newsletter 36_Newsletter 11/09/2012 12:13 Page c1 OceanExplorerSAMS Marine science magazine for SAMS members and friends ISSUE 36 AUTUMN 2012

Carbon Capture and Storage What happens when stored CO2 leaks into the marine environment? Page 12-13

CUCKOO EFFECT Page 17 COD GALLORE Page 20 CORRYVRECKAN Page 22 How did the practice to lay eggs What the Sami can teach us Mapping the and flow in nests of other species evolve? about sustainable fisheries... of a legendary area newsletter 36_Newsletter 11/09/2012 12:13 Page c2

Front cover: A scientific diver from the SAMS hosted National Facility for Scientific Diving places monitoring equipment on the Ardmucknish Bay seabed near a carbon dioxide release site as part of the QICS project reported on page 12-13. CONTENTS ABOUT US

1 Director’s welcome SAMS (The Scottish Association for Marine Science) activities aim to deliver world-class marine science that supports society with innovative solutions to 2 Membership news developing a sustainable relationship with the marine environment. We deliver 3 Science news this mission through research, education, services to business, learned society activities and public engagement initiatives. 8 Education news 10 People news SAMS is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in (SC009292) and a registered Scottish charity (009206). It is a learned society with 300 12 CO leaking into seabed 2 members and employs 150 staff at its laboratory at Dunstaffnage near Oban. 14 acidification SAMS administers its commercial services through SRSL, a wholly owned 16 Acidobacteria & coccolithophores commercial subsidiary company. 17 Evolution of the cuckoo effect SAMS also hosts the European Centre for Marine Biotechnology. ECMB is a 18 Changing distribution of species business incubator for new marine biotechnology companies and currently 20 Cod galore hosts two tenants: Aquapharm Biodiscovery Ltd and GlycoMar Ltd. 22 Corryvreckan’s Great Race SAMS is a founding partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands www.uhi.ac.uk and a collaborative centre of the UK’s Natural Environment 23 New Corryvreckan map Research Council www.nerc.ac.uk. 24 Journey to university title 26 Obituary: Johanna Fehling 27 Obituary: Duncan Mercer GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE 28 Obituary: Michael Droop SAMS is ruled by its members, who elect office bearers at the Annual General Meeting. SAMS Council, chaired by the SAMS President, has responsibility for strategy, risk management and appointment and performance of executive management. Council is supported by a Board and four committees. Council members are the non-executive directors of the company.

The Director of SAMS is responsible for the effective management of the Editor Dr Anuschka Miller organisation and is supported by an executive group. Research and SAMS, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, teaching staff are managed within five departments: Ecology; Microbial Argyll PA37 1QA, UK and Molecular Biology; Biogeochemistry and Earth Science; Physics, Sea T 01631 559000 F 01631 559001 Ice and Technology; and Education. E [email protected] Views expressed in this newsletter are the President Professor Andrew Hamnett views of the individual contributors and do Chairman of the Board Michael Gibson not necessarily reflect the views of SAMS. Council (Board of Directors) ISBN 1475-7214 Professor Mary Bownes Professor Peter Burkill Design SAMS Communications Team Mr Stuart Cannon Print J Thomson Printers Dr Keith Duff Paper Revive 100, a recycled grade Professir Bob Ferrier containing 100 per cent post-consumer Professor Lora Fleming waste which is totally chlorine free (TCF). Mr Gordon McAllister Professor David Paterson Funders Dr Carol Phillips Professor Monty Priede Commodore Angus Ross Dr John Rogers Mr Ken Rundle Our main partners Mr Walter Speirs Mr Michael Wilkins Director Professor Laurence Mee newsletter 36_Newsletter 11/09/2012 12:13 Page 1

Professor Laurence Mee Director DYNAMIC

Those of us who enjoy sailing, geochemical processes on the sea change). We benefit from our status diving or kayaking in the sea soon floor; last year, one of our scientists as a delivery partner to the NERC become acutely aware of its deployed an instrumented ‘lander’ at National Centre to dynamic environment. We also the Challenger Deep, 10.9 km secure “National Capability” experience the importance of fronts below the surface of the Pacific funding for our long term for example as some of the best Ocean and its deepest point. We observations such as the Ellet Line places to observe marine life or also use our decades of monitoring (see Ocean ) but also to catch mackerel, and eddies as a data to understand long term use new smart technology such as way to get a ride home when the changes in North Atlantic circulation gliders, autonomous underwater wind drops with a contrary . I and changes in the biodiversity of vehicles and landers to help moor my boat close to the Falls of the intricate sublittoral of the understand the finer scale processes Lora - a spectacular tidal Highlands and Islands. that are the vital link between the phenomenon caused by the huge physics and biology of our . volume of water surging through the Understanding and communicating Communicating these relatively narrow entrance to Loch Etive and a the dynamic oceans is enormously complex processes is also part of our popular spot for an unusual form of important if we are to use the sea duty as a learned society and salty white water kayaking. The sustainably. Traditional textbooks educational institution. kayakers are well aware of the vast convey information through graphs, amount of energy reliably available maps and transects and the long We are dedicating the current for their own adrenaline high. Many term averages or snapshots they magazine issue to our dynamic of them are probably unaware that present hide much of the variability oceans and the cross cutting their kicks come from the energy and patchiness that characterises the research on this theme in SAMS. It is dispensed during the very gradual real ocean. The eddies that I use to an opportunity to demonstrate how slowing of the earth’s rotation get back to my after the SAMS scientists are working coupled with gravitational forces on tide has turned would not appear on together across disciplines to Earth and its moon. They are a larger scale map with average understand these fundamentally probably more aware of the huge currents. On the other hand, climate important processes and apply them renewable energy resource that this change sceptics know how to select to the difficult decisions that our represents and of plans to locate and exploit short term trends to contemporary society must take. In a wind, tide and wave devices in argue that the ocean is really world where the word ‘turbulence’ is Scottish coastal . cooling and that scientists are more often associated with market conspiring against global failure than ocean mixing, it is easy SAMS is thus ideally located for corporations. to lose sight of the need to studying our dynamic oceans: The understand the fundamental sea around us provides a At SAMS we are taking processes that lead to fertile seas, remarkable natural laboratory for considerable care to ensure that we control our global climate and offer making observations and testing work at relevant scales and present perspectives for long term human innovative ideas. We use this our findings in the appropriate sustainability at local and planetary experience worldwide: from studies context. In the case of global scales. of in Papua New Guinea change, this is only possible with to the dynamics of sea ice in the long term data sets (including paleo- Follow Laurence’s blog: Arctic. Moreover, we work on the oceanography to develop even scotmarineinst.blogspot.com much slower dynamics of longer term reference points for

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MEMBERSHIP NEWS Voice your views in membership survey

SAMS is a very old learned society We are now instigating an online (going back to 1884) and SAMS survey and I urge you to contribute members play the deciding role in your thoughts on the future direction what the Association does. of our learned society at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ As the world around us is changing, SAMSmembersurvey we periodically examine what we should offer our members for their If you don’t have online access, subscriptions. SAMS membership please contact me for a printed fees have never increased in the 11 survey (SAMS; Scottish Marine years I have been working here, nor Institute; Oban PA37 1QA; UK). have the benefits changed. It is thus high time to re-examine what The survey closes Friday 2nd members want SAMS to do for them. November 2012. Dr Anuschka Miller Editor Oban’s Festival of the Sea celebrates, explores and educates

The 2nd Festival of the Sea for Oban, Ocean Challenge Badge for Girl- Lorn and the Isles took place from guiding Argyll that - if successful 18th to 28th May this year and locally may be rolled out nationwide; attracted more than 10,000 visits to its the James Hutton Institute’s Virtual 56 different events. The festival aimed Landscape Theatre facilitating debates to engender pride and stewardship about tomorrow’s seascapes; and a towards the marine environment and local music CD celebrating the sea. to highlight marine and science related careers. The festival was organised by SAMS with core funding from SAMS, the Events were delivered over a wide Scottish Government (managed geographical area that for the first through HIE), and time included North Uist, Canna and Council with other organisations Bute. Highlights included a new supporting individual events. SAMS AGM and Scottish Ocean Explorer Centre going ahead

NEWTH LECTURE Next summer SAMS will open a season. There will also be a small small interactive visitor/science shop for visitors. Our 98th Annual General Meeting centre focussing on the marine will take place on Friday, 9th environment and marine research. The SOEC is becoming a reality November 2012 at SAMS, thanks to fundraising support from starting at 15:15. Members will be The Scottish Ocean Explorer Centre the University of the Highlands and sent all relevant papers three weeks will be part of the SAMS estate Islands Development Trust and before the meeting. The meeting will adjacent to Dunstaffage Castle, an financial donations by the Robertson be followed by the 23rd Newth existing Historic Scotland visitor Trust, the Stevenson Family Lecture. This lecture, held in memory attraction. Once fully functional the Charitable Trust, the Steel Charitable of former SAMS President David SOEC will also deliver workshops for Trust, the Gordon Fraser Charitable Newth, will be delivered by SAMS schools and organise public events. Trust, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, Council member Professor Lora the Fishmonger’s Company and Fleming, Director of the European The SOEC will consist of an Oban Common Good Fund. Centre for Environment and Human interactive display area, a cinema, a Health at the Royal Cornwall marine technology garden and a We are, however, still fundraising to Hospital. She will talk on oceans multi-purpose area that will be used increase the functionality of the and human health: a new area of as a cafe in the summer and as a facility further: interdisciplinary science. workshop area outside the visitor E:[email protected]

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NEWS Voice your views in membership survey POLAR MEDAL FOR DAVID MELDRUM

David Meldrum has devoted much of discoveries and particularly in new In 1978 David came to Oban to join the past 40 years of his career to the technologies. David is the leading the Association. Since then he has exploration of polar regions. The designer of the modern, smart and been busy developing scores of award in 2011 of the Polar Medal low cost communication units for use measuring, monitoring and recognises his exceptional in polar regions. His technologies are communications technologies to study accomplishments in both new deployed in both polar oceans where polar oceans for example to measure they collect and transmit ice, ocean the dynamics and drift rates of sea and meteorological data to worldwide ice, and the growth-melt cycles of ice. data centres for research use and for incorporation into operational Arguably David’s single greatest forecasting models. innovation is the development of drifting buoy technologies. In the During the 1970s David worked on 1990s he introduced GPS the development and installation of navigation systems into polar sounders in Antarctica. These oceanography, combining a GPS revealed the internal layering of ice receiver and Argos transmitter to sheets, the existence of Lake Vostok enable researchers to know exactly and the configuration of the land where buoys are. By exploiting surface beneath the ice. emerging satellite telemetry systems like Iridium and Orbcomm, David went on to develop a system that delivered remote data on tilt, strain, acceleration and conductivity alongside the GPS position. He then worked on developing two-way communication with buoy sensors and introduced intelligent systems that can adapt sampling regimes based on prevailing conditions, thereby reducing buoy power consumption and increasing their lifespan.

