OUR SCIENCE AROUND THE WORLD

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OUR PARTNERS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016

SAMS IS A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE, REGISTERED IN SCOTLAND (NO. SC009292), AND A REGISTERED SCOTTISH CHARITY (NO 009206)

4 page cover.indd 1 12/10/2016 09:51 OFFICE BEARERS AS Audit committee SAMS Honorary Fellows and CONFIRMED AT 101ST AGM external members Research Associates SAMS STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION Paul Brennan Dr Bob Batty 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016 Dr Carol Phillips Dr Ruth Brennan SAMS President Dr Clive Craik Prof Geoffrey Boulton Council observers Dr John Gordon DIRECTORATE Microbial & Molecular EDUCATION Facilities Biology Department Sophie Laurie (NERC) Prof Richard Gowen Owens, Prof Nicholas Head: Calder, Dr Lois Head: Mathias, David Chairman of SAMS Board Douglas Cowan (HIE) Dr Fiona Hannah Miller, Prof Axel E J Head: Pond, Prof David Bury, Dr Helen Burnip, Melvin Day, Stafford Achilles-Day, Undine Crooks, Polly James, Alistair Commodore Angus Ross Prof Clive Mulholland (UHI) Robin Harvey Hatton, Prof Angela Anderson, Sarah Humphreys, Morgan MacCorquodale, Iain Dr Ken Jones MacKinnon, Lorna Badis, Dr Yacine Magill, Shona MacDougall, Fraser Council members Dr Ray Leakey Walton, Elaine Brennan, Debra O’Higgins, Dr Timothy MacLean, Kenneth Mark Batho Prof Jack Matthews Calmes, Dr Benoit Morrison, Leah McLaren, Paul RESEARCH Campbell, Christine Wallace, Fiona Stuart Cannon Prof David Meldrum Childs, Katharine Financial Support Dr Melissa Chierici Prof Geoff Moore Biogeochemistry & Earth Clarke, Alison National Facility for Services Sciences Department Cole, Eilidh Scientific Diving Prof Robert Ferrier Dr Jake Rice Davidson, Prof Keith Head: Lister, Paula Prof Jane Francis Prof Murray Roberts Head: Howe, Dr John Day, Prof John Head: Sayer, Dr Martin Anderson, Angela Marilyn Jeffcoat Prof Toby Sherwin Abell, Dr Richard De Boever, Frederik Azzopardi, Elaine Black, Derek Abernethy, Colin Ditchfield, Dr Arlene Brown, Hugh Campbell, Elizabeth Prof Monty Priede Dr Henrik Stahl Arosio, Riccardo Duncan, Dr Katherine Mogg, Dr Andrew Hart, Fiona Ken Rundle Austin, Prof William Field, Joanne Thurston, Dr Simon Darling, Fiona Prof Sandy Tudhope Brand, Timothy Gachon, Dr Claire Lamb, Linda Crocket, Dr Kirsty Green, Dr David SRSL MacEachen, Janice Glud, Prof Ronnie N Garvetto, Andrea McLuckie, Gillian Hicks, Dr Natalie Hart, Dr Mark Head: Shimmield, Dr Tracy Robertson, Sharyn Rovelli, Dr Lorenzo Leakey, Dr Ray Allday, Joanne Smalley, Claire Stahl, Dr Henrik McNeill, Sharon Allen, Dr Chris Smith, Christine Turnewitsch, Dr Robert Mitchell, Elaine Hart, Dr Mark Tening, Eugene Rad Menendez, Cecilia Hausrath, John Watt, Lorna Ecology Department Saxon, Rachel Livingstone, Craig Slocombe, Dr Stephen MacDonald, John Health and Safety Head: Heymans, Dr Sheila Stanley, Dr Michele MacLeod, Dr Adrian Adams, Dr Tom Strittmatter, Dr Martina McInnes, Jacqueline Clay, Christopher Alexander, Dr Karen Swan, Sarah Murray, Sine Benjamins, Dr Steven Tett, Prof Paul Stewart, Alan Human Resources and Beveridge, Christine Thomas, Naomi Taylor, Dr Peter Reception Billing, Dr Suzi Ubbara, Swati Thompson, Phillip Black, Prof Kenneth Whyte, Dr Callum Vare, Dr Lindsay Head: Hausrath, Michelle Brennan, Dr Ruth Scherer, Cordula Veszelovszki, Dr Andrea Campbell, Karen Brunner, Lars Shellcock, Carole Wallace, Dr Keri Lee Cullen, Jacqueline CONTENTS Burrows, Prof Michael Culver, Rachel Campbell, Dr Iona Physics & Technology Greenwood, Susan Carpenter, Dr Trevor Department PROFESSIONAL Kersley, Shirley Cottier, Dr Elizabeth SERVICES Elliott, Jim Head: Cottier, Dr Finlo ICT and Information Fox, Dr Clive Aleynik, Dr Dmitry Boats Service Garcia Molinos, Dr Jorge Anderson, Dr Philip Graziano, Dr Marcello Beaton, John Keeney, John Head: Gontarek, Steven Greenhill, Lucy Cunningham, Prof Stuart Smith, Norman Cook, Nicola Research: Grist, Dr Hannah Dale, Dr Andrew Dale, Richard 1 Welcome 12 Ecology 32 Education Hughes, Dr Adam Dumont, Estelle Communications & OEC Kimmins, Olga Hughes, Dr David Gary, Dr Stefan Klein, Dr Thomas Kelly, Dr Maeve Griffiths, Colin Head: Miller, Dr Anuschka MacLucas, Nigel Kenter, Dr Jasper Hagan, Bernard Ault, Lauren Madej, Daniel Research: Kerrison, Dr Philip Houpert, Dr Loic Crabb, Andrew Norris, Elspeth William Speirs Bruce - growing Microbial and Molecular Lamont, Peter Hwang, Dr Phil Donovan, Terry recognition Biology Communications 2 18 36 Last, Dr Kim Inall, Prof Mark Kersel, William Michalek, Kati Johnson, Dr Clare McNeill, Helen Miller, Dr Raeanne Jones, Sam Paterson, Euan Narayanaswamy, Dr Bhavani MacDonald, Fraser MacKinnon, Rory Research: Nickell, Dr Thomas Meldrum, Prof David 3 Our people 24 Physics and Technology 38 Finances Payne, Dr Benjamin Meredith, Prof Michael Risch, Dr Denise Porter, Dr Marie Serpetti, Dr Natalia Rodwell, Shane Smalley, Claire Toberman, Matthew SAMS Research Steuben, Marieke Wilson, Karen 4 Learned society 28 Services Ltd 40 Publications Twigg, Dr Gail Wilding, Dr Tom Wilson, Prof Ben Research: Biogeochemistry and Earth National Facility for 8 Sciences 30 Scientific Diving 49 Staff list

Editors: Dr Anuschka Miller and Euan Paterson Front cover photo: The sea squirt, Ascidiella aspersa, as seen at 21m Design: Rory MacKinnon in the Firth of Lorne (Photo: NFSD), is part of the healthy marine ecosystem SAMS works towards.

4 page cover.indd 2 12/10/2016 09:51 PROFESSOR NICHOLAS OWENS SAMS DIRECTOR WELCOME

Welcome to SAMS’ 102nd Annual upon one’s mood. A finding that Report. I have been involved caught the imagination worldwide with SAMS, and its antecedents, was the work on the vertical since I was a PhD student in migration of zooplankton in the Dundee, back in the mists of time. polar-winter darkness of the Arctic and inquisitive students around I envied my contemporaries who Ocean. Dubbed the ‘werewolves brings vibrancy and academic had Dunstaffnage staff as joint of the sea’ by the world’s media, stimulation to SAMS. However, supervisors and who spent time this work attracted hundreds of the cohort of undergraduates that on the much more exciting west media reports from all parts of the graduated in September 2015 was coast of Scotland. I was therefore globe. Technology developments truly outstanding: 13 of the 18 truly excited and honoured to in SAMS continue apace and we students graduated with first class become Director on the 1st report here the first flight of a honours! This was an achievement September last year. hydrogen powered aerial drone, so unusual that Professor Boulton, and the milestone of our sea- SAMS President, was compelled It has been a challenging, gliders having spent over 5 years to present the ‘SAMS Best demanding but highly stimulating at sea: that is a huge efficiency Student Award’ to the entire class. beginning as Director. The most saving in ship-time. We also rewarding part of the job has report on the developing work I will end by noting that I became been the wonderful welcome and concerned with algal aquaculture. Director only partway through the support all the SAMS staff have SAMS is unique in having both year. During the first part of the given me since I started. Their a seaweed farm and Europe’s reporting period Professor Axel talents, initiatives and enterprise leading collection of micro-algae. Miller was the acting Director. I are well demonstrated in this Algal biotechnology is in its would like formally to thank Axel report, which is only a selection infancy and SAMS, through our for his outstanding leadership and of what has been achieved this research, is set to become a major dedication throughout his tenure year. Something exciting and contributor to Scotland’s aim to as acting Director; he had to deal new happens nearly every day at be a leader in this new industry. with the most difficult of times SAMS: it is a great place to work! and circumstances. Furthermore, An increasingly important part as a new Director I could not have Trying to identify the highlights of life at SAMS is our role as wished for a more supportive and of the year is like selecting one’s a partner of the University thoughtful Deputy. ‘Desert Island Discs’, the choice of the Highlands and Islands is likely to change depending (UHI). Having lots of bright SAMS RECOGNITION FOR SCOTTISH POLAR EXPLORER

Canadian descendants of a polar during a meeting hosted by SAMS Gold Medal and a telegram of explorer, who led the first and in its William Speirs Bruce lecture congratulation from King Edward only Scottish National Antarctic room. VII. Expedition between 1902 and 1904, visited SAMS to learn of his Also present at the meeting in The achievements of the legacy. SAMS were the institute’s director expedition included the Prof Nicholas Owens and Henry establishment of a manned William Speirs Bruce is relatively Burgess, Head of the UK Arctic meteorological station, the first unknown when compared with his office. in Antarctic territory, and the contemporaries, such as Robert discovery of new land to the east Falcon Scott, but was recognised Michael Watson, from Ontario, of the Weddell Sea. It also led to in early 2016 by the naming of a said: “It is very heartening to the establishment of the Scottish laboratory at the British Antarctic see so many people interested Oceanographical Laboratory in Survey Research Station on Signy in the work of our great, great 1906. Island, in the South Orkney grandfather. For us, his work has Islands. always just been a family story but we are delighted to learn that it is Argyll and Bute MSP Michael a story for Scotland, the UK and Russell, who has long championed for science in general.” Bruce’s contribution to Arctic and Bruce led the Scottish National Antarctic research, helped arrange Antarctic Expedition from Troon a commemorative plaque to be on November 2, 1902 and made erected at the Antarctic laboratory two voyages to the Antarctic, and delivered the news to the returning in July 1904 to the scientist’s Canadian great, great Marine Station in Millport, where GREAT, GREAT GRANDSONS, grandsons, Michael and Kyle he was presented with the MICHAEL AND KYLE Watson, during a meeting hosted Royal Geographical Society’s WATSON, BY THE PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM SPEIRS BRUCE

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OUR PEOPLE

SAMS has a diverse staff base, in a decade of Arctic research RESEARCH FORUM originating from 19 different projects and encouraging closer countries, with a near 50/50 split working links between Scottish LEADERS in male and female employees. and Norwegian researchers. Over the report period, Human He has also helped to develop Two members of staff at Resources developed the first the Arctic science degree run by SAMS each hold the position SAMS three-year HR strategy and SAMS through the University of of convenor on MASTS significant progress has been the Highlands and Islands and (Marine Alliance of Science made despite a very challenging alongside the University Centre in and Technology Scotland) time for the organisation. Svalbard (UNIS). research forums. Dr Bhavani Narayanaswamy is deep sea Themes include: Dr Cottier is working with convenor and Lucy Greenhill is Values, Culture and Ethos, Norwegian colleagues on two marine planning and governance including equality and diversity new Arctic research programmes convenor. training for staff and supporting – Arctic ABC and FAABulous – a UHI application for the Athena worth a combined £4.7m. Management, Specialist and Swan Bronze Award Administration: 63 staff Standards, Efficiency and SAGES ROLES COME Effectiveness, including the development of HR scorecard and TO SAMS broadening the Whitley Group to improve communication with staff Two influential roles within Employee Compensation and Scottish research have gone to Benefits, including a move to a SAMS scientists. single pay spine and developing a Professor Mark Inall was rewards package appointed as Director of SAGES Research, Education and Talent and Career Development, (Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Enterprise: 75 staff including the development of a Environment and Society) in broad framework on Learning and December 2015, followed a few Development linked to the job months later by Dr John Howe to families the position of Graduate School Leadership, Management and Convenor within the community. Change, including two scientific Professor Inall is Associate leadership courses for early career Director and Principal Investigator researchers and lecturer level in Physical Oceanography at principal investigators. SAMS. Dr John Howe heads Technical and Experimental: the Biogeochemistry and Earth 42 staff Sciences Department and is SAMS A NORWEGIAN UHI’s BSc Marine Science Degree PROFESSOR Programme Leader.

Dr Finlo Cottier, head of Dr Howe succeeded SAMS the Physics and Technology colleague Prof Bill Austin in the Department at SAMS during the role of SAGES Graduate School report period was awarded an Convenor. Adjunct Professorship at the Arctic University of Norway, Tromso. 3 The adjunct position was in recognition for his participation SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 LEARNED SOCIETY

STATE OF THE MEMBERSHIP

TOTAL: 302 (1% RISE IN REPORTING YEAR)

Danja Hohn Examining a Scottish Aurelia aurita population, a bloom forming £1,000 jellyfish with social-economical relevance Pedro Murua: Diseases and defence reaction of kelps against biotic stressors £1,000 Margaux Llapasset: Analysis of the composition of the benthic macrofauna at Station M in £700 the Rockall Trough (NE Atlantic) in Spring 2013 Dr Bee Berx Ocean-shelf exchange of the slope to current to the North of Scotland £1,000 Lukas Huppe: Circadian rhythms in swimming behaviour and oxygen consumption of £1,000 the copepod Calanus finmarchicus SAMS research bursaries awarded to SAMS members during the reporting period:

Society, in one of her many roles to form a senior management ELAINE’S at SAMS, is now: running her own position that encapsulated consultancy business; chairing aspects of finance, estates, legal STILL IN the Group for Recycling in Argyll and HR. and Bute (GRAB) Trust; on the management board of Oban Sea GOOD Cadets; a member of the local branch of Macmillan Cancer COMPANY Support; a STEM ambassador; a board member of Family After retiring in October 2015, Mediation for Argyll and Bute; former SAMS company secretary and a volunteer at SAMS’ Ocean Elaine Walton is quickly finding Explorer Centre. that that she needs to start saying ‘no’ a lot more often. In March 1998 Elaine transferred Elaine is pictured, above, with from NERC to SAMS (which was SAMS Director Prof Nicholas The industrious Elaine, who was then DML) as station secretary and Owens and Deputy Director Prof known for managing the Learned the role evolved over the years Axel Miller

4 NEWTH LECTURE

Think of the world’s polar regions “Using these plant fossils we and we will conjure images of have been able to produce a a harsh environment of ice and reconstruction of Antarctica 100 snow – but this was not always the million years ago and 70 million case, as Prof Francis of the British years ago, when flowering plants Antarctic Survey explained during are visible. There were larger the Newth Lecture 2015. dinosaurs and ducks and the warm oceans had mesosaurs and Fossile evidence shows that plesiosaurs. around 40 million years ago natural levels of CO2 begin to “During the Eocene period the drop and the earth begins to Arctic was also warm. In the Arctic cool. Some of the plates begin we have found leaves and tree to move; Antarctica becomes stumps preserved as they were, as isolated and alters ocean if they have been ‘mummified’. circulation, cooling the rest of the “Dawn redwood has been found world. in Russia and Canada and was beautifully adapted to living in the 50 million years ago Antarctica Arctic. At the turn of the century it was particularly warm and was found as a fossil and thought gradually cooled; at a period to be extinct but it was found still around 34 million years ago living in valleys in China. It is a glaciers would have formed at sea good shape, tall and thin, so as level on the continent as we know not to shade other trees in the it now. Arctic.”

