THE SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION FOR MARINE SCIENCE NEWSLETTER NO. 1 6

O C TO B E R 2 0 0 0 SAMS NEWSLETTER 22 THE SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION FOR MARINE SCIENCE

The Minch in Tranquil Mood- Tac kling the threat s See Page 11

©John Anderson, Highland Image THE SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION FOR MARINE SCIENCE NEWSLETTER 2 2

Contents SAMS Board Scottish Marine • SAMS News President Group • Rockall Plateau now in International Dr Ian Graham-Bryce Waters: the fleets move in Vice Presidents SMG • Fishing moves to Deeper Waters Professor Sir Frederick Holliday Autumn Meeting 2000 Sir Cyril Lucas • ASP – Causes, Effects and Professor A.D. McIntyre Thursday, 26 October Consequences 1000-1030 hrs Dr J.H. Steele • WWF’s Oceans Recovery Campaign Professor Sir William Stewart University of Stirling Professor S.A. Thorpe • Scottish Marine Group Sustainable Development in New Study into Fish Populations Council the Marine Environment Professor G.S. Boulton of the Lower Forth Estuary. Professor P.R. Boyle Contact: Dr Hamish Mair • Managing fisheries to protect Mrs M.M. Crawford Email:[email protected] seabird communities Dr C.D. Todd Tel. 0131 451 3314 • Member’s View Fax: 0131 451 5078 Board Members The Minches – Better management Professor R. Crofts of hazardous traffic. Professor A.D. Hawkins Professor D.W. Mackay • Biogeochemistry 300 metres down Professor A. Miller west of the Inner ! Professor J.C. Smyth • Autosub samples Loch Etive Mr. A.M.J. Wemyss SAMS AGM Director 6 November 2000 Professor Graham B. Shimmield Congratulations to Graham Shimmield who has been granted an Honorary Professorship by the Invitation MarLIN University of St Andrews TO JOIN SAMS and to John Gage Categories of membership - The Marine Life who has been granted an Information Honorary Professorship Ordinary: All individuals interested in by the marine science Network for University of Aberdeen Subscription - £10 p.a. Britain & Ireland Editor: Helen Anderson, SAMS, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Student: All persons under 18 years Oban, Argyll, PA34 4AD. old or registered students For information Tel: 01631 562244 at a Higher Education Fax: 01631 565518 Institute in E-mail: [email protected]. support of marine Web site: Subscription - £5 p.a. environmental http://www.nerc-oban.ac.uk/dml Corporate: Organisations interested in Assistance received from supporting marine science. management, protection and Dr Clive Craik in the production of Subscriptions - £50 p.a. this Newsletter is acknowledged education, with thanks. Views expressed in this Newsletter For information contact: visit: are the views of the individual Helen Anderson, contributors and do not necessarily SAMS, DML, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4AD www.marlin.ac.uk reflect the views of SAMS Email: [email protected]. Designed by Design Links, Edinburgh

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SAMS News Pr ofessor Graham B. Shimmield Di r ector of SAMS and Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory

Left to right: Graham Shimmield, Ray Michie, MP, George Lyon, MSP, and Scottish Fisheries Minister, John Home Robertson, MP, MSP, beside the DML recompression chamber during their visit to Dunstaffnage. © John Anderson, Highland Image.