Professor David Dewry, a colleague during various Antarctic fieldwork trips, described David as ‘an outstanding companion in the field: focused, energetic, adaptable, hardworking and great fun.’

David’s humility was testified in his response to the announcement of the polar medal award last December: “Who deserves a medal for having a great time, when most people have to endure being shot at...”

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SCIENCE NEWS EUROPEAN MARINE SCIENCE PARK TAKES SHAPE

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is currently developing the first phase of an ambitious ‘European Marine Science Park’ adjacent to SAMS. The facility will provide high quality laboratory and office space in a sustainably designed building for new, expanding and inward- investing companies with a focus on marine science, and Two further buildings may be added Oban into an international centre of related support. in the coming decade depending on excellence. Building on SAMS strenghts demand and sector development (see and the economic success of our The first building is scheduled for artists impression with all buildings). European Centre for Marine completion later in 2012 and the Biotechnology, the EMSP will play an building project is delivered by The EMSP is a major iniative aiming important role in the economic Robertson as the main contractor. to grow the marine science cluster in development of northern Argyll.

LIFE AT EXTREMES

A new book edited by microbial ecologist and polar expert Dr Elanor SAMS LAUNCHES Bell details ‘Life at Extremes: Environments, Organisms and NORTH ATLANTIC Strategies for Survival’.

GLIDER BASE From icy poles to arid deserts, boiling pools to the depths of the sea, this exciting new work studies the remarkable life forms that have made these inhospitable environments their home. The ecological, biological and biogeochemical challenges that higher-level plants and animals, In April 2012 the SAMS Marine The NAGB team offers advice on microorganisms and viruses face are Physics Group launched the North scientific and operational aspects of detailed, and the unifying themes Atlantic Glider Base. Scientists from North Atlantic glider missions and found between environments all over the world are invited to on real-time glider data delivery to discussed. A fascinating and bring gliders to the NAGB for deep GTS or to data centres. comprehensive resource for water testing, launch and recovery researchers and students, this book is for North Atlantic missions, and for The NAGB is a delivery partner of packed with colour figures and instruction on operations and on the Marine Autonomous Robotic photos showcasing the most extreme real-time data delivery. The NAGB Systems at the UK’s National environments and the organisms that can also provides access to two Oceanography Centre and is have adapted Seagliders and a Remus 600 AUV supported by NERC National to live in them. for development and trial of sensors. Capability funding. The book has The NAGB offers access to: 576 pages, 1. lab space for glider preparation costs £95 and is 2. coastal research vessels for published by sheltered deep water testing (200m) Further information CABI. 3. fast vessels for deployment and 4 recovery of N Atlantic glider missions www.sams.ac.uk/smart-observations

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SCIENCE NEWS GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION OF OCEANOGRAPHY & MARINE BIOLOGY: AN ANNUAL REVIEW regarding article length, reference Robin Gibson, joined Margaret on lists and figures, as well as covering the editorial team. Alan Ansell was a diversity of topics in each issue Managing Editor from 1994 until his that attract a wide readership. death in 1999 when the post passed to Robin Gibson. Following Alan’s In the 50 years since the first volume death, Jim Atkinson from the was published the marine University Marine Biological Station environment has changed: Seas are Millport was recruited and on now warmer, more polluted and Margaret Barnes’ final retirement in over-exploited, mainly as a result of 2002 after 40 years as editor her the continued expansion of the place was filled by another SAMS human population and its increasing Honorary Fellow, John Gordon. pressure on marine resources. The After a cumulative 47 years in post, Congratulations to the editors and publication also reflects the fact that Drs Gibson, Atkinson and Gordon authors of Oceanography and marine science has changed over all retire this year as editors but the Marine Biology: An Annual Review the years, with marine technology SAMS and UMBSM connection will (OMBAR), which published its 50th producing constantly new tools for be retained through David Hughes volume this summer. The first volume studying marine life, and studies that (SAMS) and Philip Smith (UMBS). appeared in 1963 and was founded are now not only curiosity driven but The new Managing Editor will be in Millport by Harold Barnes, a may also have relevance to Professor R.N. Hughes, who recently senior researcher at the Association. anthropogenic influences on the retired from the University of Bangor, He spotted that there was a place oceans. Wales. for a review series that has appeared annually ever since and Throughout its first 50 years OMBAR SAMS is well known as the home of continues to be widely read and has continued to be intimately OMBAR and on its behalf the editors cited. Consequently, its impact factor associated with the Association: have been able to attend numerous is consistently at the top in its field. Following Harold Barnes’ untimely conferences to keep up-to-date with death in 1978, his wife and co- current trends. Over the years SAMS The secrets of the publication’s worker Margaret, a SAMS Honorary staff have published many papers in success include selecting excellent Fellow, took over the editorship and the series and it is very fitting that authors who dedicate time to writing ensured the series’ smooth two articles authored by SAMS long and detailed review articles, continuation. In 1988 two other researchers appear in the golden allowing these authors freedom SAMS scientists, Alan Ansell and jubilee volume.

HOW THE PUBLIC SEES THE SEA

Europe’s regional seas have suffered Europe’s Seas’ details that people perceptions of ocean problems, severe environmental degradation most value the sea for its influence on suggesting ineffectual communication due to human pressure. As the weather and climate, food provision between scientists and public. likelihood of recovery is largely and scenery. But in general the dependent on societal choices, the oceans were given low priority The report recommends that EC-funded consortium project compared to cost of living, health successful management initiatives KnowSeas investigated how, why and education. While scientists and need to incorporate public opinion and for what people value the environmental groups were into the decision making process, oceans based on a 7000 people perceived as the most competent to however difficult. To drive social and strong survey conducted in seven manage the ocean environment, the political acceptability towards a European countries. The resulting research also identified a schism sustainable marine system will thus policy brief ‘Public Perceptions of between scientific and public require major public engagement.

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SCIENCE NEWS WHAT DRIVES OCEANIC WATERS south into deep water. The team also ONTO OUR SHELF SEAS? deployed four gliders, which allow for a more detailed study of Fluxes Across Sloping Topography of patrol the shelf break from west of the properties and will operate in the area the North East Atlantic - FASTNEt for Scilly Isles to the north of Scotland, for three months, continuously short - is a four-year NERC-funded relaying measurements in real time. providing information. consortium project aiming to construct a new paradigm of ocean-shelf Professor Mark Inall from SAMS led The next cruise is planned for summer exchange. Using a range of novel the project on the first of two project 2013 and will be heading for the observation and model techniques expeditions into the Celtic Sea in June Malin shelf edge. FASTNEt will investigate seasonal, aboard RRS Discovery. interannual and regional mixing processes we currently do not Monitoring 20 drifters released into understand. the southern region on the Celtic Sea and drouged at 50m, the FASTNEt FASTNEt combines data gathered by team were in for a surpise finding. standard oceanographic moorings While the movement of water in this with data from 60 satellite tracked area was unmapped, the scientists drifters and eight state-of-the-art had expected a current to run along Further information robotic sea gliders. This amazing fleet the shelf edge towards the north. 4 of smart observation technology will Instead, they saw their drifters move www.sams.ac.uk/fastnet CELEBRATING A MARINE LITTER STRATEGY BIOMARA FOR SCOTLAND The €6 million and SAMS led algal biofuels project ‘BioMara’ has had unparalleled interest from the media and public since its launch in 2009. Especially the potential use of kelp for the generation of biogas has found interest, in particular in rural coastal and island communities. In 2010, more than 53,000 pieces of problem, the impacts and the existing On the evening of 29th November litter were collected from a sample of activities and regulation to deal with it. there will be a final meeting to 22 km of Scottish beaches. Marine They identified several policy showcase and celebrate the main litter negatively impacts our responses at local, regional and outcomes of this project in the Scottish environment, society and economy, national scales, but first and foremost Parliament hosted by Murdo Fraser and new research suggests that saw the need for coordination via a MSP as convenor of the Economy, changes in public behaviour, single marine litter strategy for Energy and Tourism Committee. The awareness and attitude are key to the Scotland. In recent months this project has been delivered by a solution. initiative is now being taken forward working partnership of six research by the Scottish Government in an organisations with complementary The 2011 Scottish Government effort to steer society towards an ethic skills from Ireland, Northern Ireland commissioned study by the James of ‘waste as resource’. Tavis Potts and Scotland, and funded by the Hutton Institute (JHI) and SAMS found (SAMS) and Emily Hastings (JHI) are European Union’s INTERREG IVA that marine litter costs Scotland a both active in this Scottish Programme managed by the Special minimum of £16.8 million per annum. Government Committee and are EU Programmes Worse still, this figure is thought to be involved in drafting a Scottish Marine Body. a gross underestimate because there Litter Strategy. is no data on the economic impact of Further information litter on many sectors, like tourism or 4 recreation. Please email [email protected] if Further information you are interested in attending this During the study, our scientists looked 4 www.knowledgescotland.org/bri meeting. Limited places available. at the extent of the marine litter efings.php?id=261

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SCIENCE NEWS

HOMELESS DUE TO CLIMATE SHIFT?

Rising temperatures are likely to force When land temperatures become too important ocean life such as fish, corals more and more species of animals and hot for some species, they can move to and sea birds,” explains co-author Dr plants to emigrate to find new places to higher ground where temperatures are John Bruno from the University of live where the climatic conditions are generally cooler. But that is not an North Carolina. better for their survival. This may leave option for many marine species which some marine species with nowhere to live at, or near, the surface of the The study also highlights how much go, according to research led by SAMS ocean. ocean surface temperatures can Professor Mike Burrows published in sometimes change over quite minor the journal Science. When temperatures rise, species such distances. Spring-time water as fish may be able to move into temperatures on the east coast of The international research team deeper water to find the cooler Scotland, for example, have arrived compared changing temperatures for environments they prefer. Other around five days per decade earlier, both land and sea and from place to species, however, especially if they whereas there has been almost no shift place over a 50 year period, from depend on light or other depth- in spring temperature on the west 1960 to 2009. They used large dependent properties, cannot move coast. existing databases to calculate how over a short distance to deeper, cooler quickly populations of terrestrial and waters but have to move longer It is somewhat worrying that some of marine species would have had to distances to colder latitudes to find the areas where where species may relocate to keep up with changing suitable habitats. Especially slow have to relocate the fastest if they are temperatures. moving organisms could thus become to stay ahead of climate changes, are trapped and it may become harder particularly important hotspots of The researchers found that the rates and harder for them to keep up with biodiversity, such as the coral triangle with which marine and terrestrial climate change. in Southeast Asia. animals and plants move is surprisingly similar although the land is warming “Being stuck in a warming environment “Understanding this may help about three times faster than the can cause reductions in growth, conservationists to prepare for change ocean. reproduction and survival of and protect future coral habitats,” ecologically and economically suggests Professor Burrows.