But the Arctic stayed warm until Modern botanists have matched eight to 10 million years ago when plants to different climate zones suddenly all plants die out and and compared fossils to make glaciation occurs. conclusions about these zones, so we know there was plenty of water Scientists have found evidence in the Arctic. It was probably of ferns growing in Antarctica a basin with really big rivers, almost identical to those found in creating pseudo swamp-like Tasmania and New Zealand and conditions, said Prof Francis. “We can draw comparisons Monkey Puzzle trees growing in NEWTH LECTURER Antarctica 100 million years ago between the Everglades in Florida were similar to ones growing in today and the Arctic 50 million the Andes today. years ago. Could there have been Prof Jane Francis alligators and turtles in the Arctic Director of British Antarctic 50 million years ago?” Survey and Head of the We have also found fossilised During the dark winter months Intergovernmental plants in Antarctica that are the landscapes of the Arctic Oceanographic related to plants in South and Antarctica may well have Commission of UNESCO America. been covered in ice, but there from 1998-2009 was a time when the summer By comparing these specimens to sun revealed gloriously green modern plants we can date them, landscapes. giving us a picture in time of how our polar regions once looked. Prof Francis said: “Antarctic forest fires preserved plants as charcoal and we have some amazing fossils we can put under the microscope to reconstruct them. We have found flowers that are 80 million 5 years old. SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOW JOHN GORDON OBE for his early guidance and collaboration in later years and to Janet Duncan and Sarah Swan for dedicated scientific support. Finally, I have to thank the ship’s companies of RRS Challenger for many enjoyable days at sea, many of which were before the days of satellites and instantaneous communication and navigation – the simple life.”

Other key investigations by Dr Gordon helped to determine the age and stock identification of deep water commercial fish. In Sir Frederick Holliday 1994 he was named Buckland (September 22, 1935 – Professor, which involved giving September 5, 2016) A SAMS scientist who became public lectures on deep water one of the world’s foremost fisheries at venues throughout A highly regarded marine researchers in deep sea ecology the UK. In 1995 he was appointed biologist, academic leader and was awarded the OBE in the chairman of the International businessman, Professor Sir Queen’s Birthday Honours List Council for the Exploration of Frederick Holliday served as 2016. the Sea (ICES) Study Group on SAMS President 1980-1985 and the Biology and Assessment of retained his connection with Dr John Gordon, now an Honorary Deep-sea Fishery Resources, SAMS until his death as a Vice- Research Fellow at the institute, a post he held until 2000 and President. He also delivered the spent his whole research career at he also provided advice and first annual Newth Lecture in 1990 SAMS after completing a PhD at evidence to organisations such on Conserving Conservation. Edinburgh University. as the European Commission, the North East Atlantic Fisheries His talent for science recognised Dr Gordon began his research in Commission (NEAFC); the Scottish by David Hobson, his teacher at the shallow waters of the Firth of Government and the House Bromsgrove County High School, Lorn but, with the commissioning of Lords Select Committee on who encouraged him to study of the RRS Challenger in 1974, Science and Technology. biology, which he chose as his he moved into deeper waters degree subject. (500 to 1,500 metres) to the west Dr Gordon retired in 2002 He opted to study at Sheffield of Scotland’s continental slope, as Principal Scientific Officer University under Nobel laureate working on the biology of the at SAMS. His international and biochemist Sir Hans Krebs, bottom-living fish which were later reputation kept him busy as a despite being offered a place at to be commercially fished. keynote speaker and with several Cambridge. After graduating with His work contributed greatly to consultancies. our knowledge of food chains in a First, he moved to Aberdeen the deep sea and how commercial and did his National Service on He is married to Kathleen, with trawling affects fish populations in defence vessels while working at whom he has two children, deeper water. the Marine Research Laboratory, Hamish and Colin. where he was researching the Dr Gordon said: “In accepting this depletion of North Sea herring honour I have to acknowledge stock. He was appointed scientific that none of this would have been officer at the laboratory in 1958, a possible without the support of role he carried out for three years. 6 the whole of SAMS community over the years. I owe a great debt of gratitude to John Mauchline SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 OBITUARIES During this time he met his wife, Henry Powell was also a founder member of the Philippa, who was the chemist Institute of Biology. (May 1925 - January 2, 2016) dealing with the water samples he brought back for examination. In 1967 the SMBA relocated to Oban and Harry was a member In 1961 Holliday was appointed of the small group who came lecturer in Zoology at the to oversee the building of the University of Aberdeen. He was laboratory at Dunstaffnage. Harry approached to help develop the also negotiated with the council University of Stirling where he was housing department to allocate a appointed Professor of Biology in number of new homes in Dunbeg 1967 and in 1973 he became the to ease the resettlement of the UK’s youngest university principal remaining staff from Millport. by taking over the post at Stirling During that period he was a union during times of intense student rep, chairman of the Scottish protests. His efforts at Stirling Marine Biological Association were rewarded with a CBE in Henry Powell (known as Harry), (SMBA) IPCS union branch, and 1975. He continued his research a seaweed scientist, community was active in the SMBA social club into fish stocks and was among stalwart and campaigner, was born and management of the canteen. the first to use electronic tracking and brought up in Abergavenny, devices, fitting it to species such Wales and studied at The An important piece of work led as loch trout and basking sharks. University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Harry in the late 1970s was during the Second World War. the ‘Survey of the Littoral Zone In 1987, as Vice-Chancellor at In 1946 he was awarded a 1st of the Coast of Great Britain’ the University of Durham, he met class Honours degree in Botany for the Nature Conservancy Margaret Thatcher, who asked and worked for two years at Council, involving a large team of Holliday what he would do to the University of Bangor before scientists. Following retirement improve things in the region. joining the Scottish Marine in 1989 Harry was a driving force He told her that he would build Biological Association (SMBA) in as chairman of the Lorn branch of a university. The result of their Millport, Isle of Cumbrae in the the Scottish Wildlife Trust Support conversation was the building of Firth of Clyde in 1948. Group. the Queen’s Campus of Durham University. It was at Millport that he met A career in the private sector his future wife Grace, who was followed and as chairman of there as an undergraduate. Northumbrian Water he oversaw They married in 1956 and later two takeovers and developed the their two children, Anne and organisation into a British Plc. David, were born there. During Harry’s early career he worked on He received a knighthood for barnacles, but his main interest services to education in 1990. A was in seaweeds and, in particular, man of great intellect and energy, their ecology on rocky shores. Fred was also approachable, He carried out seaweed surveys warm and humble. He is survived all around the Scottish coast, by his wife, son, daughter and publishing several significant grandchildren. papers, including two in the highly prestigious journal Nature, and conducted important studies on Fucus species (wracks). He was the founding secretary of the British Phycological Society in 1952 and 7 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY & EARTH SCIENCES

Exploring the deep ocean

A prototype of an autonomous robot is lifted back onto the research ship after a test dive at 600 metres.

8 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY RESEARCH

Robots to explore HIGHLIGHT & EARTH SCIENCES deepest ocean Scientists from SAMS will use oxygen uptake by the sediments custom-built robots to explore and another will be designed to the deepest parts of the ocean investigate the different processes in a bid to discover how life is that may be used by sediment sustained thousands of metres organisms to convert the organic below the surface. material. The third instrument will be designed to collect The research team led by sediment samples to be brought Professor Ronnie N. Glud and to the surface. This instrument including Dr Robert Turnewitsch, will ensure the sampled will take the unique step of microorganisms are fixed studying and sampling organisms and can be retrieved without in situ, thousands of metres below being modified during sample sea level. retrieval.

The Hades Project requires three The three trenches to be visited purpose-built robots to operate by the researchers are in the at depths of up to almost 11 Pacific Ocean: the Atacama kilometres. Previous expeditions Trench off Chile (max depth 8068 led by Professor Glud – most metres), the Japan Trench south notably to the Mariana Trench and east of Japan (max depth (2013), the deepest part of the 9,504 metres) and the Kermadec ocean - have revealed surprisingly Trench north of New Zealand (max high levels of biological activity depth 10,047 metres). at nearly 11 kilometres deep. Now the aim is to investigate how The five-year project, launched life is sustained at these depths in July 2015, has received a and how its activity affects the European Research Council (ERC) biogeochemical functioning of the Advanced Grant of €3,185,000. oceans and the Earth.

Various components for the new robots are being produced around the world before finally being assembled at the University of Southern Denmark. One robot will be designed to quantify the

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BACK TO THE FUTURE PRIZEWINNING PAPER

Much of SAMS’ work involves looking into the past In March 2016, SAMS, through Dr Kirsty Crocket, was through fossile evidence to give scientists a better given Intercalibration Status for Dissolved Rare Earth understanding of how our oceans are changing – but Elements (REE) Seawater. a very new tool is now helping them with the job. This allows SAMS to process undiluted seawater SAMS took delivery of the autonomous underwater for a range of trace metals and has led to institute vehicle (AUV) ‘Freya’ in the spring of 2016 and it was involvement in GEOTRACES, an international immediately used for a number of missions, using a programme that aims to improve the understanding 500 kHz GeoSwath+ sonar to survey the seabed and of biogeochemical cycles and large-scale distribution collect photographs from an on-board camera and of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine strobe. environment. Scientists from 35 nations have been involved in the programme, which is designed to Missions have included surveys of Loch Harray and study all major ocean basins over the next decade. Bay of Firth in the Orkney islands. The three-metres- long Teledyne Gavia AUV was looking for evidence The work with GEOTRACES led to Dr Crocket co- of submerged landscapes and possible settlements authoring a paper that won the UK Geochemistry from the last 5,000 years. Group Medal, awarded by the Geological Society of London in March 2016. ‘Neodymium isotopic It was the first time that such technology has been composition and concentration in western North used to delve into, and attempt to explore, the Atlantic seawater: results from the GEOTRACES Neolithic period in Orkney. The relatively shallow GA02 section’ was published in Geochimica Et depth of the lochs made it impossible for a ship to Cosmochimica Acta. survey the areas of interest. The work was supported by MASTS and the AUV element was led by Dr John The western North Atlantic is important for deep Howe. Fraser Macdonald, Karen Wilson and Colin water circulation and therefore strongly linked Abernethy are also part of the Gavia team. to climate change. Based on the composition there, researchers were able to produce a The Gavia also helped the team to produce a new palaeoceanographic reconstruction of ocean map of Loch Etive, the first detailed survey of the circulation in the past. loch. Published in the Scottish journal of Geology, the map is tidally correct and was completed in Dr Crocket had three projects funded in 2015, conjunction with the Maritime and Coastguard including Iron BREW (Beyond River Etive Water), Agency. examining the role and efficiency of dissolved organic matter from peat bogs as a transport vector of trace metals across salinity gradients in Scottish sea lochs. She is also co-supervisor on a MASTS PhD Studentship, which began in April 2015, to look at linking carbon and iron cycles by investigating transport, fate and mineralogy or iron-bearing colloids from peat-draining rivers. PhD student Deborah Wood is one of three currently supervised from the department.

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CAPTURING THE CARBON IMPACT POTENTIAL

Summer of 2015 saw the publication of more papers relating to the QICS carbon capture storage project, led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

As part of the project, SAMS’ Dr Henrik Stahl conducted a world- first carbon capture storage leak experiment in Ardmucknish Bay from 2012 - 2014.

In July 2015, the various aspects of this groundbreaking project, were published in a special issue of the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

As a PhD student, Dr Pete Taylor was lead author on two papers that summer and was co-author on another two. The two first- author papers were ‘A novel sub- seabed CO2 release experiment informing monitoring and impact assessment for geological carbon storage’ and ‘Impact and recovery of pH in marine sediments subject to a temporary carbon dioxide leak’.

In his papers he took the unusual step of crediting the entire population of the village of Benderloch as an acknowledgement for their understanding in allowing the carbon dioxide leak experiment to be conducted in the local area.

The carbon capture storage experiment continues to bear Carbon Capture fruit and Dr Natalie Hicks has been looking at how bacteria and Divers from the National archaea could be used to monitor Facility for Scientific Diving at stored carbon dioxide and convert SAMS worked on the QICS it into useful products, such as carbon capture storage ethanol and acetate. project

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MARINE ECOLOGY

The largest department at SAMS has a broad range of expertise, allowing SAMS, through SAMS Research Services Limited (SRSL), to compete for commercial projects, as well as produce world-class research outputs.

Indeed, members of the Ecology department alone completed 29 commercial contracts in 2015, while producing 50 papers and four book chapters.

As SAMS’ international reach grows, it is not unusual for researchers to be working around the globe and the Ecology department has been clocking up the air miles.

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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

SAMS scientists studying the biological clock, the scientists This newly-discovered response moon’s effect on marine life observed zooplankton moving to moonlight during the Arctic during the constantly dark deeper into the darkness in winter has been described by Arctic winter believe they have response to the full moon. the researchers as lunar vertical uncovered the ‘werewolves of the The team believes this migration (LVM) and only occurs ocean’, which regularly gather migration is to hide from light- for a few days each month as the in their billions to undertake the dependent visual hunters, such full moon rises above the horizon. largest migration on Earth. as the voracious centimetre-long crustacean , The team also discovered that In January 2016 the team, headed pictured below. zooplankton follow the rising by Dr Kim Last, published findings and setting of the moon. This in the journal Current Biology This response could be seen phenomenon results in a new that the actions of zooplankton across the entire Arctic at all water kind of daily lunar migration, the respond to the moon as the main depths, ice covered and ice free, cycle of which is longer (every light source during the polar from 70°N to 90°N. 24.8 hours) than the standard day night. / night solar light response in the The mass migration has been sunlit waters of the rest of the Using echo sounders detected by the team at the world. fixed to the seabed very high arctic, in water 4,000 and analyses more metres deep and underneath The work was funded by the UK’s commonly thick ice. The research suggests Natural Environmental Research associated with that reducing sea-ice cover, Council (NERC) and the Research studying the resulting from climate change, Council of Norway (NRC) under human may cause further changes in projects Panarchive and Circa, these migrations as more light respectively. penetrates the sea.