he last two months have seen I am confident that our skill base, Minister, by Ray Michie, Member radical changes in how infrastructure and location at of Parliament and George Lyon, Tmarine science in the UK Dunstaffnage give us a sound basis Member of the Scottish Parliament. will be funded. The NERC Council on which the future of the NERC’s decision gives SAMS the has dissolved the Centre for Coastal Laboratory, as the headquarters of opportunity to emerge as a key and Marine Sciences (CCMS), SAMS, will be built. institution able to provide the allowing its three sites at Over the past few years, SAMS has scientific base for policy and Dunstaffnage, Bidston and Plymouth established key relationships with the legislation in marine science to reconstitute themselves with local university sector, especially the issues affecting not only and regional partnerships. University of the Highlands and but also the UK and Europe. In At Dunstaffnage, the Laboratory will Islands project, and with the private this Newsletter, articles on the deep pr obably rev e r t to sole operation and sector. More recently, there has been water fisheries and fish stocks to the management by SAMS, effe c t i v e l y the emerging research and west of Scotland are supreme ret u r ning to the pre-1989 constitution. development effort supported by examples of the value and relevance Funding from NERC will have to be Highlands and Islands Enterprise and of our work. Over the coming won in competition and bid for over the Scottish Executive, to establish months, the staff at Dunstaffnage, the last few months of this year Dunstaffnage as a location of the Directorate, Council and whilst SAMS re-negotiates its independent marine scientific individual members will all be able to relationship with NERC. Despite the excellence. In July, we were play an important role in shaping initial dismay and major uncertainty privileged to receive a visit by John the Association’s research and over the implications of this decision, Home Robertson, Scottish Fisheries teaching agenda.

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SAMS News co n t i n u e d Pr ofessor Graham B. Shimmield Marine A warm ‘thank you’ Science and welcome Degree

he first of August marked another occasion: Sir David Smith stepped y the time you receive down after being President of SAMS for over six years. Throughout my this Newsletter, one Ttenure as Director of SAMS, Sir David steered the Association through Bof SAMS objectives some difficult political and operational issues with great insight and vision. He will have been realised – the provided integrity in our relationship with NERC, reminding SAMS Council and arrival of the first cohort of members of the value of true partnership and mutual respect between the organisations. His period as President saw the emergence of a major portfolio of undergraduate students at SAMS research and teaching commitment. Personally, I benefited tremendously Dunstaffnage, studying for a from the frankness and support he gave me. BSc in Marine Science with the University of the Highlands At this challenging moment in the and Islands project. Association’s development, we are extremely fortunate to welcome as our new The gestation of this new President Dr Ian Graham-Bryce, formerly University has been Principal of the University of Dundee. Ian challenging and rewarding, brings knowledge and background gained as a with much to celebrate and chemist, an industrialist and the Principal of a university with a major research reputation. admire. For the first time, He was also a Member of NERC Council and students in Scotland can Chairman of the Prior Options (1996) Review register for an interdisciplinary Committee. degree in marine science at a I am sure I speak for the entire membership of fully operational research SAMS in thanking Sir David for his dedication facility where they will have and in welcoming and thanking Ian for picking access to vessels, aquaria, and up the mantle of President. diving facilities a few meters The remainder of this millennium year will from the environment they Sir David Smith prove to be very interesting! are studying. This unique educational experience has been achieved through the vision of Professor Jack Matthews and SAMS Council, the hard work of the Marine Science degree team and the support of Dr John French in his role as Head of Academic Development with the UHIp. The teaching and dissemination of marine science knowledge is part of the SAMS constitution and I am absolutely confident that this year will be seen as a defining moment in the history of the Association.

Dr Ian Graham-Bryce 4 THE SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION FOR MARINE SCIENCE NEWSLETTER 22

Rockall Plateau now in International Waters - the fleets move in John D.M. Gordon The Scottish Association for Marine Science