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SAMS EDUCATION NEWS UHI STUDENT TEACHING AWARDS FOR SAMS LECTURERS

Inspirational, innovative and engaging Best research supervisor Toby Sherwin are compliments given by students to (below), a UHI Professor of Oceano- their lecturers at the University of the graphy at SAMS, was selected for his Highlands and Islands in the 3rd commitment and support. His former annual teaching awards scheme. PhD student Clare Johnson explained: “Toby is a dedicated and diligent Organised by the UHI Students’ supervisor and has supported me over Association, the awards recognise Most inspiring lecturer, Dr John Howe several years, including during a period excellence in seven categories of which (above), a marine geologist and Head of ill-health. He has an open door two of the most prestigious were of the Biogeochemistry and Earth policy and was really supportive during awarded to SAMS lecturers: Dr John Science Department at SAMS, was the year I was unable to study. He Howe was voted most inspiring lecturer commended for his positivity and collected samples at sea for me and while Professor Toby Sherwin won best passion for geology. drove me home when I was too ill to research supervisor. use public transport.” “John is the most incredible lecturer I Some of the stiffest competition for have ever had.” said one student. these awards came from other SAMS “With love for his subject, he has the nominees, demonstrating that SAMS ability to bring across knowledge in a students appreciate the dedicated short time and raise the interest of the commitment from their lecturers. whole class.”

RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERS STUDY MARINE LIFE @ SAMS

engineering students who are ultimately destined for the heart of the marine renewables industry. The education wasn't unidirectional either. In discussion they taught us a thing or two about the engineering constraints facing these embryonic technologies."

SAMS is a partner in IDCORE, the Industrial Doctoral Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy, which offers a four- year full-time engineering doctorate in Offshore Renewable Energy aimed at the very best EngD students.

IDCORE aims to train their students to Six of the UK's very best engineering interactions from the outset of deliver world-class industrially research students - aiming to lead the designing new devices. focussed research that will accelerate development of offshore renewable the deployment of offshore wind, wave energy technologies in the future - The students, who are conducting their and tidal-current technologies so that spent a fortnight at SAMS between 2nd engineering research based at a range the UK can meet its 2020 and 2050 and 13th of July for an Ecology of sponsoring companies, greatly targets for renewable energy Summer School. The training provided enjoyed their marine science module, generating capacity. the students with a deeper knowledge with their spokesperson saying "I don't of the biology of the UK's marine think I am overstating to say that this IDCORE is a consortium of the environment so that they will be able module has been one of the most fun Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter and to consider the interactions marine and engaging we have had." Strathclyde, HR Wallingford and SAMS organisms are likely to have with any and is funded by the Engineering and renewable energy installations that will SAMS module leader Dr Ben Wilson Physical Sciences Research Council be placed into the sea. This new said: "Likewise we have really enjoyed and the Energy Technologies Institute understanding should inform their this teaching experience. We to train 50 research engineers over an engineering practice in the future so particularly valued the chance to eight year period. they can consider environmental broaden the perspectives of

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SAMS EDUCATION NEWS

DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS THROUGH SHORT RUTH PATERSON: COURSES OFFERED AT SAMS OUR STUDENT SAMS offers a comprehensive training believes it is critical to create a culture programme of short courses delivered of lifelong learning for members, staff OF THE YEAR by our scientists that enable and students. As such, we have participants to keep up to date with renewed our emphasis on educational latest advances in research and programmes, especially short courses, methodologies and develop the and would urge you to involve yourself training portfolios of their CV. in continuing professional development. This autumn’s courses include: Algaculture (25-26 Sep) This sharing of knowledge and Algal molecular methods (27/8 Sep) investment in our futures will Marine Invasive Species (4-5 Oct) accelerate scientific thought, improve Data & Google maps (23-24 Oct) employability options especially for SAMS has named Ruth Paterson (20) Mapping and GIS (25-26 Oct) students and early career scientists, as its UHI student of the year 2012. enable us to extend our reach and Ruth, a third year student studying for Science and technology changes on a influence and, crucially, assist in a BSc (Hons) Marine Science, was daily basis. As professional scientists, resolving some of the greatest selected by her lecturers because of learned society members, or others challenges ever to face our global her motivation and exemplary with a vested interest in marine marine environment. academic performance. science, it is ever more important to keep abreast of new findings to inform Use the following to find out more Ruth is an exceptionally proactive the direction of your work and about SAMS’ education programmes student: On her own initiative she increase your options for employment or to run a seminar and share your secured a grant from the British and application in the work place. own findings: Phycological Society (BPS) for research to investigate why only some strains of The inter-disciplinary nature of SAMS W: www.sams.ac.uk/education the dinoflagellate alga Alexandrium enables members to appreciate the E: [email protected] tamarense make the shellfish that bigger picture and the fine balances T: 01631 559 335 ingest them poisonous to humans. that exist between the sciences. SAMS Results from her ongoing research have already been presented at ST ANDREWS AND SAMS UNDER DEVELOPMENT: international conferences and featured COLLABORATE ON MASTERS NEW MASTERS IN ALGAL in the BPS newsletter. IN MARINE MANAGMENT BIOTECHNOLOGY SAMS director Professor Laurence Mee commented: “Alexandrium is February 2012 saw the first cohort becoming a massive problem for the of 13 St Andrews postgraduate shellfish industry. Ruth showed huge students arrive at SAMS for their confidence and dedication by second term of studying for a new undertaking this work and it is a great MRes in Ecosystem-Based Algae are an amazingly diverse group success story for research-based Management of Marine Systems. with enormous potential for use in the teaching.” biotechnology sector. SAMS, which This programme provides students hosts Europe’s largest collection of Ruth, who hails from Colintraive on with the expertise in the ecological algae, has significant experience in the Kyles of Bute, said: “I am and physical sciences and the the development of algal biofuel and overjoyed with the award. I continue essential quantitative skills needed other aspects of biotechnology to love my time here and look forward to manage marine ecosystems involving algae. to a stellar fourth year completing my sustainably. Students learn to honours degree. My project showed deliver integrated coastal zone SAMS UHI is therefore developing a me what it’s really like to work in a managment from the tropics to the new Masters programme for 2013/14 research environment - it’s completely polar regions. The module in that will provide students with different from the student experience. Tropical Marine Systems includes a specialist knowledge, expertise and I’m so lucky to have SAMS UHI on my 2-week fieldtrip to Australia’s Great transferable skills relevant to the doorstep! I would like to thank Dr Barrier Reef. For 2012/3 we expect biotech sector and with the Keith Davidson for his help and Mrs 17 students. More information at opportunity to undertake substantial Christine Campbell for providing the www.sams.ac.uk/education research as part of the course. algal cultures for this project.”

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PEOPLE NEWS UHI AWARDS PROFESSORSHIPS TO MARK INALL & MIKE BURROWS

UHI has honoured two SAMS research Since joining the organisation in scientists for their achievements. 1998, Professor Mark Inall has Michael Burrows (top left) and Mark built up an internationally recognised Inall (bottom left) have been awarded research group and made a significant personal chairs for their research. contribution to teaching at SAMS UHI. Personal chairs are one of the highest He was instrumental in developing the professional accolades in academia. BSc (Hons) Marine Science and has taught on many undergraduate With over 28 years’ experience in modules. coastal ecology, Professor Michael Burrows has been described as one Combining knowledge of physics and of Europe’s leading marine ecologists. oceanography, Professor Inall’s His interest in using research about research specialises in the movement individual organisms to inform our of internal waves. He has produced understanding of global ecosystems internationally renowned research on has led him to contribute to over 80 fjords and coastal processes and has academic publications and give written and contributed to many keynote speeches at several publications and conferences. Since international conferences. As Head of 2010 Professor Inall is Associate the SAMS Ecology Department, Director for Research at SAMS. Professor Burrows also teaches under- and postgraduate students and has DR BEN WILSON IS ELECTED supervised twelve PhD students. AS MASTS MARINE ENERGY FORUM CONVENOR DR STUART CUNNINGHAM JOINS SAMS AND TAKES ON LEADERSHIP OF THE MASTS MARINE SYSTEMS AND DYNAMICS THEME

In August SAMS welcomed Dr Stuart sustained observations of the Atlantic Cunningham onto the staff as MASTS Meridional Overturning Circulation. Physical Oceanographer. Stuart is an Besides continued involvement with observational physcial oceanographer RAPID-WATCH through the with extensive seagoing experience programme advisory group, Stuart and a publication list including three currently also works on projects Marine ecologist Dr Ben Wilson has papers in Nature or Science. including Thermohaline Overturning been elected by his peers to serve as at Risk? (THOR) and North Atlantic the Convener of the MASTS Marine From 2004-12, while based at the Climate Variability (NACLIM). Over National Oceanography Centre, several years Stuart has been Energy Forum. Ben, who has led the Southampton, he was Principal advocating basin-wide observations in SAMS Blue Energy Research Group Investigator for the NERC/NSF funded the subpolar gyre because of the since its inception, conducts research RAPID-WATCH programme for relevance to the UK. investigating the environmental interactions between marine For the MASTS Marine Systems and renewable energy devices and Dynamics theme Stuart will develop a marine fauna, with a particular focus prospectus of critical scientific on the physical and acoustic research questions and develop a interactions between marine vision for strategic marine research vertebrates and tidal-stream devices. over the next 20 years. His strategy is likely to espouse sustained observing, analysis and interpretation as well as Ben will be supported by a steering modelling of the ocean at all time and group and plans to concentrate on space scales. Stuart is a strong information flow and opportunities supporter of national and international for building scientifically valid coorperation. collaborations.