Moonlight hunter

Themisto libellula

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to look at the migration of 13,000 DELVING DEEP AQUASPACE marine species. It found that tropical marine In May 2015 SAMS scientists INVESTIGATION animals that currently thrive in carried out the first study into warm habitats around the equator the impacts of mine tailings BEGINS will have to spread north and disposal into the deep sea and south to avoid extinction as global were subsequently published in A three-year project to investigate sea temperatures rise. Nature’s online journal Scientific why Europe’s own aquaculture The study used a measurement Reports. industry is flat-lining, while called future climate velocity, countries outside the European which combines the rate and The researchers (Dr David Hughes, Union (EU) enjoy boom time in the direction of movement of ocean Dr Tracy Shimmield, Professor sector, was launched in May 2015. temperature bands. Kenneth Black and Dr John Howe, The AquaSpace project, led by representing SAMS and SRSL, Professor Kenny Black, will look at conducted surveys in Papua New how we can best use our marine UNCOVERING Guinea into the effects of deep- areas, as Europe’s reliance on sea tailings placement (DSTP) on seafood imports increases. MYSTERIES OF seabed biological communities. The findings in ‘Ecological The team will look at case studies AN ANCIENT impacts of large-scale disposal across the world to find out how of mining waste in the deep sea’ the EU can kick-start the industry ORGANISM demonstrated significant and to create more jobs and make long-term impacts on the seabed the continent more self-sufficient. In March 2016 scientists at SAMS ecosystem at depths down to The scientists will also consider attempted to shed some light on 2,000 metres. what impact planning and public a mysterious deep-sea creature perception has on the industry. that can claim to be one of the The aquaculture industry within At the Lihir gold mine, which longest living on earth. discharges 100,000 megalitres the EU has failed to grow in of tailings slurry every year – the recent years, while countries The treasured black coral is equivalent of 40,000 Olympic- outwith the EU, including other protected under the Convention sized swimming pools – the European countries like Norway, on International Trade in numbers of worms, molluscs and have expanded theirs. In China Endangered Species (CITES) and other small, sediment-dwelling alone, the industry was worth is used in medicine, jewellery and, animals are drastically reduced in more than $66 billion in 2012 and in some cultures, as a good-luck areas directly affected by tailings. it continues to grow year on year. charm. Considered to be among At Misima, where DSTP took place Europe produces around 2 per the oldest creatures in the ocean, for 15 years, ending in 2004, their cent of the world’s aquaculture one specimen of black coral results showed that the seabed and imports 80 per cent of all its collected from a depth of 300 community was recolonising the aquatic produce. metres off Hawaii was estimated area affected by tailings but its to be 4,270 years old. composition was still very different three-and-a-half years after the HEATING UP end of tailings discharge. However questions remain about its abundance across the The paper is based on a project Following on from the paper globe and its interaction with undertaken on behalf of the ‘Climate velocity and the future other species in the deep ocean. Department of Environment global redistribution of marine Part of its mystery is down to a and Conservation of Papua New biodiversity’, Prof Michael Burrows slow evolutionary rate, which Guinea. was invited in February 2016 to makes it difficult to detect major be a speaker at the Species on changes between samples of the Move Conference in Hobart, varying age. Black coral provides Australia. nursery grounds for commercially important demersal fish and a The paper, led by Dr Jorge home for many other creatures, Garcia-Molinos and Prof Burrows, including crustaceans and used climate scenarios from polychaete worms, so is at risk of 14 reports by the Intergovernmental damage from trawling. Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) SAMS holds samples of black (ICOE) in Edinburgh between and coastal industry. There has coral that were collected under the February 23 and 25, 2016. also recently been a spread of a a CITES licence during deep- While ICOE itself is ‘focused on potentially poisonous pufferfish, sea research cruises and the the industrial development of Lagocephalus sceleratus, institute was visited by Dr Tina renewable marine energy’, many westwards towards Italy. Molodtsova, a world expert on of the key challenges facing the black coral from the P.P. Shirshov industry can only be addressed in Institute of Oceanology in collaboration with a wider group CAPTURING Moscow. Dr Molodtsova’s visit of interested parties, including to Scotland was on the invitation marine scientists. OUR COAST of MASTS, for which Dr Bhavani Narayanaswamy is Deep Sea SAMS scientists Prof Ben Wilson SAMS heads up the Scottish Convenor. and Dr Raeanne Miller hosted effort in a UK-wide citizen science two of three parallel workshops programme that aims to give us During the report year, Dr in advance of ICOE, focussing the best indication yet of the state Narayanaswamy also contributed on three key issues: collision risk, of our coastal creatures. to the inaugural UN World Oceans biofouling, and the social impacts Assessment, writing the chapters of marine renewable energy Volunteers will receive training in on Offshore Mining and Deep development. monitoring and sampling coastal Open Ocean. areas as part of Capturing Our Coast (CoCoast), the world’s SUEZ CANAL largest ever coastal citizen marine science project. The project CLINGY CONCERN co-ordinator in Scotland, Dr Hannah Grist, is based at SAMS CREATURES Marine invasive species expert and Prof Michael Burrows is Dr Elizabeth Cottier-Cook added helping to head up the project. SRSL and SAMS have been her name to a list of international providing research expertise scientists calling for further CoCoast, which launched in on a project led by Offshore investigation into the ecological January 2016, aims to train more Renewable Energy Catapult effects of a second Suez Canal, than 3,000 citizen scientists from to measure growth rates of which officially opened in August across the UK to help collect biofouling and their impact on 2015. data around key species such as renewable energy devices. mussels, wading birds and hermit Launched in February 2016, Dr Cottier-Cook was the only crabs. The results of the data the project could ultimately British scientist on the team, collected will help inform future see the creation of a detailed which published a report with policy in conservation and marine map to identify the type, speed Association for the Sciences of protection and potentially give a of growth and prevalence of Limnology and Oceanography better overall picture into how our biofouling species, with the aim (ASLO) Bulletin into how nearly climate is changing. of better informing the operation 700 multicellular invasive species and maintenance of sub-sea have already navigated through SAMS is the only Scottish- equipment. the existing canal from the Red based partner in the £1.7m Sea to the Mediterranean. project, which is funded by the The overall aim of the project Heritage Lottery Fund and led by is to map for the first time how The scientists said the introduction Newcastle University. communities of sessile creatures of a second, parallel Suez vary around the UK’s coast and to Canal, the fastest shipping route develop a sensor to measure their between Europe and Asia, could growth rates, charting in detail cause an ecological setback to the the potential impact they have on ecosystem of the Mediterranean subsea equipment and their effect Sea, damaging native species, on functionality. coastlines and industry. Since the early 1980s, a scyphozoan Several members of the SAMS jellyfish, Rhopilema nomadica, marine renewable energy team has formed huge swarms every 15 attended the International summer along the Levantine Conference on Ocean Energy coast, adversely affecting tourism SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 IMPACT A BUDDING INDUSTRY

SAMS is at the forefront of research into the developing European seaweed industry and in August 2015 Dr Phil Kerrison set out plans to create a new seaweed farm on the site of a previous trial farm at Port a’ Bhuiltin, off Lismore. The new farm would be 100 metres- squared with 25 100-metre lines. At its existing seaweed farm off Kerrera, SAMS grows a variety of seaweed: Alaria esculenta, commonly known as dabberlocks or badderlocks, is already a high- value food worldwide; sugar kelp; and dulse (Palmaria palmata). The scientists have also started growing Porphyra.

In June of 2015 SAMS co-founded a company, AT~SEA Technologies, to develop off-the-shelf seaweed farms, following Dr Adam Hughes’ key role in the ground-breaking European project, AT~SEA. This project, which started in 2012 and ended in June 2015, aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of seaweed cultivation in Europe and developed seaweed cultivation ‘sheets’ to increase the surface area for growing and allowed for greater mechanisation.

SAMS is also a partner in a trial to test the commercial viability of a mussel hatchery in Scotland. Led by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the 30-month project could lead to higher productivity in the shellfish industry and support rural businesses and jobs.

16 SAMS partners. Prof Wilson and their gearing produced highly WHAT DOES his team also used ‘drifting ears’ distinctive warbling drones. equipment to see if they could THE OCEAN map a pinging sound source Sound transmission in the open on the seabed and therefore sea is relatively well understood, SOUND LIKE? identify where the objects were. but what if that water is moving, This experiment was to test how as in a tidal race, where renewable In August 2015 Prof Ben Wilson reliably we can use sound to energy can be harvested? Does and his team travelled to locate echolocating (clicking) the passage of underwater sound Kylerhea, a narrow gap between porpoises in the same habitat. suffer in the same way as a voice Skye and the mainland only 500 on a windy day? To test this Prof metres wide, to find out why The desire to use tidal turbines in Wilson and his team broadcast it is so attractive to seals and the water has prompted concern a series of test tones across the porpoises. that marine mammals may be strong tidal flows at the Falls injured by the spinning blades. of Lora. By broadcasting the Using an acoustic camera, they With these technologies being sound during the full flow and conducted a field campaign to new, it’s not clear what these at slack water they discovered look at how fish use the moving renewable energy devices will that the flow of water does make turbulent water. The camera uses sound like and how loud they will a difference and the nature of sound like an echosounder but at be. To get answers SAMS worked the effect depends on which ultra-high frequencies to produce with Sustainable Marine Power frequencies (low or high) are moving images that look like and their recently deployed test being transmitted. those produced by a black and device in the Solent in the early white film camera. The test of this summer of 2015 to record their specialist equipment came from turbines in operation. It turned IMARES, a lab in Holland that out that the turbines were highly audible, particularly for seals and

Ruth Brennan (Israel Institute Research Council, SAMS is LAURENCE of Technology) and Marcello working with the West of Norway Graziano (Assistant Professor at Research Institute and other MEE CENTRE the University of Central Michigan) partners to enable knowledge taking up roles abroad. Dr Suzi exchange around governance The social science team has been Billing also successfully defended mechanisms between Scotland delivering the policy, governance, her PhD (“The role of agents and Norway. social and economic components for change in the sustainable of the EU FP7 MERIKA (Marine development of wave energy in There was extremely positive Energy Research Innovation and the Highlands and Islands Region feedback on the IDCORE Knowledge Accelerator) project, of Scotland”) and has taken Renewables and Society summer with various exchanges with the up a post at SAMS as research school, where renewable energy University of Nordland (Norway), associate working on the MERIKA engineers from around the country Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht and EU H2020 Aquaspace were exposed to ‘eye-opening’ (Germany), IMARES (Netherlands), projects. material on understanding social and the National University of impacts of developments, working Ireland in Galway. New projects include stakeholders and policy makers, ACIDCOAST, focussing on the and more broadly providing a There has been a change of the governance of ocean acidification crash course on the basic tenets 17 watch with Dr Karen Alexander and climate change adaptation. of social science research. (University of Tasmania), Dr Funded through the Norwegian SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 MICROBIAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

As the human population continues its search for new sources of food, fuel and pharmaceuticals, there is hope that our oceans may yet have the answers to a lot of questions over food security, sustainable fuel sources and new medicines. But as we develop new industries and cultures we must be aware of the wider impacts on the environment as a whole and SAMS is working internationally on both fronts.

18 UNLOCKING THE ALGAL TREASURE CHEST

In 2015 researchers at SAMS Micro-algae synthesise high unlocked a treasure chest of levels of oil, carbohydrates and ‘super-algae’ that could provide a proteins from sunlight but only a previously untapped source of oil. few species are currently grown Using a newly devised technique, commercially for health foods, scientists examined micro-algae such as Omega-3 oils and pro- strains in The Culture Collection Vitamin A. of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) to find out which ocean-based In addition to strains for making strains had the highest oil biofuel, the report, ‘Unlocking content. nature’s treasure-chest: screening for oleaginous algae’ (lead author The screening revealed two Dr Stephen Slocombe) also marine strains, Nannochloropis signposts those which could be oceanica (pictured) and Chlorella used as sources of food, Omega-3 vulgaris, which had a dry-weight oils, or aquaculture feed. oil content of more than 50 per cent. This makes them ideal The BioMara project receives sources of biofuel for vehicles and support from the European aircraft. Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG IVA The results of the screening, part Programme, Highlands and of the BioMara project, were Islands Enterprise, Crown Estate, published in Nature’s online Northern Ireland Executive, journal Scientific Reports and Scottish Government and Irish are likely to help bring forward Government, also with National research into algae as a source of Capability funding from NERC. biodiesel and other biofuels by a number of years. SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

Algae and cyanobacteria have THE SEAWEED FUEL FOR THE been shown to have huge potential - their ability to convert CONNECTION FUTURE sunlight into biomass, capacity to grow in saline or hypersaline The NERC-funded GlobalSeaweed In January 2016, the MacroFuels environments and their ability project, headed by Dr Claire project was launched to to metabolise industrial and 2 Gachon, ran its first workshop advance biofuels from seaweed domestic waste (including CO in 2015, followed by a summer or macro-algae. The targeted and wastewater) making them school in 2016. Both events biofuels are ethanol, butanol, attractive targets for industry. brought together some of the UK furanics and biogas. The project and Europe’s foremost researchers will achieve a breakthrough in the emerging seaweed industry. in biofuel production from macroalgae by increasing BLOOMING Worldwide, the seaweed biomass supply, improving aquaculture industry has been the pre-treatment and storage ALGAE developing at an unabated of seaweed and increasing exponential pace over the past bio-ethanol and bio-butanol Scientists at SAMS continue to six decades. China, Japan, production to economically viable help safeguard stocks of farmed and Korea are world leaders in concentrations. shellfish and salmon in Scotland terms of quantities produced, by continuously updating the with other Asiatic countries MacroFuels will develop Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) having an increasingly significant technology for the production Bulletin. contribution (e.g. Indonesia, of fuels which are suitable as Malaysia and Philippines). liquid fuels or precursor for the The Bulletin uses data collected Seaweed cultivation has also been heavy transport sector as well as for Food Standards Scotland growing fast in South America and potentially for the aviation sector. in partnership with Centre East Africa. A paper with Prof John Day as for Environment, Fisheries, co-lead author published in June Aquaculture and Science (CEFAS). Conversely, the UK, Europe 2015, Proteomic-based biotyping Data were also collected by and North America have long reveals hidden diversity within a satellite and by ocean drifters traditions of excellent blue sky microalgae culture collection: An and used to validate a model research in phycology, but little example using Dunaliella, showed that will more accurately predict experience in industrial algal how thousands of samples at the the emergence of blooms and cultivation. GlobalSeaweed is CCAP had to be re-labelled as a will complement The Bulletin, creating a worldwide network of ground-breaking new screening which was funded by NERC partners tackling emerging issues tool revealed greater diversity and Biotechnology and the in seaweed, such as pathogens, than was previously known within Biological Research Sciences pests, disease and invasive the collection. Council (BBRSC). This aim is to species. give fish and shellfish growers a Analysing the protein ‘fingerprint’ reliable early warning system to Research activities include: of 32 algae which had all the emergence of HABs, allowing pathogen identification, culture, previously been catalogued under them to take mitigating actions. and biobanking; identification of the same heading, experts from defense-related genes in red and SAMS and Newcastle University Two of the most relevant HABs brown algae; and exploitation of found they actually divided into in the UK and worldwide are the the model organism E.siliculosus four distinct sub-groups and that genus Dinophysis, which causes to study algal pathology. one was apparently a completely diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, and new species. the species Karenia mikimotoi that can kill farmed fish. These The exploitation of marine organisms are both often and aquatic organisms for transported to coastal aquaculture biotechnology applications - so- sites by oceanic currents. Satellite called ‘blue biotechnology’ - has remote sensing can potentially risen to the forefront of the global be used to detect K. mikimotoi research agenda over the past offshore, while blooms of 20 decade. Dinophysis can be anticipated as they tend to occur at certain SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 locations at certain times of the human health and their impacts GlobalHAB, which brings together year. on industries, such as aquaculture, experts from a range of countries in a changing climate. The project in Europe, Asia, Australia and In March 2016 a select group of is sponsored by the Scientific North America. GlobalHAB will international experts gathered Committee on Oceanic Research follow on from work done by the at SAMS to address the (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental GEOHAB project, which ran from global problem of HABs. The Oceanographic Commission (IOC) 2000 – 2013. international steering committee, of UNESCO. under the banner of GlobalHAB, is looking to help fellow researchers Microbial Ecologist Prof Keith understand how HABs affect Davidson represents SAMS on