international sector of the plateau the area. These stocks are not subject and is fishing for haddock without to any management regulations and any restrictions, despite almost the scientific advice is that they are weekly protests by all sections of the being harvested beyond safe fishing industry. biological limits. The resolution of the haddock At their May meeting, the Advisory problem will require agreement Committee on Fisheries Management between the European Union and the of the International Council for the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Commission which has jurisdiction recommended up to 50% reductions n 1997, the UK Foreign over international waters. However, a in fishing effort on some species Office ratified the United glance at the bathymetric chart with and that there should be no directed INations Convention on the Law the former and new fishing limits fishery for blue ling. Since all the of the Sea. superimposed (see figure) shows that deep-water species straddle the This Convention excludes there are likely to be even greater boundary between coastal state uninhabited rocks being used to problems with deep-water species. jurisdiction and international support territorial claims. Britain’s Large areas of the slopes of the waters it will tax the ingenuity of most westerly claim then became the Rockall Bank and most of the the politicians to devise a system St Kilda group of islands but Rockall Hatton Bank lie between depths of that will be effective in conserving itself remained within the UK 200- about 500 and 1500 m where there these stocks. mile exclusive fishery zone. However, are stocks of deep-water species such Dr John Gordon is a Senior SAMS as the UK could no longer claim a as roundnose grenadier, black Fellow and has been researching 200 mile fishing zone around "the scabbardfish, blue ling and deep- deep-water fishes since 1975. rock", large areas of the Rockall water sharks. Several countries Between 1995 and 2000 he chaired Plateau and the Hatton Bank became previously excluded from fishing in the ICES Study Group on the international waters (see figure). this area are now carrying out Biology and Assessment of Deep-sea The UK National Federation of exploratory trawl and longline Fishery Resources and co-ordinated Fishermen’s Organisations surveys or are actively fishing in the European Deep-fisheries Project. immediately condemned the decision which was made without UK fishery limits in the Rockall and Hatton Bank areas consultation. The Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation,

Bob Allan, was quoted as saying, Pre-1997 "The whole principle of giving up UK Fishery limits an area of that size is something we cannot support. It now means Post-1997 UK Fishery limits our boats will face international competition if they want to develop a fishery for unexploited deepwater 500-1000m species out there" (The Scotsman 29.7.1997). 1000-1500m For many years the Rockall Plateau has supported a regulated fishery for haddock by UK and Irish fishing vessels. However, this year (2000) a Russian fleet moved into the

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Fishing moves to Deeper Waters

John D.M. Gordon* and Paul Crozier The Scottish Association for Marine Science

he bulk of the UK’s marine RV Thalassa fisheries are in shallow, Tcontinental shelf waters and many, if not most, are considered to be overfished. In particular, the North Sea cod stocks are in a serious state. As the stocks of fish that are managed by fixed quotas diminish, fishermen turn their attention to non-quota species and several European countries have begun to modify their vessels to fish in deeper waters for new species. The un-regulated deep-water fish of the continental slope to the west of Scotland and Ireland are at depths between about 500 and 1500 m. The landings of deep-water species, such as roundnose grenadier, black scabbardfish and sharks, increased rapidly during the early 1990s and for some species appear to have stabilised. However, landings tell us little about the state of the stocks because, as stocks decline, more effort is required to catch the same amount of fish. Effort is difficult to measure when the target species is continually changing and improvements in the technology of characteristics of the species or deep-water fishing greatly increase species groups. John Gordon’s team the efficiency. at SAMS has been studying the deep- However, a group of colleagues at the water populations of the Rockall French Fisheries Institute (IFREMER), Trough and Porcupine Seabight almost led by Pascal Lorance, have used their continuously since 1975 and this Paul Crozier recording biological data on detailed knowledge of the fishery to work has added further weight to the deep water sharks on board the French allow them to estimate catch per unit assessments of the state of the stocks. research vessel Thalassa. Photographs of effort for all the main species. Recently, through co-ordinating a © A. Carpentier - IFREMER This shows that catch per unit of major European deep-water fisheries effort has decreased considerably in project, SAMS has closely linked this has access to an almost unique data set recent years and has led scientists at work with that of other research teams, on the deep-water fish populations that the International Council for the most notably the Fisheries Research pre-dates the fishery and is already Exploration of the Sea to conclude that Services, Marine Laboratory capitalising on this by linking with the deep-water species are presently being (Aberdeen), the French Fisheries University of the Highlands and Islands harvested beyond safe biological limits. Institute, Ireland and Germany. Project in funding Paul Crozier’s PhD research on The impact of the fishery Successful management of any fish Studies on the ecosystem effects of on deep-water sharks. stock requires a sound knowledge of fisheries have become an increasingly the life history and biological important and political issue. SAMS *Corresponding Author