E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

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PEOPLE NEWS Former DirectorCLIFFORD MORTIMER dies aged 99 Born Whitechurch 27 Feb 1911; Died USA 11 May 2010

freshwater biology. He received a DPhil Clifford Mortimer did not make the from the University of Berlin following move to Oban, instead taking up a his work on the biology and genetics of position as Distinguished Professor of the genus Daphnia. He took up his first Zoology at the University of Wisconsin- research post at the FBA in October Milwaukee in 1966. The post included 1935 and soon developed a deep, Directorship of the Centre for Great lifelong passion for limnology. Lakes Studies. As part of the duties Mortimer acquired and refitted a In 1956 Mortimer became Director of government ship, Neeskay, ready for our then Scottish Marine Biological research trips on the Great Lakes. Association in Millport. He was eager to pursue better integration between Mortimer retired from administrative freshwater and marine research but was duties in 1978 and from academic torn by his desire to pursue his research duties in 1981. However, he continued interests into internal waves at the his interest in limnology and in 2004, at ABOVE: Clifford Mortimer received his final greetings from SAMS on his 99th edge and his the age of 93, published ‘Lake Michigan birthday... directorial duties. in motion: responses of an inland sea to weather, earth spin and human Born into a Quaker family in the village His nine year directorship is noted for activities’. His last paper came out in of Whitechurch, Somerset Clifford H. one of the most historic events in the 2006 and assessed inertial oscillations in Mortimer entered the University of Association’s history: the move from Lakes Michigan and Ontario. Manchester in 1929 to study Zoology. Millport to the site SAMS now occupies Following graduation he attended a near Oban. It was a traumatic period, On 11th May 2010 Clifford Mortimer short course at the Freshwater with many staff opposed to a relocation died peacefully. His ashes were Biological Association led by W.H. that is now seen as key to SAMS’ scattered on Lake Michigan from his Pearsall. This initiated his interest in continued growth and success. research vessel Neeskay.

PERSONAL CHAIR FOR SAMS DIRECTOR PROFESSOR LAURENCE MEE SAMS Director Professor Laurence Mee of achievement in research, teaching, has been honoured for his career and academic leadership, with a achievements by the University of the national and international reputation Highlands and Islands. for knowledge, policy and service in marine science and the marine He has been awarded a personal environment.“ chair in recognition of his work and widespread renown in marine science. Professor Mee joined SAMS in 2008 Personal chairs – as opposed to those after an international career at the inter-ministerial declaration on the which are established by universities forefront of marine science and Black Sea in 1992 and subsequently for academic leadership in a specific oceanography. He was previously the led the $110m Black Sea discipline – represent one of the director of the University of Plymouth’s Environmental Programme which was highest professional accolades. Marine Institute where he was also the designed to help the system recover UK’s first Professor of Marine and from severe eutrophication. James Fraser, UHI Principal and Vice- Coastal Policy. Chancellor, said: “Although Laurence Currently Professor Mee conducts already carried the title of professor Prior to this he spent eleven years multi-disciplinary research on coupled before he came to the university, the working at the United Nations, marine social-ecological systems and personal chair is a much deserved including six years heading the Marine leads the European research project recognition of his reputation and Environmental Studies Laboratory in KnowSeas. distinction as a scientist and academic. Monaco. Professor Mee facilitated Professor Mee combines a high level negotiations for the first post-Soviet

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Dynamic Oceans Research CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CO2 LEAKS FROM A SUB-SEABED STORAGE SITE?

Dr Henrik Stahl, SAMS

As the world searches for viable environment should carbon dioxide release CO2 12 m below the surface climate change mitigation strategies accidentally leak either from pipes or of the seabed. one proposal is to capture carbon from the storage sites directly.

dioxide generated by large-scale On May 17th the CO2 gas release industrial processes at source before it WORLD FIRST RELEASE STUDY started and was left on continuously can reach the atmosphere, and to for 36 days. The gas was initially store it in underground reservoirs. During the spring and summer of released at a rate of 80kg/day which 2012, a team of scientists carried out was gradually increased to 180

This so-called Carbon Capture and an in situ CO2 release experiment in kg/day over the duration of the Storage (CCS) is already happening: Ardmucknish Bay near Oban as part experiment. This amount of CO2 At least one prominent energy of a project aiming to investigate and equates to the exhalations of just a few

company already stores annually one quantify the potential impacts of CO2 hundred people per day and thus million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the leakage from a CCS site on the represents a small leak rather than a North Sea’s Sleipner site. Many other marine ecosystem. mayor accident. potential storage sites are also in the marine environment. First we carefully studied the biology FIRST RESULTS and chemistry of the local sediment As society has to decide between and water so that we understood the Only a few days after the release start, many options of generating energy baseline state of the environment. concentrated bubble streams began to and dealing with a changing climate, emerge from the sediment into the the role of science is to provide the Then, in the early spring, a bore hole ca 10 - 15 m NW of the factual understanding needed to make was drilled 450m from Tralee Bay tip of the screen. This observation was informed decisions. To judge the role Caravan Park into Ardmucknish Bay. complemented by sub-bottom profiling CCS should play requires much The bore hole was lined with a data which found that the CO2 did not currently outstanding information, stainless steel pipe with a perforated migrate only vertically from the release including what happens to the marine screen at the end from where we could point but also horizontally along sediment layers with decreased permeability. These results combined with direct flow measurements of the bubble streams indicated that only

around 20% of the released CO2 gas left the sediment in the form of gas bubbles while the remaining 80% either dissolved or remained within the sediment.

The CO2 bubbles had an almost immediate local effect on the overlying water column chemistry: amongst the bubble streams we recorded pH

values as low as 7.6 and pCO2 as high as 2000 atm. ABOVE: The Ardmucknish Bay carbon dioxide release study pumped daily 80-180 kg CO2 μ into the sediment over 36 days and studied the environmental impacts of this input and the The change in sediment chemistry, recovery of the marine environment over the following three months. however, was much slower.

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We could pick up signficant changes early days as sample enumeration and recovery at the release site over the in the alkalinity and pH of the surface identification is still underway. Visual first three months after the release layers of the sediment only towards observations by divers during the came to an end.

the end of the 36 days of CO2 release, however, suggest that certain release. This delayed response could types of infauna, such as the PROJECT DETAILS be due to the buffering capacity of the burrowing sea urchin Echinocardium sediments and/or to the slower cordatum, could have been adversely QICS (Quantifying and Monitoring transport of CO2 within sediments affected by the perturbation, whereas Potential Ecosystem Impacts on compared to water. other epifauna (e.g. crabs and hermit Geological Carbon Storage) is a crabs) seemed attracted by the collaboration between ten UK partners Unexpectedly, we also measured perturbation. with several Japanese associates that elevated CO2 concentrations above is coordinated by Plymouth Marine the seawater interface immediately I must, however, emphasise that the Laboratory and funded by the UK’s above the release site. results summarised above are Natural Environment Research preliminary and possibly subject to Council. When we eventually stopped the gas change as additional data release on 22nd July to monitor accumulates and is analysed and then longer term impacts and recovery, we peer reviewed. But our preliminary observed the reverse reaction: signals data certainly suggest that the effect of in the water column deteriorated very CO2 was localised as we detected no rapidly while the signal in the elevated concentrations in the water sediment remains for the time being column >100 m away from the 4 Further information (stand: early September). epicenter of the release. www.bgs.ac.uk/qics In terms of effect on the fauna, it is still Currently, the team is studying the www.sams.ac.uk/henrik-stahl/qics

ABOVE: A tense moment when after years of preparation the gas is finally switched on and the world’s first in situ release experiment investigating the impacts of CO2 leaking into the marine environment gets under way.

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Dynamic Oceans Research

THE EVIL TWIN OF CLIMATE CHANGE: Ocean Acidification in sediments

Dr Natalie Hicks ([email protected]) and Dr Henrik Stahl ([email protected]), SAMS

It is widely accepted that recent increases in global atmospheric temperatures are a result of climate change caused by anthropogenic release of CO2. However, the rising atmospheric CO2 levels will also directly impact our marine ecosystems as our oceans absorb up to 50% of the atmospheric CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels, deforestation and cement production. This causes the ocean pH to decrease, since the CO2 gas reacts with water to form a weak acid, thus making the oceans more ‘acidic’. Figure 1: Past and present variability of marine pH. The model prediction is based on IPCC mean scenarios (from Perason and Palmer, adapted by Turley et al for EurOceans Fact Sheet 7). Ocean acidification is also known as “the evil twin of climate change” or the “other CO2 problem”, and is likely to These changes in pH are predicted to coast and coastal habitats provide have wide implications for our marine affect marine ecosystems, from the level humans with a variety of services ecosystems. Ocean pH has dropped of individual species to whole including food, recreation and jobs. by 0.1 pH units since the start of the populations and communities, and the Many of these ecosystems harbour high industrial revolution (from 8.2 to 8.1, ecosystem services they provide us with. levels of biodiversity, and this will be see Figure 1), which actually equates to affected by environmental changes such a 30% increase in acidity as the pH More than 40% of the world’s as ocean acidification and rising sea- scale is logarithmic. population live within 100km of the surface temperatures.

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Over the last decade, ocean After an intensive year of running these acidification research has demonstrated 28 day experiments, the practical work how changing pH affects organisms has just been completed, and now the that calcify such as corals, molluscs, laboratory work and data analysis crustaceans, echinoderms and some commences. algae. Increasing acidity lowers the 2- availability of carbonate ions (CO3 ), This research includes close which are vital for animals to form collaboration with colleagues from St skeletons and shells from calcium Andrews and Hull universities under the carbonate (CaCO3). However, little is UK Ocean Acidification program known about the combined effects of (UKOA), and aims to contribute to ocean acidification and rising understanding how ocean acidification temperature on the coastal sediments is likely to affect global nutrient cycles where a large proportion of primary Using custom-built flume tanks and a under future scenarios. Research within production and global nutrient cycling UKOA will provide evidence for the new purpose-built CO2 manipulation occurs. system (Figure 2), sediments were IPCC 5th Assessment Report on climate change, and help feed into the Climate exposed to different CO2 and How will ocean acidification and temperature treatments, based on Change Adaptation Program. elevated temperature affect the future ocean acidification scenarios biogeochemistry of benthic habitats? Ocean acidification is already under current CO2 emissions, under As part of a UK-wide NERC funded natural flow and light conditions. happening. If CO2 levels continue to consortium, this is a question that rise, by the end of this century ocean researchers at SAMS are determined to State-of-the-art sensing techniques pH could have dropped by another 0.4 answer. We have just completed a (oxygen microelectrodes) and broad- units according to current models. series of experiments to identify the scale measurements (water nutrient Research such as this is thus timely and effects of ocean acidification and concentration, primary productivity on essential in determining the impacts THE EVIL TWIN OF CLIMATE CHANGE: elevated temperature on benthic the sediment surface) were applied to future environmental change may have biogeochemistry on two important find out how the different types of on our oceans, and may provide coastal sediment types: cohesive mud coastal sediment respond to future information on how to deal with, and and carbonate sand. These sediments environmental changes. mitigate, ocean acidification. Ocean Acidification in sediments dominate many of our UK coastal habitats, ranging from broad sandy The results from these experiments will beaches to tidal estuarine mudflats ascertain the changes in pH, nutrients, which are important feeding sites for a oxygen concentration, primary 4 Further information variety of wading bird species. The production in mud and sand and the sediment used in our project was microbial content of each substrate. http://oceanacidification.org.uk collected from the Eden Estuary in St Andrews. http://www.benthic-acidification.org

Figure 2: The custom-built flume facility at SAMS is used to study the combined impacts from ocean acidification and temperature increases on benthic biogeochemistry in cohesive mud and in carbonate sand.