IMPACT

MRES IN ALGAL In discussion with companies and In 2015 Thomas Butler became other researchers, SAMS scientists the first student in the UK to BIOTECHNOLOGY realised there was a significant conduct a Masters by Research shortage of researchers who could in algal biotechnology, followed Over the last decade, use of solve the myriad of problems by four students beginning their microalgae as a sustainable encountered with growing the projects in 2015: source of food and energy has large quantities of algae needed become a massive research and for commercial production. development activity around the So, to address this skills shortage, globe. This was primarily driven SAMS decided to develop a by the urgent need to develop Masters by Research (MRes) in sustainable alternatives to Algal Biotechnology. As growing petroleum-based fuels (biofuels). algae is most often a practical Marine microalgae are particularly and technical problem, the attractive for this because they philosophy was that the MRes in naturally produce a large quantity Algal Biotechnology would be of their body weight as lipid. based round a 1 year research This can then be converted to project focusing on a real-world biodiesel, or used as a healthy algal problem. Each student feed in the aquaculture industry, plans and carries out their or indeed as a human food research programme, leading to 21 supplement. submission of a written thesis. SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

STUDENTS Suitability of different Newly discovered Pleurochrysis strains for Pseudoaltermonas Upgrading kelp to an simultaneous biofuel species production and carbon omega three fatty acid Paul Micallef rich feedstock using capture Thraustochytrids The formation of biofuels is one of Jennifer Reid the most promising (new) avenues Joseph Penhaul Smith of renewable energy where Coccolithophorid algae biomass is used and converted (Haptophycea) are mainly marine Omega three fatty acids have in such a way unicellular phytoplankton. that it readily been linked to human health The coccolithophorids benefits. The major source of releases are of global interest as energy, omega three for humans is they can fix carbon by oily fish. Overfishing prevents photosynthesis as well the supply of omega threes as in calcium carbonate from meeting demand. (coccoliths). Thraustochytrids are a group of My project will test the microalgae which hypothesis that micro- accumulate large algae with calcareous amounts of coccolithophores have bioethanol omega threes. the potential to sequester Industrial being one atmospheric CO2, ‘locking it cultures of of the more up’ so that it is not bio-available. popular methods. The objective of this project is One of the key processes to explore using a biorefinery in the formation of biofuels approach where algae sequester is saccharification, wherein CO and produce a commercially 2 complex sugars are processed relevant product. This will involve into fermentable sugars. optimisation and cultivation of thraustochytrids Pseudoalteromonas 2/50 shows up to 11 different CCAP strains the ability to process and utilise use glucose as the of the calcifying coccolithophore major carbon source, a wide range of polysaccharides Pleurochrysis, to select a potential such as alginates, cellulose and but this is expensive. Research has production strain. focussed on more sustainable, low laminarin. In addition it has been cost, glucose alternatives. shown that it is possible to isolate the enzymes for practical uses. In the first study of its kind a number of different seaweed species have been tested for their suitability for Thraustochytrid culture, with clear success at a laboratory scale.

22 Assessment of the Saccharification enzymes from SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

Alkenone production by CCAP haptophytes: production and variation analysis The Culture Collection of Algae of a putative biofuel and Protozoa (CCAP) maintains a collection of almost 3,000 resource strains of living organisms and provides cultures and other Douglas Harris services to customers.

A sub-group of In the report year (2015/16) haptophyte algae are CCAP had 703 orders and sent known to produce out a total of 1,412 cultures. extremely long- Of the orders despatched, 40 chained hydrocarbons per cent were to the UK, 44 per known as alkenones. cent to Europe and 16 per cent Although known to the rest of the world. for their use in modelling past sea- surface temperatures, a method has been developed to catalytically crack these compounds into kerosene grade biofuel. The aims of the project were to confirm which algae these hydrocarbons were confined to and to examine the variation in production between strains. Finally a selection of algae were subjected to varying environmental conditions to observe if the production of alkenones can be optimised.

23 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

24 PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY pump moves oil into a pressurised TECHNOLOGY SEAGLIDERS’ container, increasing the density of the glider in the water and IS KEY LANDMARK causing it to sink. To bring the glider to the surface, oil is The advance in marine technology MISSION pumped back into a bladder to has allowed researchers at SAMS increase buoyancy. Live data is to look at the ocean in a way that In July 2015 robotic underwater sent by the gliders via satellite has never before been possible. Seagliders used by SAMS had to the pilots at SAMS, who The institute has led and gathered the equivalent of five can control and re-direct them assisted a number of large-scale, years of oceanographic data, remotely in near real-time. multi-national projects that are most of which was collected in SAMS owns two Seagliders underpinned by SAMS’ expertise the previous 18 months. The and operates another five from in the operation of Seagliders and milestone highlighted a major the NERC Marine Autonomous other autonomous underwater change in how marine scientists and Robotic Systems (MARS) vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned collect information such as sea instrument pool. SAMS, which aerial vehicles (UAVs). temperature, salinity, pressure is ideally situated for deep- and oxygen, as the six-feet-long sea Atlantic research, runs the This expertise has also allowed Seagliders can spend months Scottish Marine Robotics Facility, SAMS to deliver Centre for at sea collecting data that a command and control centre for Doctoral Training courses in contributes to our understanding Seaglider operations. robotics; in October 2015 we of climate change. were announced as a partner Since the first Seaglider mission in the £2.5m Next Generation Seagliders collect data down to in 2009, the fleet has travelled a Unmanned Systems Science 1,000m as they slowly submerge combined distance of more than (NEXUSS), funded by Natural towards the seabed and then rise 33,000 kilometres. One of the Environment Research Council to the surface, using fixed wings Seagliders, Ardbeg, in July 2015 (NERC) and the Engineering and and a hydrodynamic shape to broke a SAMS distance record by Physical Science Research Council create a forward movement. To completing a return trip of more (EPSRC). submerge, a battery-powered than 3,400km along the Extended

25 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

Ellett Line (EEL), a route from Professor Mark Inall, who will also zooplankton from polar twilight to Scotland to Iceland that has been take measurements across the polar night – patterns, processes, surveyed by scientists annually for eastern boundary using Seaglider and ecosystem implications) 40 years. Dr Stefan Gary was lead data. The EU is funding AtlantOS ended in 2015 and follow-up researcher on the EEL cruise 2016 as part of its Horizon2020 projects Marine Night and Arctic and oversaw the deployment of programme with €21 million over ABC got underway during the Seagliders to complement the a period of four years. The project report period. work on board the RRS Discovery. is co-ordinated by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Published in October 2015 in Seagliders also supported the Research, Germany. Nature Communications, the four-year FASTNEt (Fluxes Across paper ‘Calving rates at tidewater Sloping Topography of the North glacier vary strongly with ocean East Atlantic) project which EYES ON THE temperature’ relied heavily on ended in autumn 2015. It looked SAMS data – Prof Adrian Luckman at physical exchange processes ARCTIC of Swansea University published between the deep ocean and with Dr Cottier and Prof Inall as shelf seas and the findings The area of the planet where we co-authors – and showed that sub- resulted in the publication of more can perhaps most clearly see how surface water temperature plays a than 20 papers. The international our climate is changing, the Arctic key role in glacial calving rates. OSNAP project (www.ukosnap. was an area of intense study by org), which will monitor the SAMS researchers in 2015-16. There was further SAMS oceanographic circulation across Robotic technology has been key involvement in glacial calving in the subpolar North Atlantic until to our winter exploration of this September 2015 when a 2018, also relies heavily on data harsh environment but so has custom-built quadcopter by from Seaglider missions. a 10-year time series provided technician Shane Rodwell by two mooring systems in surveyed otherwise inaccessible June 2015 saw the launch of Kongsfjorden and Rijpfjorden, the Arctic terrain in an effort to better another oceanographic project, data from which has produced a understand the processes of AtlantOS (Atlantic Observing number of high impact papers. glacier calving. The quadcopter System), underpinned by SAMS The moorings have been used a mounted laser-range finder technology. The project is one of supported with assistance from and a camera to measure and the largest and most ambitious Norwegian research funding and photograph glaciers, collecting marine research projects of this collaborative approach has unique data to make up a 3D recent decades. AtlantOS brings led to strong ties between SAMS image of glaciers. Large crevasses together 62 partners from 18 and the University of Tromso open up in the glaciers as they countries to significantly enhance (UiT), the Arctic university of break, so the terrain is unsafe to the integration and effectiveness Norway. In September 2015, this survey on foot and the previously of Atlantic Ocean data. SAMS collaborative work was recognised accepted, but costly, alternative is providing expertise through when Dr Finlo Cottier was is a helicopter. Satellite imaging Professor Stuart Cunningham, awarded an adjunct professorship produces comparatively low who will use moorings to measure at the Norwegian institute. Work resolution images. the warm water flow of the with Prof Jorgen Berge of UiT The work, undertaken in the eastern Atlantic boundary (from has resulted in three projects: Svalbard archipelago, Norway, the Scottish continental shelf Circa (Circadian rhythms of Arctic is the first time geoscience to the Mid-Atlantic Basin), and researchers have combined

26 a laser-range finder with photogrammetry to measure the depth and size of crevasses in the glaciers. On each of the 15 – 20-minute missions, the camera took 1,000 images and after 10 IMPACT missions the team had enough still images to map the glacier in a 3D model.

IDEAL TEST SITE

In March 2016 researchers from HYDROGEN-POWERED PLANE the University of Exeter described the ‘ideal’ Argyll coastline was the TAKES OF AT SAMS reason for testing one of their sea-going robots, which can On the afternoon of January be incorporated into the Raptor map the seabed from the water’s 19, 2015, SAMS researchers E1, built and designed by Trias surface. completed a test flight using Gkikopoulos of Raptor UAS. technology company Cella’s The flight was a proof-of- Professor Peter Challenor from hydrogen-based power system, concept for the technology, the College of Engineering, a solid, lightweight hydrogen which addresses the issues that Mathematics and Physical storage material capable of surround the transportation of Sciences and his team came releasing large quantities of compressed gaseous hydrogen. to SAMS to test a computer hydrogen when heated. Cella’s material is solid and is not algorithm for the autonomous under compression, is stable in surface vehicle, C-Enduro. The flight, which took place at air and at temperatures below The team spent a week at Oban Airport is believed to be 500C. Dunstaffnage and in Ardmucknish the first flight of a hydrogen- Bay, near Benderloch and praised powered UAV. Dr Phil Anderson, A future version of the drone the testing ground available Shane Rodwell and Bernard would be perfect for the through SAMS’ Scottish Marine Hagan were integral to the environmental and climate Robotics Facility. preparation of the aircraft. monitoring carried out by SAMS The complete system that in the Arctic and north Atlantic. powered the flight – a Cella Because the only by-product is gas generator along with a fuel water, it will assist SAMS in its cell supplied and integrated by work to detect trace gases. Arcola Energy – is considerably Longer term, it is possible the lighter than the lithium ion- technology could be used in battery it replaced. city cars and eventually provide hydrogen power for commercial The work was funded by a grant aircraft. from Innovate UK and enabled Cella and Arcola to design and build a power system that could

27 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 SRSL IN THE COMMERCIAL WORLD…

WE ARE SRSL SCOTLAND AND INTERNATIONAL

SAMS Research Services Ltd THE UK In 2016, SRSL provided diving (SRSL) provides specialist marine expertise, services and facilities consultancy and survey services, This year SRSL provided Scottish to support follow on science underpinned by cutting-edge Natural Heritage (SNH) with an associated with the QICS Carbon science. The company mission is assessment of carbon budgets Capture and Storage Experiment. to enable clients to understand and blue carbon stores in The project involved a number of and mitigate the risks involved Scotland’s coastal and marine Japanese scientists from a range in industry interaction with environment. This project was of institutions from across Japan, the marine environment. Our later extended to focus on blue namely the National Institute consultancy and survey services carbon resources in Scotland’s of Advanced Industrial Science span the breadth of marine inshore marine protected area and Technology (AIST), Tokyo science and are bespoke to the network. This innovative marine University of Marine Science and clients’ needs, delivering reduced research makes Scotland the first Technology, Central Research project risk, robust scientific country in the world to carry out Institute of Electric Power Industry methodologies and data integrity. an assessment of this sort. The (CRIEPI) and the University of results will be used to inform the Tokyo. Driven by the commercial and protection and management of social imperative to understand carbon sequestering habitats SRSL also continues to advise and manage the marine in the marine environment and governments, like that of the environment, SRSL facilitates future mitigation of climate Seychelles and the Falklands, on international communities, change. environmental topics ranging from governments and multi-national the developing a Blue Economy corporations to sustainably utilise SRSL was also a partner in a to environmental impacts of oil and manage marine ecosystem collaborative feasibility study with and gas extraction. In technology, services. EDF Energy, the Scottish Salmon international sales of Sea Ice Producers Organisation, and the Mass Balance Array (SIMBA) SRSL is accredited to ISO Satellite Applications Catapult, units are up on last year, with the 9001 and has dedicated investigating techniques which development of a new model now project managers and marine could be used for observing underway. science expertise in-house, jellyfish swarms, and modelling spanning ecology, chemistry, them so as to develop an effective hydrodynamics, physical “Early Warning” facility, alerting oceanography, microbiology and power stations and fish farms to the social sciences. potential events and allowing them to take preventative action. This work has the potential for huge economic benefit to industries impacted by jellyfish swarms across the UK and the World.