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ASP – Causes, Effects and Consequences Maeve Kelly* Christopher Bolch* and Dirk Campbell The Scottish Association for Marine Science Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory

mnesic shellfish poisoning detected along the Irish coast and conducted by the Biotoxins (ASP) continues to threaten western and northern Scottish waters. Laboratory, National Oceanic and AScotland’s scallop industry. No confirmed human poisonings Atmospheric Administration, S. Scientists report below on their occurred but closure of many areas Carolina, USA. Toxicity among work and recent advances in our of the fishery persisted into individual scallops from the same site understanding of this phenomenon. Spring 2000 resulting in crippling varied greatly, ranging from 0.1-1845 -1 ASP occurs when people eat shellfish financial hardship to the scallop µg DA g of viscera. Variation also contaminated by domoic acid (DA), a dredging, diving, cultivation and occurred between neighbouring neuro-excitatory toxin produced by processing industries. populations within the same sea loch diatoms of the genus Pseudo- To determine the cause and (<1 km apart) and between separate nitzschia. The symptoms can be distribution of the ASP toxin, scallop populations (up to 5 km apart). severe and prolonged, including and plankton samples were collected The toxin content could not be diarrhoea, vomiting, gastric bleeding from a variety of sea loch and deep related to age or size of the scallop or and neurological disorders, such as water environments in December to depth of collection. Despite this disorientation and indefinite memory 1999. This research was funded by variability, viscera consistently loss in severe cases. Highlands and Islands Enterprise, accounted for over 90% of the total The systematic ASP testing of and the toxin burden. Of the edible tissues, shellfish from Scottish waters in early Scallop Association. We examined the gonad typically contained less 1999 was followed by detection of geographical variation in toxin than 6% of the total toxin and the widespread ASP contamination of content by measuring the amount of adductor contained negligible king scallops Pecten maximus in ASP toxin within the adductor (white amounts of toxin (0.4%). One July 1999. ASP toxins above the meat), gonad (roe), and the solution for the industry may be to internationally accepted closure remaining visceral tissue (gut and follow the US practice and discard limit (20 µg DA g-1 of tissue) were mantle). The DA analysis was the more highly toxic tissues.

Compartmentalised representation of scallop organs. Dirk Campbell on board a scallop grower’s boat, collecting dive-caught king scallops for toxin analysis. © Maeve Kelly

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Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms were controlling growth of the causative dominant and widespread in Scottish algal species and the up-take and coastal waters during August and retention of toxins in scallops, can WWF’S September 1999. However they were underpin ways for both industry and absent or only in low concentrations regulators to manage the damaging OCEANS from October to December 1999. impact of toxic blooms on the Despite this, scallop toxicity shellfish industry. RECOVERY remained above the ASP closure limit in many west coast areas well into CAMPAIGN the year 2000. Scallops thus appear Dr Maeve Kelly is a SAMS Research he seas around our shores are to retain ASP toxins for long periods. Associate and leads the Invertebrate home to an amazing variety Our laboratory experiments Biology and Mariculture Group. confirmed that the toxins in the Tof species, including whales, Dr Christopher Bolch is Head of the viscera did not decrease significantly dolphins, turtles, seals and sea horses. Culture Collection of Algae and over a four month period from We even have deep-sea coral reefs, Protozoa at Dunstaffnage Marine December to April. This long rich and diverse like those found in Laboratory. retention time for phycotoxins may the tropics! However, decades of also be compounded by the king Dirk Campbell is a SAMS Research mismanagement have led to unprece- scallops’ low over-winter Associate. dented pressures on our marine life. metabolic rate. Our seas are incredibly important. In With the assistance of Ms N. addition to their nature conservation Lundholm of the University of value, they represent an important Copenhagen, we identified seven part of our heritage and economy, potentially toxic species of algae in providing us with food, jobs and the 1999 blooms. Three of these recreation. To help revitalise our species were isolated for growth in seas, in July 2000 WWF launched the the laboratory at DML to confirm Oceans Recovery Campaign (ORCA). toxicity. The most abundant species ORCA draws attention to the from the 1999 blooms, P. australis, multiple threats facing our marine has now been shown to produce high wildlife and coastal communities, and levels of domoic acid in the lobbies for greater protection and commitment to oceans recovery. laboratory (Dr P. Hess, Fisheries Dirk Campbell sampling plankton to identify Research Services, Marine and assess the abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia WWF is working with the fishing Laboratory, Aberdeen). Another spp at the scallop sampling sites. industry to ensure a healthy marine common species, P. pungens, has so © Helen Anderson environment where life is thriving far proved to be non-toxic. and fishermen are able to fish in In June-August 2000, a complex mix perpetuity. This involves the creation of Pseudo-nitzschia species returned of regeneration areas, such as piloting to western Scottish waters and this Fishing-Free Zones, to enhance was followed by the detection of ASP fish stocks. WWF is looking to in Scottish scallops. Continuing government to set up an improved research to characterise and confirm network of marine protected areas the causative species and determine to cover UK waters to 200 nautical their optimal growth conditions will miles. In the longer term, ORCA be aided by a University of is seeking commitment from Highlands and Islands Project governments to marine ecosystem studentship grant beginning in management by the introduction October 2000. of an Oceans Act. ASP and other phycotoxins will In all of this, organisations such as continue to threaten the economic SAMS are vital for providing quality, Cells of the toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia viability of Scotland’s scallop independent science. australis from a laboratory culture at DML’s industry. Improving our Find out more about ORCA Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa understanding of the yearly by visiting our website www.wwf- variability of blooms, the factors *Corresponding Authors uk.org/orca or calling our hotline number 0845 121 0500