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SAMS BURSARY RESEARCH WILL OCEAN ACIDIFICATION CHANGE MICROBIAL RELATIONSHIPS? Virginia Echavarri, Heriot-Watt University student and SAMS member and Dr David Green, SAMS

The discovery of a new bacterium – whose huxleyi and latterly, screened other The FISH technique revealed that the relatives normally thrive under highly acidic coccolithophore cultures from different association of these bacteria with conditions – in association with a regions for presence of Acidobacteria. coccolithophores is probably not coccolithophore (a microalga surrounded coincidental. We found Acidobacteria to be by calcium carbonate scales known as Methods used widely distributed in cultures originating coccoliths) prompted questions about what A series of experiments were devised to from , Scotland, Ireland, Italy and such an acidophilic microbe might be study bacterial growth, assess salinity New Zealand. They could thus be as doing in the ocean, how it can live in the tolerance, the optimum pH for growth, widespread in the marine environment as mild alkalinity of seawater and whether it carbon and nitrogen utilisation, Ca2+ on land. could weaken or even dissolve the CaCO3 tolerance and the relationship between of coccoliths. CaCO3 and bacterial growth. To visualize Conclusions Acidobacteria in algal cultures, and whether The growth requirements of the new strain A SAMS scientist discovered a new bacterial they were only found close to E. huxleyi of Acidobacteria suggest that it is adapted strain closely related to the acidophilic cells, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to the environmental conditions of the phylum Acidobacteria in an Emiliania was used. ocean with a preference for surface waters huxleyi culture held at SAMS. The name, where it can take advantage of sunlight for Acidobacteria, derives from the acid-loving growth. We propose that the reasons for its way of life of these bacteria. To find What we found association with coccolithophores include Acidobacteria in seawater and in Like many epipelagic bacteria in the ocean, access to light and its ability to use the association with an alga, therefore our bacterium was motile and acidic sugars associated with coccoliths. appeared to be highly unusual. Curiously, heterophototrophic, with a preference for though, other marine relatives of this organic carbon sources such as those The results of this study also confirm the Acidobacteria have been found by other found on the cell wall of coccolithophores distribution of the Acidobacteria phylum in researchers looking at corals and other (e.g. acidic sugars). The bacterium was association with calcifying marine algae. calcarious marine animals. This suggests small (ca 2 m x 0.6 m) and it produced there might be an ecological pattern related carotenoid pigmentsμ givingμ the cells a Further work should include in-depth to CaCO3? yellow appearance. But it was not an analysis of the relationship between acidophile. Instead, the organism grew best members of the Acidobacteria phylum and The project’s main objective was to in slightly alkaline conditions of pH 7.7 - calcium carbonate as the main component investigate the relationship between 8.5, with salt concentrations of 2 - 3% and of the coccoliths, and whether cells actively Acidobacteria and coccolithophores to find calcium concentrations in the region of cause carbonate dissolution. Further out whether the bacteria could negatively 7.75 - 15 mM. Curiously, the bacteria also characterisation of the carotenoid pigments affect the algal coccoliths. grew faster in the light than in the dark, may reveal novel compounds for use in suggesting it may harvest photons as an biotechnology. To do this, we first studied the physiology of energy source to help it grow – it is the new acidobacterial strain, then photosynthetic, but does not produce investigated the association with Emiliania oxygen. Acknowledgements Virginia would like to thank all colleagues at SAMS for their help and cheerfulness and the good times spent in and out of the lab. A particular thank you goes to Dr David H Green for his patience, support and inspiration. We are both indebted to SAMS for supporting this research financially through award of a SAMS bursary.

This research formed part of the final ABOVE: FISH detection of Acidobacteria in E. huxleyi cultures. (A) E. huxleyi dissertation for the MSc Marine RCC1214 and (B) E. huxleyi isolated from a Bergen mesocosm (2008). Arrowheads Biodiversity and Biotechnology at denote “pink-purple” stained acidobacterial cells detected using Cy3 fluorescently Heriot-Watt University. labeled probes. Cells stained blue (DAPI) are other types of bacteria. Scale bar, 2 µm.

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EVOLUTION OF THE CUCKOO EFFECT Dr Clive Craik SAMS Fellow

Everyone knows the story of the shown that surprisingly large numbers below), and Herring Gull-Eider cuckoo, one of the most amazing and of some seabirds lay in the nests of duck. Even here, the author suggests, intriguing in the whole of nature. The other birds of their own species. For there are small possibilities that the female cuckoo lays her egg in the example, 34% of Black-headed Gull guest young might survive. The nest of another bird species and the nests, 31-42% of Eider nests and nesting colonies are dense, mixed unsuspecting victim incubates it, 36% of Barnacle Goose nests were and close to the sea. Before it could along with its own eggs. The first found to hold eggs of more than one be noticed and eaten by its foster thing the young cuckoo does after female! This kind of egg parasitism parent, a newly-hatched Eider hatching is to heave the other young within a species can be understood duckling in a Herring Gull nest might out of the nest to their deaths. The as individual birds trying to increase be able to run through undergrowth foster parents then rear the strange their output of young at no cost to to join a crèche of Eider ducklings young bird until it can fend for itself. themselves. Mixed clutches involving nearby on the sea, drawn by the two species almost certainly arise constant contact calls of their The habit of laying in other birds’ when such birds lay in the nest of guardian adult ducks. Similarly, a nests occurs in many bird groups, another species rather than their own. newly-hatched Herring Gull chick in and recent work at SAMS on an Eider nest might be adopted by a seabirds breeding in sealochs, firths Some probably do this simply by nearby adult Herring Gull, since this and sounds of west Scotland has cast mistake, but others may do it to cast has been recorded for orphaned a little more light on the story [“Mixed their parasitic net even further. In Herring Gull chicks. The parasitic clutches at seabird colonies in west some of the closely-related mixed parent gull or duck would then have Scotland 1996-2009” in Seabird 23 clutches found in the Scottish work, succeeded. However, more work is (2010) 41-52]. For the first time, the such as Common Gull-Black-headed needed to find if such things really percentage of birds that do this has Gull, or Herring Gull-Great Black- happen. been measured. backed Gull, the way the parents feed and tend the young are so alike Some of the least compatible mixed Over the years 1996-2009, 123 that the guest young might well have clutches that were recorded in west mixed clutches (containing the eggs been raised to flying by the foster Scotland, such as a Herring Gull of two species) were recorded in parent. Indeed, the same issue of chick in a Shag nest, and a Shag 69,775 seabird nests, or 0.18%. This Seabird reports an amazing case egg in a Herring Gull nest, must percentage is higher than we might from France of a Sandwich Tern surely have ended with the death of have expected and, if it is laying its egg in the nest of a Roseate the guest chick or egg, since the way representative of birds in general, it Tern pair, which then hatched and these adults feed their young are so suggests that the habit is widespread raised the young Sandwich Tern different. Such bizarre layings are enough to have evolved into the more successfully! almost certainly mistakes. Putting it specialised nest parasitism of the another way, they are imperfections cuckoo. But why should birds lay in Others species in the Scottish study in evolution. But they illuminate the other birds’ nests in the first place? were less compatible, including the twists, turns and blind alleys that must two pairs found most often: Common have accompanied the evolution of Work in recent years by others has Gull-Oystercatcher (a wader) (see the extraordinary life history of the cuckoo.

Three eggs of Oystercatcher and two of Common Gull in an Six eggs of of Merganser and two eggs of Eider in a Oystercatcher nest. Merganser nest.

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Dynamic Oceans Research ON THE CHANGING DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES

by Dr Tom Adams and Professor Michael Burrows SAMS

Larvae - moving around topography such as bays and inlets, Many marine species go through serve to retain larvae close to the mobile larval stages that drift in ocean shore, while larger scale currents have currents. Their ultimate success in the potential to distribute larvae far replenishing existing adult populations from their parents. In order to improve depends on their reaching a suitable our understanding of dispersal habitat by the time they are ready to patterns of marine organisms, settle. ecologists are increasingly applying coupled biological and hydrodynamic How organisms respond to variation in models. local environmental conditions largely determines where they can live. For Sea lice as model organisms instance, water temperature influences Many species of fish are farmed at Life in our oceans is dazzlingly the production of larvae as well as the sites on the coast around Scotland. At diverse, varying both ability of these larvae to survive and these sites parasitic sea lice may turn geographically and over time, but develop. Food availability is especially up and cause various problems. our hunger for natural marine important for immobile organisms Careful management is required to resources is putting marine life such as barnacles. These animals avoid an infestation. systems under increasing cannot actively forage. Instead they pressure. filter tiny food particles from the Sea lice have a passive larval stage, surrounding water. The amount of and an adult stage which lives inside a If we want to manage our food that they can extract is limited by host fish. They occur naturally in wild biological marine resources its concentration in the water, and by populations, but salmon farms have sustainably, we need to improve the amount of water movement. relatively high fish densities, creating our understanding of this system, ideal conditions for parasitic sea life to including the factors that drive The distribution of larvae, which are thrive. While outbreaks can be variation in species distribution capable of only limited (if any) active managed using sea lice medicines, it and abundance as well as how movement, is largely a product of may be desirable to limit the release of different populations are water currents. Coastal eddies and chemicals into open water. connected. Furthermore, there is a risk that sea lice may become more resistant to available treatments over time.