28 IMPACTS

CHLORINE OIL PLATFORM TOXICITY DECOMMISSIONING

TESTING This year, SRSL was commissioned by Shell to undertake a literature SRSL is part of the British review to investigate the potential Energy Estuarine and Marine use of Gravity Base Structures (GBS) Studies (BEEMS) programme, to act as artificial reefs. This involved coordinated and funded by exploring the associated ecosystem the Centre for Environment, services that such structures could Fisheries & Aquaculture Science offer and ways in which they could (CEFAS) on behalf of EDF be enhanced. Recommendations Energy (formerly British Energy). were made for future investigations SRSL provided scientific input that Shell could undertake to fill on the lethal and sub-lethal knowledge gaps and inform a responses of the biogenic reef number of management options for forming polychaete Sabellaria the decommissioned Brent GBS. alveolata to aqueous chlorine and temperature in the vicinity of potential new build nuclear power stations. This work has since been extended to include impacts on other species of interest.

WWW.SRSL.COM

29 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 DIVING

The Diving Unit at SAMS with legal responsibilities for Additional funding from NERC continues to be funded mainly diving at work, undertaking safety in 2015 (+£100k) permitted the by NERC, through its National audits on behalf of the NERC complete re-build of the NERC Facility for Scientific Diving Health and Safety management portable recompression facility (NFSD), and the National Health structure and facilitating a wider to advanced diving industry Service, through provision of an interactive dialogue with others standards. In a joint design emergency recompression therapy in the higher education field and project with Mimar Marine Ltd., facility. The unit also undertakes the Health and Safety Executive. in Hull, the containerised system other scientific and educational The NFSD is the main service is now state of art for the whole roles supported by a range of provider and the major supporter of the diving industry, permitting other funding organisations, which of research within the UK that support of diving operations augment an expanding capacity involves scientific diving through: anywhere on the planet (with for scientific and commercial support and maintenance of an temperature limits of +40 to diving activity at SAMS; the unit extensive underwater research -40°C); the chamber exceeds now supports five full-time diving programme; support for the UK diving industry size guidelines posts. The unit managed over Scientific Diving Supervisory for a container-based facility. The 700 diving operations during the Committee (SDSC); interactions SAMS unit, through the NFSD, reporting year. with other diving industry bodies; also obtained capital funding ongoing diving research and (+£65k) to increase its capability The NERC Facility for Scientific evaluation programmes; and a for the application of underwater Diving (NFSD) at SAMS provides focussed training programme for stereophotogrammetry divers, equipment, training scientists and technicians involved techniques. and scientific/technical support with working underwater (e.g. that underpins a wide range of the NFSD was granted two NERC interdisciplinary research in the Advanced Training Programme The on-going projects carried underwater environment. The Awards in 2015-16 jointly with out in 2015/16 continue primary level of service delivers Heriot Watt University through to demonstrate the highly practical support for diving- the MASTS initiative). In addition interdisciplinary nature of related underwater scientific to diving services per se, the the science being supported projects through providing NFSD also provides support and through diving. These projects additional manpower for groups training in associated small boat include contributing to with limited diving experience, operations and in emergency studies investigating sea-level total project management diving medicine. The NFSD measurement, water-quality for scientists with no diving provided a diving support service assessment, underwater light experience and/or specialist for the UK National Tide Gauge measurement, functional ecology, equipment loans for groups with Network up to March 2016 which, cell biology, animal genomics, diving experience but limited in turn, contributed to outputs paleoclimatology, ocean resources. On a secondary of the National Tidal and Sea acidification, biogeochemistry, level, the Facility undertakes Level Facility (NTSLF); it also has eco-physiology, habitat mapping to ensure proper adherence to research links with the NERC Field and maritime science-based Health and Safety legislation Spectroscopy Facility. Since 2006, archaeology. Support in 2015/16 as applied to diving at work NFSD support has generated 154 was provided to researchers activities. This can be through ISI-rated publications (IF median from the following universities/ targeted training programmes, 2.51; mean 3.31); these have been institutes: BAS, NOC, PML, SAMS, communicating advice and cited 2563 times with a current MBA, Aberdeen, Aberystwyth, guidance for senior management H-index of 27. Bangor, Bristol, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Heriot Watt, Leeds, 30 WWW.NFSD.ORG.UK Natural History Museum London, On a consultation basis, the St. Andrews, Southampton, SAMS diving unit now provides University College London and advisory support for Marine AT A the University of the Highlands Science Scotland on their client- and Islands. based support for scientific diving activities, to a number of Diving support in 2015/16 has UK Universities, and the British GLANCE been dominated by three projects Antarctic Survey. In 2016, the that have required significant diving unit provided diving - Five full-time posts fieldwork. Six weeks of diving supervision services to the was delivered in support of Falkland Islands Government - More than 700 diving NE/K008439/1 at locations on to cover scientific diving operations the west and north coasts of operations in support of a broad- Scotland examining regional-scale scale environmental planning - 19 ISI-rated science papers variability of kelp forests. A further programme. two weeks of diving in the eastern published Mediterranean supported studies - Since 2006, NFSD support of deep water algal communities. Finally, a two-week cruise to St has generated 154 ISI-rated Kilda and the outer western isles publications (IF median 2.51; of Scotland was undertaken as part of a systematic survey of mean 3.31); these have been long-lived molluscs. Anchored cited 2563 times with a empty shell chronologies based on growth patterns will be used current H-index of 27. to generate a multi-centennial record of the variability of the Scotland-Norway branch of the North Atlantic Current.

During 2015-16 the emergency recompression facility at SAMS, now named the West Scotland Centre for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, treated numerous diving emergencies on behalf of both NHS-Scotland and NHS-England/Wales; planning continues to reconfigure future service delivery to incorporate more clinical treatments in the future within NHS guidelines. The medical and technical expertise at the SAMS facility continues to lead the NHS appraisal mechanism for the whole of the British Hyperbaric Association. 31 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 EDUCATION

SAMS EDUCATION IN NUMBERS 2015/16

In the last reporting period SAMS educated a total of 124 higher education students, nearly all of which studied full time on one of 5 programmes:

BSc (Hons) Marine Science (UHI): 92 students

MSc Ecosystem Based Management of Marine Systems (St Andrews): 13 students

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree in AquaCulture, Environment and Society (UHI): 4 students

MRes Algal Biotechnology (UHI): 4 students

PhD students (UHI or University of Edinburgh) – 27 students

32 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

As the number of students coming There was individual success for across Europe. Fully-funded to SAMS UHI increases steadily two of the fourth year students: scholarships are available to high year on year, the educational Catherine Tate was presented academic achievers. offering at Dunstaffnage has never with the SAMS Council Award for Such is the demands of the been so important. Academic Excellence and Kevin course, only the best students Purves was given the SAMS UHI can win a place and four students From first year undergraduate Award for Overall Achievement. made up the first cohort. This students making their way in the Students were joined in their number has risen to 25 for wide world of marine science celebrations by family members the second cohort starting in to PhD students examining the who had travelled from across the September 2016. most detailed of subjects, SAMS UK and Europe. UHI lecturers pride themselves ACES aims to work hand-in- on being able to offer top Dr Pete Taylor, who went to hand with industry and this has class teaching in a positive work with SRSL, was named UHI been held up as a model for environment. Postgraduate student of the year, the future by two internationally and also won SAMS’ Johanna renowned science communication The care and attention taken by Fehling Memorial Prize for the consultants who delivered a education staff and the calibre best published paper by a PhD communications masterclass as of student we attract was best student. part of the course: Dr Alex Bielak, exemplified by the BSC Marine Associated Fellow at the United Science Honours students who UHI Principal and Vice-Chancellor Nations University, and Louise graduated during the report year. Professor Clive Mulholland gave Shaxson, Research Fellow at the the principal’s address at the Overseas Development Institute. graduation ceremony and guest ACES works alongside partners THE CLASS OF speaker Guy Grieve, Director of such as Sainsburys, the Shellfish the Ethical Shellfish Company on Association of Great Britain and Mull, gave an inspirational speech the European Aquaculture Society 2015 reminding the graduates that they to ensure the course is relevant to industry. Of the 18 students graduating can ‘give a voice for the ocean, from the class of 2015, 13 which can’t speak for itself’. gained first class honours. SAMS UHI lecturer Dr Kirsty SAMS President, Professor Crocket was presented with ALGAE: FRIEND Geoffrey Boulton, a former Vice an award from the university Principal of Edinburgh University, after receiving the best student OR FOE? described the class as the ‘most feedback. exceptional’ he had ever seen and A PhD programme looking at the subsequently awarded the SAMS importance of algae in terms of Best Student Award to the entire AQUACULTURE ecology and industrial application class. is being run by Dr Claire Gachon, ELITE in partnership with European Professor Boulton, who had colleagues, and began in 2015. the previous year received the Autumn 2015 saw the arrival of The Algal Microbiome: Friends prestigious Founder’s Gold Medal the first cohort of students on the or Foe (ALFF) is a four-year from the Royal Geographical SAMS-led ACES (AquaCulture, programme funded by the Society, told the students at Environment and Society) Joint prestigious Marie Sklodowska- graduation: “I have been teaching Masters, a highly-ranked course Curie Initial Training Networks university students for more than in sustainable aquaculture funded (ITN) programme of the European 50 years and you are the most by the EU’s prestigious Erasmus Union to develop 15 outstanding exceptional class I have known. Mundus programme. researchers in algal biotechnology “You have all developed high and aquaculture. Their work technical level skills and you ACES attracts elite marine science will contribute to the future have developed the capacity graduates from across the globe development of these major and confidence to grapple with to study at SAMS UHI as well as growth industries. complexities without being the universities of Nantes and overawed by them. We are proud Crete. This allows them to study ALFF combines multidisciplinary of you.” a range of specialisms, including research-based projects, finfish and shellfish aquaculture, each with a focus on either 33 and create contact networks pathogens, mutualistic symbionts, SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

endosymbiotic micro-organisms, biofilms or bioinformatics. LOIS LEAVES ALFF also involves an ambitious outreach and public engagement SAMS programme in collaboration with highly renowned institutions such She may be leaving her career in as the Flanders Marine Institute marine science research but Dr and the United Nations University. Lois Calder’s lifelong love of the Part of this will be developing ocean endures as she starts up a outreach materials for exhibitions, new business in seaweed-based films, presentations and activities cosmetics. to help decision-makers and the public better understand the SAMS’ Head of Education left her issues and opportunities relating role in April 2016 after 23 years on to the sustainable use of our the staff at Dunstaffnage. Between aquatic freshwater and marine 1988 and 1992 Lois completed a resources. PhD, through London University, at the University Marine Biological Association in Millport.

There, she was supervised by PHD SUCCESS Dr Jim Atkinson but her studies included an element of practical A total of four PhD students: Drs work at SAMS, so Dr Alan Ansell Iona Campbell, Tosin Obata, Suzi became her Dunstaffnage Billing and Greg Moschonas, supervisor. This was the beginning successfully defended their vivas of a SAMS connection that at SAMS during the report year. would see Lois come to work in Thomas Butler also became the Dunstaffnage in 1992 on finishing first student in the UK to receive her PhD on the Deep bioturbation a Masters by Research (MRes) in in organically enriched marine algal biotechnology and went on sediments. to work in industry upon receiving the award. Lois took great joy in lecturing and became Head of UHI Graduate School in 2010 and in 2015 she was appointed Dean of the MASTS Graduate School.

34 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 GRADUATION PRIZES

SAMS UHI Student of the Year – the entire fourth year BSc Marine Science

Johanna Fehling Memorial Prize for best PhD student publication: Dr Pete Taylor

Prize for best Masters project at SAMS: Elisavet Spanou

SAMS Council Award for Academic Excellence: Catherine Tait

SAMS UHI Award for Overall Achievement: Kevin Purves

Tim Body Prize for Oceanography: Esther Wilcox

SAMS UHI Employability Skills Award: Stacey Felgate and Holger Buchholz

35 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

ENGAGING THE OUTSIDE WORLD

SAMS IN THE 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 NEWS www.sams.ac.uk 138,828 192,426 181,701 www.srsl.com 895 865 447

Around 500 individual media www.oceanexplorercentre.org 948 5175 2767 articles carried SAMS stories in the past year. We achieved 25 www.obanseafestival.org 2016 1722 7294 mentions across various BBC outlets and featured on the @ScotMarineInst Twitter 964-1754 1754-2600 2600-3799 Discovery Channel and in the New York Times, New Scientist, Facebook friends 353-594 594-889 889-1620 ILF Science, Daily Mail and LinkedIn followers 208-537 537-922 922-1359 The Guardian as well as many smaller publications and local During the reporting year we programmes. decided on a new web content management system and are Top stories focused on marine now working alongside our SAMS IN THE robotics including the first UHI partners on developing a hydrogen-powered drone flight, responsive website for SAMS FLESH Seaglider missions, and deep-sea using Terminal Four (T4). exploration; the biofuel potential While the Ocean Explorer Centre of CCAP ‘superalgae’; moonlight- - as a place for people to engage induced vertical migration of directly with SAMS - has fast zooplankton during the polar become a dominant SAMS feature night; stories about the large SAMS ON FILM it has not had an easy year. The CoCoast citizen science project; financial challenges demanded and many seaweed aquaculture Over the past two years our a rethink of how to manage the stories. part-time filmmaker, Andy Crabb, facility: opening hours were has been developing a ‘SAMS reduced, dedicated staff cut, the news’ feature and in the reporting café operation outsourced to IN THE DIGITAL period added four filmed news Dalrannach Foods and volunteers items covering marine robotics, and interns recruited to help out. SPHERE aquaculture, seaweed research All education outreach, public and Arctic collaborations. He event and shop management are Our main website saw a slight was also part of the AquaSapce now coordinated by one very busy reduction in recorded web project, produced a successful 0.8 FTE while also staffing the sessions as users turn more to video abstract for Dr Kim Last’s centre. social media. Interestingly, more paper on the “Werewolves of than half of our website visitors the Arctic”, redeveloped the During the reporting year we came from the USA and about SAMS You Tube Channel and delivered 30 school workshops a quarter from the UK. New produced several films to support reaching 632 pupils from ages social media ‘friends’ this year student recruitment including for of 4 to 16. We also hosted three – while still mostly from the UK the ACES Masters programme. work experience pupils, one work – increasingly come from further He also contributed to skill placement pupil, and delivered away, for example India and South development for students and numerous tours for visiting America. staff. groups.

36 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

marine science fun day as part FESTIVAL OF of the Oban Winter Festival, attracting nearly 300 visitors THE SEA with a programme of student performances. This was part of SAMS organised a Festival of their science communication the Sea around Oban between training. May 22 – 31, 2015, delivering 28 events reaching 3,711 Other events included a reading participants and an education by Norrie Bissell and film showing programme involving 1,557 exploring George Orwell’s writing pupils. Funded by The Scottish of ‘1984’ on the Isle of Jura. Government, The Fishmongers’ Company and the Argyll and Bute Regional Environmental Education Forum the festival aimed to celebrate the important relationship of the Oban area with the marine environment.

One highlight event was the Songs of the Scottish Sea performance that brought a Creative Scotland supported film residency at SAMS to its conclusion. Project musicians Chris Stout and Catriona McKay performed live in conjunction with large screen projections of Andy Crabb’s residency films, to a rapturous reception from the sell- out audience at Oban’s Phoenix Cinema. OTHER EVENTS

SAMS also joined other UHI partners at the Belladrum Music Festival with a stand allowing people to explore the science of underwater sound and a team of science buskers entertaining festivalgoers with science magic. A similar display was put on for the Argyllshire Gathering Games in Oban.