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SAMS Prize Meeting – May 2000 at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Marine Science Studies in Scotland

Ab s t r a c t A New Study into the Fish Populations of the Lower Forth Estuary Marin Gree n w o o d Fo r th Estuary Ecology Group, University of Stirling Winner of SAMS prize of £100 for the best postgraduate pres e n t a t i o n

he fish populations of the the dark, it is hoped a reasonably station sampling. In both methods Forth Estuary have been accurate estimate of fish removal by sprat account for approximately Tregularly monitored for more the power station can be obtained, 50% of total numbers, then herring than 20 years by the Forth River and that this can then be related to (25%) and whiting (between 5 and Purification Board and its successor, estimates of fish abundance and 10%). These three most common Scottish Environment Protection biomass obtained by trawling. species use the estuary seasonally, Agency (SEPA) East Region. coming in during autumn and Initial results from 1999 suggest that Surveys were carried out using winter, and leaving in summer time. a combination of midwater and Agassiz trawling, a method suitable This is best shown by the much Agassiz trawling produces more primarily for sampling benthic and more apparent seasonal trends in the comparable data to that from power demersal species, such as flatfish and results from the power station, gadoids. Inevitably, midwater species where sampling is more frequent. such as clupeids (sprat and herring) Both sampling methods illustrate an are mostly missed when sampling in ichthyofauna typical of northern this way. This lack of knowledge temperate estuaries, in which about midwater species becomes environmental conditions vary significant when looking at the sharply, consisting of relatively few species composition of fish removed species. In the Forth, ten of the by cooling water abstraction at most common species account for Longannet Power Station. In a study over 95% of total abundance of fish. by Peter Maitland for Scottish Power, clupeids dominate numbers The judges found it difficult to recorded in these samples. choose the winner from the presentations, the others being made My research project, which is by Melanie Bergmann (University funded by Scottish Power, involves Marine Biological Station, carrying out novel midwater Millport/University of London), trawling, as well as Agassiz trawling Rhys Bullman (University of by SEPA's Research vessel Forth Stirling), Stephen Craig Ranger, to obtain further knowledge (SAMS/University of Aberdeen), about the lower Forth Estuary's Edward Salter and Xiao Hua Zhang ichthyofauna. This is combined (Heriot-Watt University). with a more intensive sampling programme at Longannet Power Dr Hamish Mair, SMG Convener, Station than previously undertaken. Heriot-Watt University, is thanked By looking at rates of impingement for organising this enjoyable and over a year, and with varying tidal interesting meeting and the use of heights, as well as in the light and in the Heriot-Watt University facilities.