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By modelling currents in the region of SAMS’ physicists have specific An on-going challenge is the fish farms, we can begin to understand expertise in hydrodynamic models for acquisition of data for model how lice larvae are transported within the west coast of Scotland, and we parameterisation and validation. the water column. This enables us to have been working increasingly closely SAMS has spent many years determine connectivity between with them. Coupling their systematically collecting ecological neighbouring farms, and also between hydrodynamic models with our and physical data but previous the farms and migration routes of wild biological models allows us to predict collection methods are not always fish, allowing improved site selection the abundance of species over time appropriate to specific applications. and reduced medicine use. and space, while model outputs can aid our understanding of the relative A further challenge is the development The MaREE project importance of habitat sites to overall of multi-species models as interactions The Marine Renewable Energy and the population survival. complicate patterns of response to Environment project (MaREE) is a external factors. Previous studies at broad project assessing the potential Coupled hydrodynamic and biological SAMS have been successful in impact of renewable energy devices models are powerful tools to assist in distinguishing between these effects, on ecological populations. Our work understanding the main drivers in the but as models become more in the project considers devices’ observed dynamics of marine complicated, a general understanding possible impacts on population populations. of inter-species interactions and their connectivity. impact upon model predictions becomes increasingly important. When renewable energy devices are installed, they change the local environment in many ways: rocks are often placed around the base of structures in order to reduce the amount of seabed scouring that takes place. This, and other new hard surfaces such as metal towers and the turbines themselves, provide an ideal habitat for a wide range of plants and animals in previously inhospitable locations. It also may provide ‘stepping-stones’ or new migration pathways for incoming species.

Connectivity studies, combining an understanding of local and regional currents with species response to environmental conditions, allow us to predict the changes that may occur. Computer modelling is central to connectivity analyses, and recent ABOVE: Configuration of habitat sites ABOVE: Simulation output without new advances have made the simulation of in the used to test renewable device habitat shows the hypotheses relating to the impact of relative number of larvae predicted to water movements around complex offshore renewables on coastal arrive at each site (yellow=low; coastlines more feasible. habitats. red=high). The grey shading represents the relative amount of time larvae spent in each model element.

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COD GALORE SAMS member Eric McVicar goes fishing with the Sea Sami to discover why cod is so prolific in the Islands

cod but also the enormous sizes to My own experience from April/May which they grow. 2011, when I lived with a Sea Sami family in North Troms, was that cod Record breaking cod of over 20 kg were considered good The 2012 winter cod fishery in but not exceptional. So, why are Norway has been spectacular, not these fish so abundant and large just in the Lofoten but all the way when around our own coast the rare from Ålesund to the Russian border. cod weighs mostly less than 5 kg? Wherever I went, I was told that this winter was the biggest and best in Historically Lofoten had massive living memory, not just for sheer catches of cod that arrived around numbers but also for the average January from the Barents Sea to size of the individual fish. The spawn in the area of Vestfjorden. largest cod landed at Svolvær was a Traditionally this was a longline and specimen of over 55 kg, that is handline fishery. Boats came from nearly 9 stone! The otoliths of this hundreds of miles away, many of giant revealed that it was nineteen them open boats of under 9 m It was only at the third attempt that years old and had no doubt made a length. we managed to land at Svolvær on considerable contribution to the the Lofoten Islands. Our previous stock reproduction in previous Not much has changed: Like in the attempts in February, when I was spawning runs. past, boats still come from hundreds guest lecturer on the cruise liner of miles away, even if they are fewer Boudicca, and in March, while Further north, on the island of in number now. And just like in the aboard the Marco Polo were Sørøya, an angler caught a 42 kg days of the Vikings and the thwarted by the heavy which cod, thereby breaking the rod Hanseatic League, the fish are air made it impossible to land by caught record. So the giant cod are dried and exported south to Spain, tenders. not confined to the Lofoten area. Portugal, Italy and the Balkans.

Our third attempt was on the For the fishermen this is excellent: Sustainable changes Norwegian Hurtigruten ship MV The 2 man crew of an 11m gill-netter What has changed is the design of Finnmarken. Hurtigruten vessels are working out of Ålesund proudly told the boats. Modern gill-netters are purpose built as lifeline ferries to me that their best day’s fishing this made from fibreglass and are remote areas of Norway, from season saw them land 9 tonnes of equipped with automatic haulers Bergen to Norway’s border with quality cod. For British inshore and jigging machines. They may Russia. Going into Svolvær on fishermen such a catch is a distant also sport an 11 m autoliner that can Finnmarken, even in the teeth of a dream. biting April blast, appeared easy on this highly manoeuvrable ship. So, at 6.30 on 7 April, I was finally on the pier of what must be regarded as the Cod Capital of the planet.

On entering this Arctic haven, the first thing that catches your eye are the drying racks of cod, thousands of cod drying in the chilling wind. From a distance they look like rows of buildings along the sea front, such is their size. Closer inspection ABOVE: Huge racks full of large cod drying in the Arctic wind look like large reveals not only the vast numbers of buildings for first time visitors to Svolvær on the Lofoten Islands.

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ABOVE: Kjollefjord’s ‘juksa’ fleet is part of the infrastructure generating a sustainable cod fishery.

set up to 15,000 hooks per day. vessels, but could not overcome the Climate change also appears to And they only requires two men to impact of industrial fishing down the have influenced the recovery. The crew it! So, although the number of food-chain. slight warming of coastal waters has vessels has declined, the actual noticeably increased spring blooms catching capability has remained Sami control fishing grounds of phytoplankton that fuel the entire roughly the same. The newly formed Sami Parliament food web. Especially herring have in Karasjok soon arranged for much boomed so much as a consequence And the fishers have also acquired a of the inshore waters in the three that their breathing can sometimes new customer: When the cods’ areas of Nordland, Troms and reduce oxygen concentrations in the tongues have been removed and Finnmark to become designated water so much that suffocating fish sold as a local delicacy, the cod traditional Sami fishing grounds. The are washed up on the shore or can heads are dried and exported to Sea Sami have fished sustainably in be scooped out of the water. Also Africa, mainly Nigeria. these waters for around 10,000 wolffish are plentiful here while their years, so were the perfect custodians stocks have declined over 90% in Collapse of the Barents Sea to take care of this endangered the North Atlantic due to over fishing cod world in the 1980s... fishery. and trawling related habitat In the late 1980s the cod stocks in destruction. the Barents Sea collapsed Today’s Sami have modern boats dramatically. This was due to the and use a power operated Juksa, or Lessons for Scotland? over-fishing of capelin, a small fish hand line, allowing one man to work Witnessing such plenty makes me which is a vital part of the Arctic multiple lines at the same time. consider whether we could design a food chain and was at that time Many Sami fishermen and others of similar recovery for our own used to produce food for Norway’s Sami descent consider juksa and fisheries: Would an outright ban on iniquitous number of salmon farms. long line caught fish to be of a trawling within a 25 mile limit of the When the capelin had gone, the superior size and quality and run coast resurrect our once prolific west hungry adult cod began predating highly successful fishing businesses coast cod and herring fisheries? heavily on their own juvenile stock, using this technology. Could we return to traditional line almost wiping out entire year and gillnet fisheries and allow classes. This led eventually to a No trawling or discarding seabed life to return and stabilize? moratorium on cod fishing in the The absence of trawling may be a And would the leaders of fisheries Barents Sea and all coastal fjords. major factor for the cod stock organisations ever admit that they recovery, but other factors also may have been dreadfully wrong Compensation payments were made contribute: Where gillnetting is back in the 1970s? And finally, to keep the fishing industry alive. But practiced, in ports such as Ålesund could our politicians muster the only the indigenous Sami fishermen and Molde, the mesh size of the nets foresight to protect sustainable food were allowed to continue their I measured varied between 200 mm resources for future generations? traditional fisheries. and 300 mm across the stretched diamond. This ensures that smaller It would certainly take determination The Sami fishermen had warned for fish are not caught and that those and short-term sacrifices, but I over 30 years that trawling and fish which are enmeshed have believe such a recovery is possible seine netting would eventually lead probably spawned at least once. It for Scotland’s cod and other to a stock collapse of monumental also means that a policy of No fisheries. proportions. The collapse had been Discards is easily adhered to. delayed by the exclusion of foreign

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Dynamic Oceans Research

THE GREAT RACE OF THE Unravelling the eddies of a Dr Andrew Dale SAMS

The Gulf of Corryvreckan Beyond a simple curiosity-led important features, such as narrow On the westward-flowing flood tide, investigation of the structure and tidal , in their wider shelf currents in the Gulf of Corryvreckan behaviour of the Great Race, we are context. These models will ultimately can exceed 4 m/s (8 knots). The using the system as a test bed to help coastal managers to make Great Race is the westward improve the representation of eddies better-informed decisions regarding extension of this flow into the open and turbulence in numerical models. marine renewables, fisheries, and water of the Firth of Lorn, a relatively Our particular interest is in the protected areas. narrow, turbulent plume of water that ‘cascade’ of energy between eddies extends for up to 10 km into the area of differing scales and the model Novel technology to the south of the as a representation of this process. Fieldwork in the Great Race is patchwork of smooth boils, rippled Improved models of the wider ongoing, using drifting buoys, convergences and breaking white- Scottish shelf will be available within moored current meters, boat-based caps. With the Gulf being 1 km the next few years and this project surveys and the SAMS Autonomous wide and up to 200 m deep, its will help to ensure that such models Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to further peak throughput is comparable to the accurately represent small yet refine our understanding. The discharge of the Amazon (in the drifters, developed by SAMS rainy season!) at an astonishing Technology Development Group, 300 000 cubic metres of water per have been a great success, using second. This injection of momentum mobile phone communications to into the Firth of Lorn spins off a series relay their position in real time to of energetic eddies from its head and servers at SAMS. This means that flanks. they are easily tracked in real time and collected by a fast RIB at the end of a deployment. The GREAT RACE project Although the Great Race is a Surprising asymmetry fascinating feature of our west coast Drifter clusters released into the Gulf environment, it has not previously of Corryvreckan show complex been subject to detailed scientific eddying tracks as they are ejected study. The NERC-funded Great Race These newly developed drifting buoys into the Firth of Lorn. This fascinating project is working to plug this gap. ‘phone’ their positions through to dataset has revealed much about the SAMS in real time.

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structure of the Great Race and also Acoustic porpoise detectors Further information a few surprises, perhaps the greatest piggybacked on the drifters and 4 being a strong asymmetry between moorings suggest that porpoises This project is funded by the Natural the northern and southern flanks of follow the energy pulse of the Great Environment Research Council between the Race. The northern flank sheds Race as it spreads westward into the February 2010 and February 2013. Marine considerably more energetic eddies Firth of Lorn. Razorbills, tracked Scotland is a project partner. than the southern flank. We are from their nest sites by the www.sams.ac.uk/andrew-dale/great-race using model simulations to RSPB, also show a preference for investigate this asymmetry, strongest tidal flow when the Great untangling the relative influence of Race extends into the area to the the Earth’s rotation, topographic southwest of the Garvellachs. By differences, and asymmetry of the understanding how animals use flow within the Gulf of Corryvreckan energetic tidal environments it will be itself. easier to predict the impact on them of installations. Of vortices and vertebrates The Great Race is a feeding hotspot for both birds and marine mammals, and we aim to understand how these animals exploit tidal dynamics. Initial results are looking promising. A composite of drifter tracks in the Great Race.