SAMS students – both undergraduates and ACES 37 Master students – put on a FINANCE

SAMS is an independent charity operational deficit of £632k. where possible. As a result of this without a substantial grant in The Association made a deficit of restructuring the deficit for 15/16 aid. Most income has to be won £1.7 m in 14/15 which resulted was reduced from the preceding competitively year on year. While in a restructuring programme to year’s deficit to one of £632k (see SAMS achieved an income of concentrate resources in areas table below). This was achieved circa £10 million in the reporting of current science priority that through an overall reduction in year (excluding capital grants) the are also areas of SAMS strength operating expenditure of 10%. final year position reported an and by reducing overheads

Table 1: Summary of SAMS’ financial performance in the period 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016

Financial Summary 2015/16 2014/15 Change £000 £000 % Operating Income excluding capital grants 10,078 9,908 1.7 % Operating Expenditure excluding grant funded depreciation (10,092) (11,225) -10.1 % Operating (Deficit)/Surplus before exceptional Item (14) (1,317) -98.9% Exceptional in year income/exchange rate loss (7) 572 Pension Deficit Obligation (8) (608) Extraordinary Items (118) 0 Capital Grants received 348 636 -45.3% Depreciation funded by grants received in previous years (816) (983) -17.0% (Deficit)/Surplus transferred to reserves (615) (1,698)

The group accounts for 15/16 are the first set of accounts to be prepared under FRS 102 and the FRS 102 SORP, requiring that the charity accounts for its pension deficit obligation. The pension deficit obligation must be recognised from the date of transition to FRS 102 – 1st April 2014 and is therefore recorded in the summary above.

INCOME INCOME

Total income for the Group is reported at £10.078 m. As figure 1 illustrates, income is comprised of a four streams each contributing the following, Research £7.009 m, Education £1.028 m, Diving (including Recompression) £0.326 m and Commercial £1.715 m.

Figure 1: SAMS total income from research, education, commercial activities and diving over the past five years.

This year Research contributed Commercial activities contributed a central lump sum contract has 70% of total income and showed 17% (up 3% on prior year) and now been issued to replace the an increase of 5% over the prior Education 10%, representing an individual trust holder sources year - see table 2 below for increase of 8% against the prior – this has reduced the income further detail . NERC continued year. Diving and recompression that can be generated from this to be our single largest research income dropped notably by 47% income funder. funder, contributing circa 46% of from £612k to £312k – this is due 38 research income and 33% of total directly to changes in how the income. NHS pay for these services, as SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2014-15

Table 2: Summary of sources and amounts of research income for SAMS during the reporting year. For comparison 2013/14 figures are included as is the calculated % change.

Research income summary 2014/15 2013/14 Change £000 £000 % NERC (including National Capability) 3,298 2,949 12 % EU 1,111 920 21 % *Other 1,980 1,726 15 % Research Excellence Grant 833 1,080 -23 % Total research income 7,221 6,675 8 %

*Other Research income represents £290,000 of Government Commissions and £1,521,000 from sources such as Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), BBSRC, Norwegian Research Council, US Office of Naval Research and knowledge transfer initiatives through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and Genomia.

The Research Excellence Grant (REG) received through UHI helps ECUCATION fund the gap which arises from the fact that research income rarely provides full cost recovery for overheads. Typically this gap represents 20-35% of research infrastructure costs.

With our colleagues in UHI we performed very well in the 2014 assessment of research and anticipated an increase in our REG income of around £5 M over the period to REG 2021. The Scottish Government decided to phase Income from undergraduate Figure 2: SAMS education income REG settlement changes in over courses has increased by 2% over the last five years. two years to protect universities in 2015/16 and recruitment who faced a significant reduction remains strong. In terms of EXPENDITURE in income. This resulted in a PhD studentships, funding and recruitment remain challenging. 2015/16 REG return for SAMS of 62% of SAMS operation costs £800k, compared to the £1280k Despite this, numbers remain relatively stable with the is staff costs. Total staff cost for expected from the REF result. As the year being £6.739 m. This this would have resulted in an differences in the timing of new starts and reporting of income is a reduction of 6% from the £83k decrease for SAMS against prior year. As noted previously 2014/15, UHI Executive Office between research and education creating the fluctuations within this was achieved primarily by a undertook to maintain level staff restructure exercise during funding at £883k for 2015/16. years. These two areas still represent 70% of all education this reporting year, resulting in income. a number of redundancies and EDUCATION retirements, staff numbers having Income from the Masters courses reduced from 193 to 170. As an Academic Partner of the was increased with the successful University of the Highlands EU ACES programme. Other Other operating costs decreased and Islands, we deliver both education activities, such as field by 20% from £5.200m to £4.175 undergraduate and postgraduate courses and short CPD courses m, the majority of this saving education. These activities now continue to decrease as we being reduction in spend on represent 10% of our total income, re-focus on our main education scientific consumables of and demonstrate an increase of programmes. £1.023 m. £78k over the prior year. 39 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2014-15

PUBLICATIONS 1 APRIL 2015 – 31 MARCH 2016

sensors’ INTERNATIONAL ATION OF THE UNITED KING- PEER- JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE DOM, vol 96, no. s1, pp. 61-91. GAS CONTROL, vol 38, pp. REVIEWED 121-134. Berge, J, Renaud, PE, Darnis, G, Cottier, F, Last, K, Gabriel- PUBLICATIONS Benjamins, S, Dale, A, Hast- sen, TM, Johnsen, G, Seuthe, L, ie, G, Waggitt, J, Lea, M-A, Weslawski, JM, Leu, E, Moline, Scott, BE & Wilson, B, 2015, M, Nahrgang, J, Søreide, JE, Adams, TP, Proud, R & Black, ‘Confusion reigns? A review of Varpe, Ø, Lønne, OJ, Daase, KD, 2015, ‘Connected networks marine megafauna interactions M & Falk-Petersen, S, 2015, ‘In of sea lice populations: dynam- with tidal-stream environments’ the dark: A review of ecosystem ics and implications for control’ OCEANOGRAPHY AND MA- processes during the Arctic AQUACULTURE ENVIRON- RINE BIOLOGY, vol 53, 1, pp. polar night’ PROGRESS IN MENT INTERACTIONS, vol 6, 1-54. OCEANOGRAPHY, vol 139, pp. no. 3, pp. 273-284. 258-271. Benjamins, S, Dale, A, van Aleynik, D. Davidson, K., Dale Geel, N & Wilson, B, 2016, Berge, J, Daase, M, Renaud, A. C., Porter, M. (2016) A high ‘Riding the tide: use of a mov- PE, Ambrose, WG, Darnis, G, resolution hydrodynamic model ing tidal-stream habitat by Last, KS, Leu, E, Cohen, JH, system suitable for novel harm- harbour porpoise’ MARINE Johnsen, G, Moline, MA & ful algal bloom modelling in ECOLOGY-PROGRESS SERIES, Cottier, F 2015, ‘Unexpected areas of complex coastline and vol 549, pp. 275-288. Levels of Biological Activity topography. Asimuth special during the Polar Night Offer issue. Harmful Algae, 10.1016/j. Berdalet, E, Fleming, L, Gowen, New Perspectives on a Warm- hal.2015.11.012 R, Davidson, K, Hess, P, Back- ing Arctic’ CURRENT BIOLOGY, er, L, Moore, S, Hoagland, P & vol 25, no 19, pp. 2555-2561. Atamanchuk, D, Tengberg, A, Enevoldsen, H, 2015, ‘Marine Aleynik, D, Fietzek, P, Shitashi- Harmful Algal Blooms, human Blackford, J., Bull, HM, Ce- ma, K, Lichtschlag, A, Hall, POJ health and wellbeing: challeng- vatoglu, M, Connelly, D, & Stahl, H, 2015, ‘Detection of es and opportunities in the 21st Hauton, C, James, RH, Lichtsch- CO leakage from a simulated 2 centuary’ JOURNAL OF THE lag, A, Stahl, H, Widdicombe, sub-seabed storage site using MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCI- S, Wright, IC, 2015, ‘Marine three different types of pCO(2) 40 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 baseline and monitoring strate- Opportunities and Threats: A Tsagarakis, K, Tuck, I, Van Der gies for carbon dioxide capture SWOT analysis of the ecosys- Meeren, GI, Yemane, D, Zador, and storage (CCS)’ INTERNATI- tem services framework.’ ECO- S & Shin, Y-J, 2015, ‘Ecological ONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN- SYSTEM SERVICES, vol 17, pp. indicators to capture the effects HOUSE GAS CONTROL, vol. 99-111. of fishing on biodiversity and 38, 221-229. conservation status of marine Burdett, HL, Hatton, AD & ecosystems’ ECOLOGICAL Bourrin, F, Many, G, Durrieu Kamenos, NA, 2015, ‘Effects of INDICATORS, vol 60, pp. 947- De Madron, X, Martin, J, Puig, reduced salinity on the pho- 962. P, Houpert, L, Testor, P, Kun- tosynthetic characteristics and esch, S, Mahiouz, K & Beguery, intracellular DMSP concentra- Cottrell, RS, Black, KD, Hutchi- L, 2015, ‘Glider monitoring of tions of the red coralline alga, son, ZL & Last, KS, 2016, ‘The shelf suspended particle dy- Lithothamnion glaciale’ MA- Influence of Organic Material namics and transport during RINE BIOLOGY, vol 162, no. 5, and Temperature on the Burial storm and flooding conditions’ pp. 1077-1085. Tolerance of the Blue Mussel, CONTINENTAL SHELF RE- Mytilus edulis: Considerations SEARCH, vol 109, pp. 135-149. Childs, KH, Tessarolli, LP & for the Management of Marine Day, JG, 2015, ‘Forty years in Aggregate Dredging’ PLOS Brito, A, Sa, C, Mendes, C, liquid nitrogen: an investigation ONE, vol 11, no. 1, e0147534 Brand, T, Dias, A, Brotas, V & into cryobank management and Davidson, K, 2015, ‘Structure culture viability’ EUROPEAN Davidson, K, Baker, C, Hig- of late summer phytoplankton JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, gins, C, Higman, W, Swan, community in the Firth of Lorn vol 50, s1, p. 180- S, Veszelovszki, A & Turner, (Scotland) using microscopy AD 2015, ‘Potential Threats and HPLC-CHEMTAX’ ESTU- Cohen, JH, Berge, J, Moline, Posed by New or Emerging ARINE COASTAL AND SHELF MA, Sorensen, AJ, Last, K, Marine Biotoxins in UK Waters SCIENCE, Part A, vol 167, pp. Falk-Petersen, S, Renaud, PE, and Examination of Detection 86-101. Leu, ES, Grenvald, J, Cottier, F, Methodologies Used for Their Cronin, H, Menze, S, Norgren, Control: Cyclic Imines’ MARINE Brown, CJ, O’Connor, MI, Po- P, Varpe, O, Daase, M, Darnis, DRUGS, vol 13, no. 12, pp. loczanska, ES, Schoeman, DS, G & Johnsen, G 2015, ‘Is Ambi- 7087-7112. Buckley, LB, Burrows, MT, Du- ent Light during the High Arctic arte, CM, Halpern, BS, Pandolfi, Polar Night Sufficient to Act Davies, JS, Stewart, HA, JM, Parmesan, C & Richardson, as a Visual Cue for Zooplank- Narayanaswamy, BE, AJ, 2016, ‘Ecological and meth- ton?’ PLOS ONE, vol 10, no. 6., Jacobs, C, Spicer, J, Golding, odological drivers of species’ 10.1371/journal.pone.0126247 N & Howell, KL, 2015, ‘Ben- distribution and phenology thic Assemblages of the Anton responses to climate change’ Coll, M, Shannon, LJ, Kleisner, Dohrn Seamount (NE Atlantic): GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, KM, Juan Jordá, MJ, Bundy, A, Defining Deep-Sea Biotopes vol 22, pp. 1,548-1,560. Akoglu, AG, Banaru, D, Boldt, to Support Habitat Mapping JL, Maria F., B, Cook, A, Diallo, and Management Efforts with Bull, JW, Jobstvogt, N, Böhn- I, Fu, C, Fox, C, Gascuel, D, a Focus on Vulnerable Marine ke-Henrichs, A, Mascarenhas, Gurney, L, Hattab, T, Heymans, Ecosystems’ PLOS ONE, vol 10, A, Sitas, N, Baulcomb, C, JJ, Jouffre, D, Knight, B, Kucu- no. 5., e0124815. Lambini, CK, Rawlins, M, Baral, kavsar, S, Large, SI, Lynam, H, Zähringer, J, Carter-Silk, C, Machias, A, Marshall, KN, Day, JG & Fleck, RA, 2015, E, Balzan, MV, Kenter, JO, Masski, H, Ojaveer, H, Piroddi, ‘Cryo-injury in algae and the Häyhä, T, Petz, K & Koss, R, C, Tam, J, Thiao, D, Thiaw, WM, implications this has to the con- 2016, ‘Strengths, Weaknesses, Torres, MA, Travers-Trolet, M, servation of biological resourc-