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Managing fisheries to protect se a b i r d communities Bob Furness Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow

t is difficult to assess whether reductions in prey fish abundance Ihave been caused by fisheries or by environmental factors, but such reductions can lead to region-wide seabird breeding failures. By contrast, the 25 million tonnes of fish discarded worldwide each year support huge numbers of large scavenging seabirds, which upsets the natural balance in seabird communities. Can fisheries management adjust to become ‘seabird friendly’? The answer is yes, and many organisations have been pressing for such developments. Two aspects affect Scotland; the North Sea sandeel fishery and changes in discarding rates from the Scottish demersal fisheries. been concern that sandeel fishing might switching away from feeding on Br eeding success of many species of af fect seabird breeding success throu g h discards to killing other seabirds; as a se a b i r ds tends to be higher where large stock depletion, especially in areas close result kittiwake breeding numbers in populations of small, schooling, lipid- to major seabird colonies. Bree d i n g have fallen by more than half rich fish are available since they prov i d e pe rf o r mance of some seabirds is affe c t e d and several colonies near skua breeding a high-energy package to carry to chicks. by reductions in sandeel abundance. areas have been extirpated. While In the southern North Sea, seabirds can nobody is likely to favour high levels of At a political level, agreement has been feed on sprats, young herring, and discarding just to feed scavenging reached to monitor seabird breeding sandeels, but in the north w e s t e r n North seabirds, the effect of reduced success in a specific area of the North Sea there are few sprats or young discarding on seabird community Sea where dependent predator numbers he r ring and so sandeels are of primary structure and stability might be an are high, and to use performance of im p o r tance for breeding seabirds. The important seabird conservation issue in kittiwakes as a criterion for the closure no rt h w e s t e r n North Sea holds the large s t coming decades. numbers of breeding seabirds, but that is or reopening of sandeel fishing in that Further reading: Furness & Tasker pr obably related to the availability of specific area, but without reduction of 2000. Seabird-fishery interactions: cl i f f nesting and island habitat. However, the overall North Sea quota for the quantifying the sensitivity of seabirds to it is striking that so many seabirds sandeel fishery. This represents a small reductions in sandeel abundance and depend while breeding on a fish with a but significant step forward in fishery identification of key areas for sensitive sh o r t life-span and highly variable management, taking account of the needs of wildlife as well as fishermen. seabirds in the North Sea. Mar. Ecol. annual rec r uitment and which become Prog. Ser. 202: 253-264.' available to surface feeding seabirds only Most discarded offal and roundfish are when they feed on plankton during consumed by large scavenging seabirds. Bob Furness is Professor of Seabird spring and summer. Sandeels are also the Discards and offal are particularly and Fishing Interactions at the ta r get of the biggest fishery in the North important foods for seabirds in winter, University of Glasgow. He is currently Sea. Around 700,000 tonnes are but some breeding seabirds also take on three years study leave funded by ha r vested annually, mainly by Danish large quantities of discards, such as IFOMA (International Fishmeal and and Norwegian fishermen, for breeding great skuas in and Oil Manufacturers Association) to conversion into fish meal. Despite Shetland. Over recent decades work full time on seabird-sandeel gr owth of the sandeel fishery over the discarding has declined, partly due to fishery interactions. last 30 years, seabird numbers in the declining stocks and catches, but also to Web: http://www.gla.ac.uk/ No r th Sea continued to increase, at least changed technical measures. With this ibls/DEEB/rwf/ until very rec e n t l y . However there has decline, great skuas have been