A model simulation of the vorticity of A model simulation of mixing between The eddying track of a drifter on the the Great Race showing an pair the Firth of Lorn (initially red) and the northern flank of the Great Race. towards the end of westward flow. Blue (initially blue). shows clockwise rotation and red shows anticlockwise.

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Dynamic Oceans Research REVEALING THE SEABED BELOW THE CORRYVRECKAN WHIRLPOOL by Dr John Howe, Philip Crump, and Dr Anuschka Miller, SAMS with Andrew Lessnoff, UKHO

The Gulf of Corryvreckan that The survey data further showed the The INIS Hydro project produces the ‘Great Race’ whirlpool seabed to consist of bare rock, which The work was carried out as part of lies between the islands of Jura and was not a surprise given the very the INIS Hydro project, which receives on Scotland’s west coast. strong currents characterising this £3.2 million from the EU’s INTERREG SAMS recently surveyed the seabed in narrow channel. All sand and mud is IVA Programme. INIS Hydro brings this area to gather information on its swept towards the west beyond the together seven partner organisations depth, shape and predominant Great Race, where underwater dunes from the Republic of Ireland and the sediment types. of very coarse sand are moving with UK to generate high-resolution the currents. bathymetric datasets for over 1400 The whirlpool was believed to be km2 of key coastal seabed areas off caused by a pinnacle that pushes To collect this data the SAMS research the coasts of Ireland, Northern Ireland water up from deeper waters of over vessel Calanus was fitted with high- and Scotland to the most rigorous of 200 m at the eastern side of the resolution multibeam echosounder international standards. The UK channel against the shallower western technology. This works by emitting Hydrographic Office assures the side that is less than 100m deep. The hundreds of sound beams beneath the quality of the acquired datasets. team was, however, surprised not to vessel while onboard computers listen SAMS is currenttly surveying the entire find such a pinnacle. Instead the for and record the return echoes that Firth of Lorn as part of INIS Hydro. scientists found a steep-sided buttress are reflected back from the seabed. sticking out from the Scarba shore that For more information on the project, appears to disrupt the flow and may please visit www.inis-hydro.eu generate the whirlpool.

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THE JOURNEY TOWARDS UNIVERSITY TITLE Former SAMS Director remembers the early days of SAMS engagement with the UHI

Science with a full spread of disciplines that would make the course unique in the UK. Financial resources and additional staffing were minimal, so collaboration with existing institutions was essential. A complete programme for the course was submitted to the UHIp in 1997 and approved in principle by the Academic Council for further development as resources became available.

It’s been a long time coming, but now Islands region, developing as a Those resources have since been the Highlands and Islands of Scotland partnership of existing institutions. Of found, and the course in its fully have their very own University, whose all the areas within the region, only approved form has been running area of operation extends over the Argyll did not yet have such a college. successfully for 12 years. It is now whole north and west of Scotland from much less dependent on resources from outwith the UHI and improved in Shetland to the Western Isles and But Argyll did have an important many ways, but the original aims and south to Argyll. research institute: SAMS with its objectives remain unchanged: the established reputation in marine provision of a first-class, full-scale For centuries there had been talk of a science and in postgraduate training university education in marine science. university in the Highlands and that neatly complemented the Islands, but serious debate only strengths of the FE colleges. Together started in 1967 when formation of they would be essential components of I would thank all who have made UHI Scotland’s fifth university (after St the university as envisaged by and its marine science degree Andrew’s, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Professor Hills. SAMS duly joined the happen, and all who provided the Aberdeen) became a choice between University of the Highlands and encouragement and support to see it Stirling and Inverness. At that time Islands project partnership with full through to its Charter, including Sir Stirling won and Inverness lost. representation on the Board and Graham Hills for his vision; Robin Academic Council. Lingard at Highlands and Islands Development Board for running the After that, there followed a change of scheme in its early days; Sir David attitude: henceforth new universities There was work to be done convincing Smith, President of SAMS at the time, would develop from existing FE people, locally and in the universities, and his Council for their faith; SAMS institutions. New universities were that this was an appropriate role for staff who took on the extra indeed created in Scotland, but all of SAMS, but the major problem was responsibilities of nurturing the infant them in urban areas and the idea of a political: the Scottish Office was UHI Marine Science degree University in Inverness faded. opposed to the whole idea. Then, programme; staff at the North Nevertheless there remained a need quite suddenly that changed. The Highland College in Thurso, the Open for higher education in and for the Secretary of State for Scotland had University and elsewhere who were rural, more remote areas of Scotland. arranged that the Scottish Grand generous in their support of the Committee should meet, not just in course, and many others in the Westminster, but also in Scotland. On In 1990 Highland Regional Council community and academia for their these occasions he was inclined to expressed its aim that a University of active support and encouragement. the Highlands and Islands should be make an announcement of local created, and in 1992 HRC and the importance. When the Committee The Highlanders and Islanders of Highlands and Islands Development came to Inverness, Michael Forsyth Scotland have good cause to Board (now Highlands and Islands announced that he had heard of the celebrate the creation of their Enterprise) published a report they had proposal for a University of the University. My colleagues and I who commissioned from Professor Sir Highlands and Islands and thought it were in it at the start send our best Graham Hills, former Principal of sounded like a good idea! wishes to all who now shoulder the Strathclyde University, that envisaged a responsibilities that we once had. collegiate university that would SAMS started to develop a proposal embrace the whole Highlands and for an Honours Degree in Marine Professor Jack Matthews

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OBITUARY

Dr JOHANNA FEHLINGin memoriam Born 25 October 1974; died 17 February 2011

Johanna Fehling died after a long “Johanna joined my lab in 2005, to fight against recurrent brain work on a project to root the tumours on the 17th February eukaryote tree of life. Johanna 2011 at home with her family in Germany at the tragically young impressed me immediately with her age of 36. At her request, enthusiasm and her very direct Johanna’s parents released her approach to everything. She worked ashes into the North Sea on 8th on the project, although it was March 2011. She was known to extremely difficult and I know she many in the harmful algal community and at SAMS. found it trying and discouraging at times. She continued to work on the “Johanna came to SAMS in 2000 as a project even after her diagnosis. Since PhD student. Her work concentrated she left, we have completed the on Pseudo-nitzschia in Scottish waters. project, which I think would have Her work has proven to be significant, pleased her, and we are submitting a paper that we think will be a major particularly her two linked Journal of scientist, always pursuing her aims. I Phycology publications on growth and contribution to the field. Johanna will be an author, and – if the journal remember her as a very positive and toxin production of Pseudo-nitzschia kind person and it is a great sadness seriata. allows it – the paper will also be dedicated to her. that she is no longer here.” Thomas Mock, UEA At the time of her death we were in the final stages of formatting a manuscript As was her way, Johanna made many friends here in Sweden and especially “Johanna came to Oban as a PhD based on her work relating Pseudo- student not long after my own arrival nitzschia populations to physical and within the systematics group. Her absence will be deeply felt by many.” and became an part of the chemical characteristics in the NW microalgal research group. Her Atlantic. It was a pity that we were Sandra Baldauf Evolutionary Biology Centre Uppsala research papers on Pseudo-nitzschia unable to complete the manuscript a continue to attract a high number of little sooner. It was published in March “Johanna had such an optimistic citations, and she was also a 2012 in PLoS ONE and keeps her dedicated, gifted and enthusiastic name alive in the scientific literature. outlook towards whatever she did. When she moved to Sweden, she was teacher who delighted in helping a bit dismayed the first night there, students and researchers develop skills Johanna was my first PhD student and she had mastered in her own research. as such we learned a lot together and because her flat was surrounded by so I have many fond memories of her and many houses. However, the next morning she discovered that she was As a PhD student Johanna was her dedication to her work. Johanna supremely organized, efficient and was a natural networker who always near a forest, like the country home where she grew up in Germany. She enthusiastic, with a tremendous interacted so well with her colleagues, capacity to work under the most many of whom became good friends. found it “amazing” to cycle to work for 20 minutes through the city forest.” difficult of conditions at sea, with never even a hint of complaint. I recall many Her illness began in 2006, and Stephen S Bates Fisheries & Oceans Canada supervisory meetings where I was between then and 2010, she had six instructed by Johanna as to the next major operations and rounds of “Johanna came to the Institute for phase of her studies, all delivered with chemotherapy. Throughout her long a directness that compelled me to illness, Johanna maintained a great Polar Ecology in Kiel when I did my Diploma thesis in the group of Rolf agree! Yet under this efficient ordered zest for life. The last time we met face exterior was kindness, generosity, and to face was during her final visit to Gradinger. I think it was back in 1997. I wanted to learn more about parasitic a love of life that made firm friends of Oban in 2009. Notwithstanding her colleagues with whom she worked. illness, she was still grasping life with fungi that feed on Pseudo-nitzschia seriata that we had found in Arctic sea both hands, and had just completed a Johanna’s positive spirit shone through long hike on the island of Lismore. ice samples. Johanna was very excited and keen to work on this relationship. in all she did. Johanna was dearly loved by all those who knew her and I During her illness, her telephone calls She took on this little project that later led to her Diploma thesis on sympagic remember her always with fondness always began with “I am so lucky”. and respect.” Considering the cruel fortune that she protist communities in Arctic pack ice from the Fram region. Christopher Bolch had suffered, her positive attitude was University of Tasmania, Australia nothing short of inspirational.” Keith Davidson, SAMS Johanna was a very dedicated

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OBITUARY Dr DUNCAN JAMES LESLIE MERCER Born Wakefield 20 Jan 1971; died of cancer Sydney, Australia, 26 Sep 2010