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es’ MICROALGAE BIOTECH- system engineer at the range Graziano, M & Gillingham, K NOLOGY, vol 1, pp. 1-11. edge’ ECOLOGY AND EVOLU- 2015, ‘Spatial Patterns of Solar TION, vol 5, no. 15, pp. 3,210- Photovoltaic System Adoption: Dove, D, Arosio, R, Finlayson, 3,222. The Influence of Neighbors A, Bradwell, T & Howe, JA, and the Built Environment’ 2015, ‘Submarine glacial land- Firth, LB, White, FJ, Schofield, JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC forms record Late Pleistocene M, Hanley, ME, Burrows, MT, GEOGRAPHY, vol 15, no. 4, pp. ice-sheet dynamics, Inner Heb- Thompson, RC, Skov, MW, Ev- 815-839. rides, Scotland’ QUATERNARY ans, AJ, Moore, PJ & Hawkins, SCIENCE REVIEWS, vol 123, SJ, 2015, ‘Facing the future: the Green, DH, Echavarri-Bravo, V, pp. 76-90. importance of substratum fea- Brennan, D & Hart, MC, 2015, tures for ecological engineer- ‘Bacterial Diversity Associat- Du, K, Strittmatter, M, Vallet, ing of artificial habitats in the ed with the Coccolithophorid M, Prado, S & Gachon, CMM, rocky intertidal’ MARINE AND Algae Emiliania huxleyi and 2015, ‘A new bioassay to inoc- FRESHWATER RESEARCH, vol Coccolithus pelagicus f. braaru- ulate kelp sporophytes with the 67, no. 1, pp. 131-143. dii’ BIOMED RESEARCH INTER- ascomycete fungus Paradend- NATIONAL, vol 2015, article ID ryphiella arenaria’ EUROPEAN Fondo, EN, Chaloupka, M, 1944549, 15 pages, http://dx. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Heymans, JJ & Skilleter, GA, doi.org/10.1155/2015/194540 vol 50, pp. 189-189. 2015, ‘Banning Fisheries Dis- cards Abruptly Has a Negative Hawkins, SJ, Mieszkowska, N, Emami, K, Hack, E, Nelson, A, Impact on the Population Dy- Firth, LB, Bohn, K, Burrows, Brain, CM, Lyne, FM, Mesba- namics of Charismatic Marine MT, MacLean, MA, Thompson, hi, E, Day, JG & Caldwell, GS, Megafauna’ PLOS ONE, vol 10, RC, Chan, BKK, Little, C & Wil- 2015, ‘Proteomic-based bio- no. 12, e0144543. liams, GA, 2015, ‘Looking back- typing reveals hidden diversity wards to look forwards: the role within a microalgae culture Gerphagnon, M, MacArthur, of natural history in temperate collection: An example using DJ, Latour, D, Gachon, CMM, reef ecology’ MARINE AND Dunaliella.’ SCIENTIFIC RE- Van Ogtrop, F, Gleason, FH FRESHWATER RESEARCH, vol PORTS, vol 5, 10036. & Sime-Ngando, T, 2015, 67, no. 1, pp. 1-13. ‘Microbial players involved Emami, K, Nelson, A, Hack, E, in the decline of filamentous Hendrick, VJ, Hutchison, ZL, Zhang, J, , Caldwell, Green, D and colonial cyanobacterial Last, KS & Davies, A, (ed.) GS & Mesbahi, E, 2016, ‘MAL- blooms with a focus on fungal 2016, ‘Sediment Burial Intoler- DI-TOF mass spectrometry dis- parasitism’ ENVIRONMENTAL ance of Marine Macroinverte- criminates known species and MICROBIOLOGY, vol 17, no. 8, brates’ PLOS ONE, vol 11, no. marine environmental isolates pp. 2,573-2,587. 2, pp. e0149114. of Pseudoalteromonas’ FRON- TIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, vol Gowen, RJ, Collos, Y, Tett, Hicks, N, Stahl, H, Taylor, P, 7, 172461. P, Scherer, C, Bec, B, Aba- Vik, U, Jakobsen, K, Ladouka- die, E, Allen, M & O’Brien, T, kis, E, Kolisis, F & Park, J, 2015, Firth, LB, Mieszkowska, N, 2015, ‘Response of diatom ‘Reviews and synthesis: Carbon Grant, LM, Bush, LE, Davies, and dinoflagellate lifeforms to capture and storage monitor- AJ, Frost, MT, Moschella, PS, reduced phosphorus loading: A ing – an integrated biologi- Burrows, MT, Cunningham, case study in the Thau lagoon, cal, biophysical and chemical PN, Dye, SR & Hawkins, SJ, France’ ESTUARINE COASTAL approach’ BIOGEOSCIENCES 2015, ‘Historical compari- AND SHELF SCIENCE, vol 162, DISCUSSION, vol 12, pp. 8909- sons reveal multiple drivers pp. 45-52. 8937. of decadal change of an eco-

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Hobday, AJ, Alexander, LV, Hughes, D, Shimmield, T, POLICY, vol 61, pp. 291-302. Perkins, SE, Smale, DA, Straub, Black, K & Howe, J, 2015, SC, Oliver, ECJ, Benthuysen, ‘Ecological impacts of large- Inall, ME, Nilsen, F, Cottier, & Daae, R 2015, ‘Shelf/fjord JA, Burrows, MT, Donat, MG, scale disposal of mining waste FR Feng, M, Holbrook, NJ, Moore, in the deep sea’ SCIENTIFIC exchange driven by coast- PJ, Scannell, HA, Sen Gupta, A REPORTS, vol 5, Article no. al-trapped waves in the Arctic’ & Wernberg, T 2016, ‘A hier- 9985., 10.1038/srep09985 JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL archical approach to defining RESEARCH-OCEANS, vol 120, marine heatwaves’ PROGRESS Hutchison, ZL, Hendrick, VJ, no. 12, pp. 8283-8303. IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol 141, Burrows, MT, Wilson, B, Last, Jones, AC, Mead, A, Kaiser, pp. 227-238. KS & Davies, A, (ed.) 2016, ‘Buried Alive: The Behavioural MJ, Austen, MCV, Adrian, AW, Auchterlonie, NA, Holliday, NP, Cunningham, SA, Response of the Mussels, Black, , Blow, LR, Bury, C, Brown, Johnson, C, Gary, SF, Grif- Modiolus modiolus and Mytilus KD JH, Burnell, GM, Connolly, E, fiths, C, Read, J & Sherwin, T, edulis to Sudden Burial by Sedi- 2015, ‘Multidecadal variabil- ment’ PLOS ONE, vol 11, no. 3, Dingwall, A, Derrick, S, Eno, ity of potential temperature, pp. e0151471. NC, Gautier, DJH, Green, KA, salinity and transport in the Gubbins, M, Hart, PR, Holm- eastern subpolar North Atlantic’ Hwang, P, Elosegui, P & yard, JM, Immink, AJ, Jarrad, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL Wilkinson, J 2015, ‘Small-scale DL, Katoh, E, Langley, JCR, Lee, RESEARCH-OCEANS, vol 120, deformation of an Arctic sea DOC, Le Vay, L, Leftwich, CP, no. 9, pp. 5945-5967. ice floe detected by GPS and Mitchell, M, Moore, A, Murray, satellite imagery’ DEEP-SEA AG, McLaren, EMR, Norbury, H, Howe, JA, Anderton, R, Aro- RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL Parker, D, Parry, SO, Purchase, sio, R, Dove, D, Bradwell, T, STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, D, Rahman, A, Sanver, F, Siggs, Crump, P, Cooper, R & Co- vol 120, pp. 3-20. M, Simpson, SD, Slaski, RJ, cuccio, A, 2015, ‘The seabed Smith, K, Syvret, MLQ, Tibbott, geomorphology and geolog- Hyder, K, Rossberg, AG, Al- C, Thomas, PC, Turnbull, J, ical structure of the Firth of len, JI, Austen, MC, Barciela, Whiteley, R, Whittles, M, Wil- Lorn, western Scotland, UK, RM, Bannister, HJ, Blackwell, cockson, MJ, Wilson, J, Dicks, as revealed by multibeam PG, Blanchard, JL, Burrows, LV & Sutherland, WJ, 2015, ‘Pri- echo-sounder survey’ EARTH MT, Defriez, E, Dorrington, T, oritization of knowledge needs AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCI- Edwards, KP, Garcia-Carreras, for sustainable aquaculture: a ENCE TRANSACTIONS OF B, Heath, MR, Hembury, DJ, national and global perspec- THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDIN- Heymans, JJ, Holt, J, Houle, tive’ FISH AND FISHERIES, vol BURGH, vol 105, no. 4, pp. JE, Jennings, S, Mackinson, S, 16, no. 4, pp. 668-683. 273-284. Malcolm, SJ, McPike, R, Mee, L, Mills, DK, Montgomery, Jones, L, Norton, L, Austin, Z, Howe, JA, Stevenson, A & C, Pearson, D, Pinnegar, JK, Browne, A, Donovan, D, Em- Gatliff, R, 2015, ‘Seabed Map- Pollicino, M, Popova, EE, Rae, mett, B, Grabowski, Z, Howard, ping for the 21st Century - The L, Rogers, SI, Speirs, D, Spen- D, Jones, J, Kenter, J, Manley, Marine Environmental Mapping ce, MA, Thorpe, R, Turner, RK, W, Morris, C, Robinson, D, Programme (MAREMAP): Pref- van der Molen, J, Yool, A & Short, C, Siriwardena, G, Ste- ace’ EARTH AND ENVIRON- Paterson, DM 2015, ‘Making vens, C, Storkey, J, Waters, R MENTAL SCIENCE TRANS- modelling count - increasing & Willis, G, 2016, ‘Stocks and ACTIONS OF THE ROYAL the contribution of shelf-seas flows of natural and human-de- SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, vol community and ecosystem rived capital in ecosystem ser- 105, no. 4, pp. 239-240. models to policy development vices’ LAND USE POLICY, vol and management’ MARINE 52, pp. 151-162.

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Kalantzi, I, Pergantis, SA, Black, of CO2’ INTERNATIONAL ecosystems’ SCIENTIFIC RE- KD, Shimmield, TM, Papageor- JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE PORTS, vol 5, Article no 13932, giou, N, Tsapakis, M & Karakas- GAS CONTROL, vol 38, pp. doi:10.1038/srep13932 sis, I, 2016, ‘Metals in tissues of 202-209. seabass and seabream reared in Luckman, A, Benn, DI, Cottier, sites with oxic and anoxic sub- Kleisner, KM, Coll, M, Lynam, F, Bevan, S, Nilsen, F & Inall, strata and risk assessment for CP, Bundy, A, Shannon, L, Shin, M, 2015, ‘Calving rates at tide- consumers’ FOOD CHEMISTRY, Y, Boldt, JL, Maria F., B, Diallo, water glaciers vary strongly with vol 194, pp. 659-670. I, Fox, C, Gascuel, D, Hey- ocean temperature’ NATURE mans, JJ, Juan Jordá, MJ, Jouf- COMMUNICATIONS, vol 6, Kerrison, PD, Stanley, MS, fre, D, Large, SI, Marshall, KN, Article no 8566. Doi: 10.1038/ Edwards, MD, Black, KD & Ojaveer, H, Piroddi, C, Tam, J, ncomms9566, 7 pages. Hughes, AD, 2015, ‘The cul- Angeles Torres, M, Travers-Tro- tivation of European kelp for let, M, Tsagarakis, K & Van Der Mabon, L, Shackley, S, Black- bioenergy: Site and species Meeren, GI, 2015, ‘Evaluating ford, JC, Stahl, H, Miller, A, selection’ BIOMASS & BIOEN- changes in marine communities 2015, ‘Local perceptions of the ERGY, vol 80, pp. 229-242. that provide ecosystem services QICS experimental offshore through comparative assess- CO2 release: Results from so- Kerrison, PD, Stanley, MS, ments of community indicators’ cial science research’ INTERNA- Kelly, M, Macleod, A, Black, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, vol 16, TIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN- KD & Hughes, AD, 2015, pp. 413-429. HOUS GAS CONTROL, vol. 38, ‘Optimising the settlement and pp. 18-25. hatchery culture of Saccharina Lambelet, M, Van De Flierdt, latissima (Phaeophyta) by ma- T, Crocket, K, Rehkaemper, Macleod, AK, Stanley, MS, nipulation of growth medium M, Kreissig, K, Coles, B, Ri- Day, JG & Cook, EJ, 2016, and substrate surface condition’ jkenberg, M, Gerringa, LJA, ‘Biofouling community com- JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHY- de Baar, HJW & Steinfeldt, R, position across a range of COLOGY, vol 28, no. 2, pp. 2016, ‘Neodymium isotopic environmental conditions and 1181-1191. composition and concentration geographical locations suitable in the western North Atlantic for floating marine renewable Kim, YH, Ha, HK, Lee, SH, Ocean: Results from the GEO- energy generation’ BIOFOUL- Kim, H-C, Lee, HJ, Hwang, TRACES GA02 section’ GEO- ING, vol 32, no. 3, pp. 261-76. P & Park, J-H, 2015, ‘Entrain- CHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA McDonagh, EL, King, BA, ment induced by near-inertial ACTA, vol 177, pp. 1-29. drift of sea ice and its impact Bryden, HL, Courtois, P, Szuts, Z, Baringer, M, on under-ice biogeochemi- Last, KS, Hobbs, L, Berge, J, Cunningham, , Atkinson, C & McCarthy, cal processes in marginal ice Brierley, AS & Cottier, F, 2016, SA zones’ DEEP-SEA RESEARCH ‘Moonlight Drives Ocean-Scale G, 2015, ‘Continuous Estimate PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN Mass Vertical Migration of of Atlantic Oceanic Freshwater o OCEANOGRAPHY, vol 120, pp. Zooplankton during the Arctic Flux at 26.5 N’ JOURNAL OF 21-34. Winter’ Current biology : CB, CLIMATE, vol 28, no. 22, pp. vol 26, no. 2, pp. 244-251. 8888-8906. Kita, J, Stahl, H, Hayashi, M, Green, T, Watanabe, Y, Wid- Lejzerowicz, F, Esling, P, Pillet, L, Marzocchi, A., J. Hirschi, J.- M, N. P. Holliday, dicombe, S, 2015, ‘Benthic Wilding, T, Black, KD & Paw- S. A. Cun- ningham, A. T. Blaker, and megafauna and CO2 bubble lowski, J, 2015, ‘High-through- dynamics observed by under- put sequencing and morphol- A. C. Coward (2015), The water photography during a ogy perform equally well for North Atlantic subpolar cir- controlled sub-seabed release benthic monitoring of marine culation in an eddy-resolving

44 SAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 global ocean model, Jour- Pratt, N, Ciotti, BJ, Morgan, EA, than others: diary of a chy- nal of Marine Systems, 142, Taylor, P, Stahl, H, Hauton, C, trid-diatom pairing’ EUROPEAN 126-143, doi:doi:10.1016/j. 2015, ‘No evidence for impacts JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, jmarsys.2014.10.007. to the molecular ecophysiology vol 50, no. s1, 4PO.8, pp. 148-