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Me m b e r ’s Vie w The Minches - Better management of hazardous traffi c Councillor Dr Michael E.M. Foxley, Highland Council

development of contingency plans to environmental damage. In October cope with a modest oil spillage. 1998, representatives of Highland ◗ Compulsory coastguard reporting for Council and Western Isles Council met all shipping moving through the the Minister of Transport in London. Minches. (The coastguards recommend We asked for the Minches to be traffic separation routing for north safeguarded by removing the Right of and south bound traffic. In 1995, Innocent Passage and that the area be 78% used the correct route and 22% designated a MEHRA. Over a year later, were either failing to report or not the UK Government has carried out a using the correct route. By 1999, consultant’s study on MEHRAs which 94% of vessels were using the correct was inadequate and incomplete to the route. However, 3% were failing to report and a further 3% were not point of incompetence. As an example, n 1990, the then Regional Council using the correct route. It is likely that there was no serious reflection of the discussed a report on contingency those failing to report are not using environmental sensitivities around our Iplans for oil pollution as any the correct route.) coastline. The recent Marine Special significant incident in the Minches ◗ Area of Conservation for the would be disastrous for the environment Vessels to use an extended deep water route to the west of the Hebrides Sound of Arisaig was judged by the and economy of the coastal communities consultants to be of the lowest ranking which depend heavily upon , and ideally to the west of St. Kilda of environmental sensitivities! fishing and fish farming. This was the to protect the west coast of the start of the campaign to manage Western Isles. This campaign has now lasted a decade hazardous shipping in the Minches. ◗ All vessels carrying hazardous cargoes and we have achieved a permanent tug In 1993, we had the Braer incident off to use pilots when passing through the at and an improvement in Shetland and could see the potential Minches. vessels using the correct route. However, disaster waiting to happen. After ◗ Removal of the Right of Innocent "the accident is still waiting to happen" discussions with our colleagues in the Passage from the Minches - the key unless we can remove the Right of Western Isles Council and SNH, a joint issue to ensure the above management Innocent Passage and manage shipping paper requested: takes place. in the Minches to avoid an ◗ All vessels with oil and hazardous For several years, Councillor Bill environmental and socio-economic cargoes to carry transponders to Fulton and I have jointly chaired the disaster for the coastal communities. ensure accurate identification and joint committee with the Western Isles We intend to mount a major campaign plotting of vessel routes. Council to campaign for these changes. this winter and shall seek the support of ◗ Radar to monitor all shipping Following the Braer disaster, Lord the Scottish Parliament to try to force movements through the Minches. Donaldson recommended that Marine Environmentally High Risk Areas the UK Government to take this ◗ A permanent rescue tug to be based (MEHRA) be established where there seriously as the control of shipping is in Stornoway. was a significant concentration of reserved for the UK Parliament. We ◗ Specific ring-fenced funding to ensure shipping and a high risk of must succeed to safeguard our future.

Vessel passing through the Minch off , . © John Anderson, Highland Image.

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Bi o g e o c h e m i s t r y west of the

Drs Ken Jones, Kenny Black and Tracy Shimmield are interested in what happens to material transported onto the western Scottish shelf from the Irish Sea, the mainland and the oceans. Attention has focused on sites up to 300 metres deep west of the Inner Hebrides which are periodically isolated from the general circulation. Investigations are underway into how these accumulate organic matter and contaminants of human origin, such as radionuclides, transported in the Scottish coastal current. Among other things, these areas may shed light on recent biogeochemical recycling processes and environmental changes since the last ice age. © Phil Taylor, Research Vessel Services.

The Terschelling, based in Autosub samples Loch Etive Plymouth, usually operates as a salvage vessel. For this work, she The MV Terschelling near Bonawe in Loch Etive in April 2000, working on the was equipped with a cradle Autosub Science Missions project ‘Manganese cycling in sea lochs’. which enabled her to launch the NERC autonomous submersible vehicle Autosub 2 – which is yellow and can be seen on the stern. Autosub 2 was fitted with an in situ manganese analyser, an oxygen meter and a water sampler which measured and mapped the distribution of dissolved and particulate manganese and oxygen in the deep waters of the upper basin of Loch Etive. The results will be used to quantify the cycling of manganese through the water column. The high concentration of manganese found in Loch Etive (and other sea lochs) is probably related to the low oxygen concentration (hypoxia) which is found in the deep bottom waters. © John Anderson, Highland Image.

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