After a bad start, 1997 ended up in general science and in his own being a very happy year in the speciality of microprocessor controlled Marine Technology Department at instruments, so-called embedded SAMS: following many years of systems. He also managed the down-sizing in the lab, and the loss, Electronics Lab with a particular sometimes in tragic circumstances, of ferocity that earned him the nickname valued staff members and friends, I of Dr Strop, a somewhat draconian was allowed to recruit two new side of his personality that was totally colleagues. The first of these was Oli at odds with his true self. Peppe, who had ticked all our boxes before and at interview, and had What was his true self? Duncan held presented himself elegantly in a neat incredibly low opinions about himself, grey suit. The second was Duncan, in all areas, and it was a constant who ticked far less of our boxes, and effort to reassure him about his sat before us in a state of some exceptional capabilities. Not least dishevelment, accentuated by very about his abilities to form and sustain recent razor cuts to his face which relationships. Yet, above all he loved suggested shaving in the lab toilets people. Not in a shallow way: he just before his interview. Nonetheless really did love and care about we were completely won over by his people, and all who experienced that enthusiasm and honesty and offered will never forget it. He became a him the second job alongside Oli. It caring member of so many people’s turned out to be a three-way marriage families, and his loss for many of us is made in heaven, and we all three not that of a close family member. He only complemented each other’s was a gifted and patient teacher in experience, skills and aspirations in many areas, not least in electronics, the workplace, but also found that we programming, diving and climbing, had common interests in the outdoors, but he also taught us all how to love in music, and in what might be best as you would wish to be loved: described as conviviality. Overall, we openly and without hidden baggage. very quickly became a strong team, That is probably his greatest not frightened to challenge each other achievement. bluntly, nor to confront our scientific ‘customers’ with a sort of well- I was privileged to be able to speak meaning arrogance (though they did to him by phone not long before he not always see it that way), and died, and recounted much of the gradually we earned respect in the above on behalf of his many friends. wider community through a number of Duncan was scarcely able to speak, ground-breaking achievements, but did manage to brush it all off in particularly in the field of autonomous his best unprintable Yorkshire way! instruments for the observation of polar sea ice and of the deep oceans. Lovely man, special friend, you changed things for the better for lots Duncan was the glue that held the of people, what more could one ask team together for ten years before his of a life? departure to Australia: not only were his technical skills and attention to David Meldrum detail exceptional, he also possessed an amazing command of the wider subject and, out of hours (though his ‘hours’ were never possible to quantify) actively followed advances

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OBITUARY Dr MICHAEL DROOP DSc FRSE Algal physiologist 1918 - 2011 by Dr Paul Tett, SAMS and Dr John Leftley, GlycoMar Ltd and SAMS member

Michael Richmond Droop died on 20 Finland and on the shores of the Isle medium and the algae it contains. March 2011, and is buried in the of Cumbrae, including the flagellate Such a chemostat keeps the cultivated kirkyard at Taynuilt, the village in that he had discovered and named as population in a nutrient-limited state Scotland where he lived for more Monochrysis (now Pavlova) lutheri. and growing at a relative rate equal than 40 years. His working life was to the rate at which the reactor spent with the Scottish Marine The first step was to suck a single contents are diluted. This allowed him Biological Association (now SAMS), algal cell into a fine glass tube whilst to show that the growth rate of the where he built up the stockpile of keeping the cell in view under the lens algal population depended not on the cultivated micro-organisms that is now of a microscope. Like dealing with medium concentration but on the part of the UK national Culture unexploded bombs, this needed a intracellular concentration (or Cell Collection of Algae and Protozoa, steady hand. What followed was Quota) of vitamin B12, and led to a and developed what the world now chemistry tinged with magic, for, as much cited paper (Droop, 1968). calls the ‘Droop Cell Quota’ model of he experimented with cultivation Work with other nutrients and other algal nutrient-limited growth. media, Droop found that populations algae led to the fleshing out of the of Monochrysis lutheri would increase Cell Quota model, as described in a Michael was born on 3 November in artificial sea water only if the series of papers during the 1970s, 1918 in London. His father, J.P. medium was enriched with extracts of and summarized by Droop (1983). Droop, was soon to occupy the chair animal liver or garden soil. It turned of Classical Archaeology in the out that a key component of such By this time Michael’s workplace had University of Liverpool, and Michael 'magic ingredients' was cobalamin, moved (in 1969) from the old was sent to preparatory school and vitamin B12. It was required in minute buildings of the Marine Station at then to Marlborough College (1932- amounts that were too low for direct Millport to the newly built 37). At Marlborough he developed chemical detection, but the central Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory near an interest in aquatic life, and from cobalt atom of the synthetic vitamin Oban. As Barry Leadbeater (2006) here he visited the Marine Station at could be substituted by the Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae. In radioactive 57Co, allowing 1952 he returned to the Marine the very sensitive Station to take up a post with the measurements that made Scottish Marine Biological possible his subsequent Association. In the years between he work. According to what tried Medicine with Botany and then came to be called Monod English Literature at Cambridge; was kinetics, the growth rate of sent down from the University in algal cells should depend 1939 (because he preferred to attend on the concentration of the an opera rather than sit an exam); limiting nutrient in the served in the Royal Engineers during surrounding medium. the Second World War (including a Michael found evidence that spell working in bomb disposal); this was not the case for M. turned down the offer of a place at lutheri and vitamin B12. the Slade School of Fine Arts; took a first class honours degree in Botany at To investigate further, he Liverpool University (1946-50); and in adapted the method of 1950 commenced research for a PhD continuous culture that he at Cambridge under the supervision and his colleague Martin of Professor E.G. Pringsheim. Scott were using to grow micro-algae in bulk as food From Pringsheim, Michael learnt for oyster larvae. In this methods for isolating micro-organisms method, fresh medium is and growing them in synthetic media. continuously pumped into a These techniques he applied at reactor vessel where the ABOVE: The way he saw himself; a self-portrait of Michael Millport, cultivating algae and algae grow, displacing an Droop that he donated to the Culture Collection of Algae protozoa found in rock pools in equal volume of used and Protozoa.

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describes in a detailed scientific biography, Michael’s research was curiosity-driven. He was fortunate to live in an age when the supporters of science saw the key as securing the best minds and letting them get on with what they wanted to do. That age began to come to an end in the 1970s, and Michael, having achieved merit promotion to Senior Principal Scientific Officer, was happy to retire in 1982, to devote himself to painting and fly-fishing.

What he left behind for SAMS was his culture collection, maintained by ABOVE: Michael Droop in 1975 in his laboratory. Photo by Dr Serge Maestrini. his colleague Michael Turner until the latter’s own retiral, expanded with sciences and the arts. His wartime Droop, MR (1968). Vitamin B12 and marine ecology. IV. The kinetics of material from other laboratories, and experience matured him, and he committed himself to marine science uptake, growth and inhibition in now, under John Day, a vital national Monochrysis lutheri. Journal of the Marine resource, the Culture Collection of for nearly 40 years, although not until Biological Association of the United Algae and Protozoa (CCAP), with he had agonized between botany Kingdom, 48, 689-733. several thousand strains supporting and art. When he retired he said that Droop, MR (1983) 25 years of algal research and commercial use. he was done with science. But this proved not to be the case, for he kept growth kinetics, a personal view. Botanica Michael’s self-portrait now hangs Marina, 26, 99-112. outside the CCAP, next to an earlier a link with SAMS and, 20 years later, portrait of his teacher Ernst Pringsheim returned with two more papers, one Droop, MR (1985) Comment on citation (Leftley, 2009). defending the superiority of the Cell classic (Droop, 1968). Current Contents, Quota model (Droop, 2003) and the 38, 16. other concerning misconceptions Michael’s main intellectual legacy is Droop MR (2003) In defence of the Cell about the requirements of marine the Cell Quota model, usually called Quota model of micro-algal growth. pelagic algae for vitamin B (Droop, by his name, and according to Flynn 12 Journal of Plankton Research, 25 (1), 101- 2007). This brought the wheel almost 107. (2008) “the most cited model of full circle. For as he had earlier phytoplankton growth.” The seminal remarked (Droop, 1985), the Cell Droop, MR (2007) Vitamins, paper of 1968 was published before phytoplankton and bacteria: symbiosis or Quota model had originated in work the start of the data-base searched by scavenging? Journal of Plankton Research, to settle a 1950s controversy about Web of Science, but his succeeding 29 (2), 107-113. the likely ecological importance of the papers, mainly those from the early vitamin to phytoplankton. In the 2007 Flynn, KJ (2008). Use, abuse, 1970s, were averaging more than 50 paper Michael argued again that misconceptions and insights from quota citations per year in the late 2000s. models - the Droop Cell Quota model 40 there is sufficient vitamin in the sea to He didn’t teach, and worked directly years on. Oceanography and Marine support the growth of algae. only with a few - who were deeply Biology: an Annual Review, 46, 1-23. influenced by his ideas (e.g. His wife Margarete, whom he Leadbeater, BSC (2006). The ‘Droop Maestrini, Bonin & Droop, 1984; Tett, Equation’ — Michael Droop and the Heaney & Droop, 1985). What one married in 1951, died in 1996. He is Legacy of the ‘Cell-Quota Model’ of of us (Paul Tett) took from our survived by three sons and their Phytoplankton Growth. Protist, 157, 345- association was the idea of modelling families: Giles (a geologist at 358. as an epistemological tool and the Manchester University) and Stephen (until recently at the Royal Botanic Leftley, JW (2009). Pringsheim and Droop constraint that models should be no reunited at CCAP. The Phycologist 77, 16. more complicated than required by Gardens, Edinburgh) continue the the experimental data. This tradition academic clan. Maestrini, SY., Bonin, DJ & Droop, MR of experimental cultivation and (1984) Phytoplankton as Indicators of Sea Water Quality: BioAssay Approaches and modelling of micro-organisms, References Protocols. In Shubert LE (ed) Algae as continues at SAMS (e.g. Davidson et Ecological Indicators. Academic Press, al., 2005). Davidson, K., Roberts, EC, Wilson AM & London, pp 71-132. Mitchell, E (2005). The role of prey nutritional status in governing protozoan Tett, P, Heaney, SI & Droop, MR (1985). As Leadbeater reports, Michael’s first nitrogen regeneration efficiency. Protist, The Redfield ratio and phytoplankton shot at university foundered on his 156(1), 45-62. growth rate. Journal of the Marine inability to decide between the Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 65, 487-504.

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The Scottish Association for Marine Science

#ScotMarineInst

Innovative Independent International The Scottish Association for Marine Science is a learned society committed to increasing our knowledge and stewardship of the oceans. SAMS undertakes independent marine research across the world, provides education, and delivers commercial services and knowledge exchange.

To apply for membership of SAMS, please visit www.sams.ac.uk/learned_society/membership

THE SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION FOR MARINE SCIENCE SCOTTISH MARINE INSTITUTE OBAN, ARGYLL, PA37 1QA SCOTLAND SAMS t +44 (0)1631 559000 f (+44) (0)1631 559001 e [email protected] www.sams.ac.uk