using a Single to Multistressor Approach will provide more realistic insights of the responses to multiple stressors that organisms are exposed to in our seas. The core-funded Marine Station is also able to take a Multi and/or Transgenerational Approach

• Our Lab and Field Approach allows us to test mechanistic processes in a controlled lab environment, and to verify responses in the real-world

• We take an interdisciplinary approach through our tripartite collaboration, additional external partnerships and our membership of The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland

• Our research is linked to the management requirements of stakeholders, Government and internationally relevant themes

18 I Research made in St Abbs Contact

General Enquiries [email protected]

Co-Directors of Research Dr Karen Diele [email protected]

Dr William Sanderson [email protected]

Marine Station Manager Kevin Scott [email protected]

For further information and publications, visit www.marinestation.co.uk

The partners welcome complementary research collaborations.

www.marinestation.co.uk I 19 RESEARCH MADE IN ST ABBS www.marinestation.co.uk