of ion or CO2 regulation in tis- 148. Molinos, JG, Halpern, BS, sues of selected surface-dwell- Schoeman, DS, Brown, CJ, ing bivalves in the vicinity of Schiener, P, Atack, T, Ware- Kiessling, W, Moore, PJ, Pan- ing, R, Kelly, MS & Hughes, a sub-seabed CO2 release’ dolfi, JM, Poloczanska, ES, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AD, 2015, ‘The by-products Richardson, AJ & Burrows, MT, OF GREENHOUSE GAS CON- from marine biofuels as a feed 2016, ‘Climate velocity and the TROL, vol 38, pp. 193-201. source for the aquaculture future global redistribution of industry: a novel example of the marine biodiversity’ NATURE Purves, K, Macintyre, L, Bren- biorefinery approach’ BIOMASS CLIMATE CHANGE, vol 6, pp. nan, D, Hreggviðsson, G, Kut- CONVERSION AND BIOREFIN- 83-88. tner, E, Ásgeirsdóttir, M, Young, ERY, Vol 6, no 3, pp 281-287 L, Green, DH, Edrada-Ebel, R & Mori, C, Sato, T, Kano, Y, Oya- Scott, E, , Steen- Duncan, KR, 2016, ‘Using Mo- Serpetti, N ma, H, Aleynik, D, Tsumune, lecular Networking for Microbial beek, J & Heymans, JJ, 2016, D & Maeda, Y, 2015, ‘Numer- Secondary Metabolite Biopros- ‘A stepwise Fitting Procedure ical study of the fate of CO2 pecting’ METABOLITES, vol 6, for automated fitting of Eco- purposefully injected into the no. 1, 10.3390/metabo6010002 path with Ecosim models’ sediment and seeping from SOFTWAREX, 10.1016/j. seafloor in Ardmucknish Bay’ Queiros, AM, Taylor, P, Cowles, softx.2016.02.002 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL A, Reynolds, A, Widdicombe, S, Sellami, N, Dewar, M, OF GREENHOUSE GAS CON- Stahl, H, 2015, ‘Optical assess- Stahl, TROL, vol 38, pp. 153-161. ment of impact and recovery H, Chen, B, 2015, ‘Dynamics of sedimentary pH profiles in of rising CO2 bubble plumes in Moschonas, G, Gowen, RJ, ocean acidification and carbon the QICS field experiment, Part Stewart, BM & Davidson, K, capture and storage research’ 1 – the experiment’ INTERNA- 2015, ‘Nitrogen dynamics in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL TIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN- the Irish Sea and adjacent shelf OF GREENHOUSE GAS CON- HOUSE GAS CONTROL, vol waters: An exploration of dis- TROL, vol 38, pp. 110-120. 38, pp. 44-51. solved organic nitrogen’ ESTU- ARINE COASTAL AND SHELF Rad Menendez, C, Stanley, Sherwin, TJ, Aleynik, D, , 2015, SCIENCE, vol 164, pp. 276-287. M, Green, DH, Cox, E & Day, Dumont, E & Inall, ME ‘Deep drivers of mesoscale JG, 2015, ‘Exploring cryptic Ojaveer, H, Galil, BS, Campbell, diversity in publicly available circulation in the central Rockall ML, Carlton, JT, Canning-Clode, strains of the model diatom Trough’ OCEAN SCIENCE, vol J, Cook, EJ, Davidson, AD, Thalassiosira pseudonana 11, no. 3, pp. 343-359. Hewitt, CL, Jelmert, A, Marchi- (Bacillariophyceae)’ JOURNAL Sime-Ngando, T, Gerphagnon, ni, A, McKenzie, CH, Minchin, OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL M, Colombet, J, Gachon, CMM D, Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A, ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIT- & Latour, D, 2015, ‘Effects of Olenin, S, Ruiz, G, 2015, ‘Classi- ED KINGDOM, vol 95, no. 6, fungal parasitism on freshwater fication of Non-Indigenous Spe- pp. 1081-1090. cies Based on Their Impacts: cyanobacterial blooms’ EURO- PEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOL- Considerations for Application Rad-Menendez, C, Gerphag- in Marine Management’ PLOS non, M, Sime-Ngando, T & OGY, vol 50, no. 1, 4or.7, pp. 47-48. BIOLOGY, vol 13, no. 4, pp. Gachon, CMM, 2015, ‘Some e1002130. asterionella are more equal

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Slocombe, SP, Zhang, Q, Ross, Strittmatter, M, Gren- TIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN- M, Anderson, A, Thomas, NJ, ville-Briggs, L, Beithut, L, van HOUSE GAS CONTROL, vol Lapresa, A, Rad-Menendez, West, P, Gachon, CMM & 38, pp. 3-17. C, Campbell, CN, Black, KD, Küpper, FC, 2015, ‘Infection , Lichtschlag, A, Stanley, MS & Day, JG, 2015, of the brown alga Ectocarpus Taylor, P To- ‘Unlocking nature’s trea- siliculosus by the oomycete berman, M, Sayer, MDJ, sure-chest: screening for oleag- Eurychasma dicksonii induces Reynolds, A, Sato, T & Stahl, H, inous algae’ SCIENTIFIC RE- oxidative stress and halogen 2015, ‘Impact and recovery of PORTS, vol 5, Article no. 9844. metabolism’ PLANT CELL AND pH in marine sediments subject ENVIRONMENT, vol 39, no. 2, to a temporary carbon dioxide Smale, DA, Burrows, MT, Ev- pp. 259-271. leak’ INTERNATIONAL JOUR- ans, AJ, King, N, Sayer, MDJ, NAL OF GREENHOUSE GAS Yunnie, ALE & Moore, PJ, 2016, Struve, T, Van De Flierdt, T, CONTROL, vol 38, pp. 93-101. ‘Linking environmental variables Robinson, LF, Bradtmiller, LI, with regional-scale variability in K. Hines, S, Adkins, JF, Lam- Tierney, KM, Muir, GKP, Cook, GT, MacKinnon, G, ecological structure and stand- belet, M, Crocket, K, Kreissig, Howe, JA, ing stock of carbon within UK K, Coles, B & Auro, M, 2016, Heymans, JJ & Xu, S, 2016, kelp forests’ MARINE ECOLO- ‘Neodymium isotope analyses ‘Accumulation of Sellafield-de- GY-PROGRESS SERIES, vol 542, after combined extraction of ac- rived radiocarbon (C-14) in pp. 79-95. tinide and lanthanide elements Irish Sea and West of Scotland from seawater and deep‐sea intertidal shells and sediments’ Stahl, H, Miller, A, 2015, ‘Obit- coral aragonite’ GEOCHEM- JOURNAL OF ENVIORNMEN- uary for Professor Laurence ISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYS- TAL RADIOACTIVITY, vol 151, David Mee’ INTERNATIONAL TEMS, vol 17, no. 1, pp. 232- no. 1, pp. 321-327. JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE 240. GAS CONTROL, vol 38, pp 2. Tsirigoti, A, Beakes, GW, Herve, C, & Katsaros, C Tail, K, Stahl, H, Taylor, P, Gachon, CMM Sterk, HAM, Steeneveld, GJ, Widdicombe, S, 2015, ‘Rapid 2015, ‘Attachment, penetration Vihma, T, Anderson, PS, response of the active microbial and early host defense mech- Bosveld, FC & Holtslag, AAM, community to CO2 exposure anisms during the infection of 2015, ‘Clear-sky stable bound- from a controlled sub-seabed filamentous brown algae by ary layers with low winds over Eurychasma dicksonii’ PROTO- CO2 leak in Ardmucknish Bay snow-covered surfaces. Part (Oban, Scotland)’ INTERNA- PLASMA, vol 252, no. 3, pp. 1: WRF model evaluation’ TIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN- 845-856. QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE GAS CONTROL, vol Tsirigoti, A, Katsaros, C & ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL 38, pp. 171-181. SOCIETY, vol 141, no. 691, pp. Gachon, CMM, 2015, ‘Cell wall modifications and cell regen- 2165-2184. Taylor, P, Stahl, H, Vardy, ME, Bull, JM, Akhurst, M, Hauton, eration in brown algae resist- Strittmatter, M, Gachon, C, James, RH, Lichtschlag, A, ing infection by the oomycete , Mueller, DG, Tsirigoti, A, pathogen Eurychasma dick- CMM Long, D, Aleynik, D, Tober- Wawra, S, Beckmann, M, Katsa- sonii’ pp. 148-148. man, M, Naylor, M, Connel- ros, C, van West, P & Küpper, ly, D, Smith, D, , Sayer, MDJ Tsukasaki, A, Suzumura, M, FC, 2015, ‘Disease resistance in Widdicombe, S, Wright, IC Lichtschlag, A, Stahl, H, James, brown algae: mechanisms and & Blackford, J 2015, ‘A novel RH, 2015, ‘Phosphorus behavior heritability’ EUROPEAN JOUR- sub-seabed CO release experi- 2 in sediments during a sub-sea- NAL OF PHYCOLOGY, vol 50, ment informing monitoring and bed CO2 controlled release no. 10, pp. 48-49. impact assessment for geolog- experiment’ INTERNATIONAL ical carbon storage,’ INTERNA-

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JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE Wilson, B, 2016, ‘Might ma- Document No : 024-15-EHSR- GAS CONTROL, vol, 38, pp. rine protected areas for mobile EIS-PA-T4, for Falkland Islands 102-109. megafauna suit their propo- Government, pp. 16 nents more than the animals?: Turnewitsch, R, Lahajnar, N, MPAs for magefauna or peo- Fox, C, Veszelovszki, A & Haeckel, M & Christiansen, ple?’ AQUATIC CONSERVA- Valcic, L, 2015, A pilot study to B, 2015, ‘An abyssal hill frac- TION-MARINE AND FRESHWA- define the footprint and activi- tionates organic and inorganic TER ECOSYSTEMS, vol 26, no. ties of Scottish inshore fisheries matter in deep-sea surface 1, pp. 3-8. by identifying target fisheries, sediments’ GEOPHYSICAL RE- habitats and associated fish SEARCH LETTERS, vol 42, no. Wilson, CM & Sayer, MDJ, stocks. 193 p 18, pp. 7663-7672. 2015, ‘Cerebral arterial gas em- bolism in a professional diver Ingels, J, Clark, M, Vecchione, Vallet, M, Du, K, Strittmatter, with a persistent foramen ovale’ M, Perez, JAA, Levin, LA, Prie- M, Dupont, J & Gachon, CMM, DIVING AND HYPERBARIC de, IG, Sutton, TT, Rowden, A, 2015, ‘Biodiversity, secondary MEDICINE, vol 45, no. 2, pp. Smith, CR, Yasuhara, M, Sweet- metabolome and ecological 124-126. man, A, Soltwedel, T, Santos, role of fungal endophytes as- RS, Narayanaswamy, B, Ruhl, sociated with the brown algae HA, Fujikura, K, Amaral-Zettler, Laminaria digitata, Ascophyllum REPORTS L, Jones, D, Gates, A, Snel- nodosum, Saccharina latissima grove, PVR, Bernal, P & van Albalat, A, McAdam, B & Fox, and Pelvetia canaliculata’ EU- Gaever, S, 2016, ‘Open Ocean C, 2015, Post-catch survivabil- ROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHY- Deep Sea’. In First Global ity of discarded under-sized COLOGY, vol 50, pp. 116-116. Marine Assessment. 1 edn, vol. Norway lobsters (Nephrops 1, Oceans and Law of the Sea, norvegicus): Towards a re- van Leeuwen, S, Tett, P, Mills, United Nations, Brussels, pp. gional and ecosystems-based D & van der Molen, J, 2015, 1-37. ‘Stratified and nonstratified approach. Fisheries Innovation areas in the North Sea: Long- Scotland commissioned report. Little, A, Bailey, N, Cook, R, term variability and biological , Curtis, H, Heath, M, Baker, E, Lamarche, G, Gaill, Fox, C and policy implications’ JOUR- Marshall, T, Mouat, B & Fer- F, Narayanaswamy, B, Parr, J, NAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RE- nandes, P, 2015, A review of Raharimananirina, C, Santos, SEARCH-OCEANS, vol 120, no. Scotland’s capture fisheries: RS, Sharma, R & Tuhumwire, J, 7, pp. 4670-4686. stock status, knowledge gaps, 2016, ‘Offshore mining indus- research requirements and tries’. Chapter 23 in: First Glob- Watanabe, Y, Tait, K, Gregory, stakeholder engagement. Fish- al Marine Assessment. 1 edn, S, Hayashi, M, Shimamoto, A, eries Innovation Scotland. vol. 1, Oceans and Law of the Taylor, P, Stahl, H, Green, K, Sea, United Nations, Brussels, Yoshingaga, I, Suwa, Y, Kita, J, Miller, R & Macleod, A 2016, 2015, ‘Response of the ammo- pp. 1-34. Marine Growth Mapping and nia oxidation activity of microor- Monitoring: Feasibility of Black, K., Dale, A., Fox, ganisms in surface sediment to Predictive Mapping of Marine C., Forster, I., Howe, J., a controlled sub-seabed release Growth. Offshore Renewable Narayanaswamy, B., Risch, of CO ’ INTERNATIONAL Energy Catapult, Glasgow. 2 D.(2015) A Review of Noble JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE Energy Falklands Limited GAS CONTROL, vol, 38, pp. Rhea-1 Exploration Well 162-170. Environmental Impact Statement V 2.0, 7th May 2015

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Jickells, T., J. Andrews, S. BOOKS Barnard, P. Tett and S. v. Leeuwen (2015). Natural Baztan, J, Chouinard, O, Jor- Sciences Modelling in Coastal gensen, B, Tett, P, Vander- and Shelf Seas. Chapter 3 in linden, J-P & Vasseur, L (eds), Coastal zones ecosystem 2015, Coastal Zones: Solutions services: From science to values for the 21st Century. Elsevier, and decision making. R. K. Amsterdam. Turner and M. Schaafsma, eds., Springer. pp 41-58. BOOK Tett, P, Black, K, Brennan, R, CHAPTERS Cook, E & Davidson, K, 2015, ‘Sustainable Mariculture at High Jickells, TD, Andrews, J, Bar- Latitudes’. In: Coastal Zones: nard, S, & van Leeuw- Tett, P Solutions for the 21st Century. en, S 2015, ‘Natural Sciences Chapter 5, Elsevier, pp. 71-84. Modelling in Coastal and Shelf Seas’. In RK Turner & M Schaafsma (eds), Coastal zones ecosystem services: From science to values and decision making. vol. 9, Springer, pp. 41-58.

Kelly, M, Carboni, S, Cook, E & Hughes, A, 2015, ‘Sea Urchin Aquaculture in Scot- land’. In Echinoderm Aquacul- ture., ch9, Wiley-Blackwell., 10.1002/9781119005810.ch9

Kenter, JO, 2015, ‘Deliberative and Non-Monetary Valuation: Routledge Handbook of Eco- system Services’. In: M Potsch- in, R Haines-Young, R Fish & RK Turner (eds), Routledge Hand- book of Ecosystem Services. Routledge Press, New York.

Tett, P & Mee, L, 2015, ‘Sce- narios explored with Delphi’. In RK Turner & M Schaafsma (eds), ‘Coastal zones ecosystem services: From science to values and decision making. Studies in Ecological Economics’, no. 1389-6954, vol. 9, Springer, pp. 127-144. 48 OFFICE BEARERS AS Audit committee SAMS Honorary Fellows and CONFIRMED AT 101ST AGM external members Research Associates SAMS STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION Paul Brennan Dr Bob Batty 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016 Dr Carol Phillips Dr Ruth Brennan SAMS President Dr Clive Craik Prof Geoffrey Boulton Council observers Dr John Gordon DIRECTORATE Microbial & Molecular EDUCATION Facilities Biology Department Sophie Laurie (NERC) Prof Richard Gowen Owens, Prof Nicholas Head: Calder, Dr Lois Head: Mathias, David Chairman of SAMS Board Douglas Cowan (HIE) Dr Fiona Hannah Miller, Prof Axel E J Head: Pond, Prof David Bury, Dr Helen Burnip, Melvin Day, Stafford Achilles-Day, Undine Crooks, Polly James, Alistair Commodore Angus Ross Prof Clive Mulholland (UHI) Robin Harvey Hatton, Prof Angela Anderson, Sarah Humphreys, Morgan MacCorquodale, Iain Dr Ken Jones MacKinnon, Lorna Badis, Dr Yacine Magill, Shona MacDougall, Fraser Council members Dr Ray Leakey Walton, Elaine Brennan, Debra O’Higgins, Dr Timothy MacLean, Kenneth Mark Batho Prof Jack Matthews Calmes, Dr Benoit Morrison, Leah McLaren, Paul RESEARCH Campbell, Christine Wallace, Fiona Stuart Cannon Prof David Meldrum Childs, Katharine Financial Support Dr Melissa Chierici Prof Geoff Moore Biogeochemistry & Earth Clarke, Alison National Facility for Services Sciences Department Cole, Eilidh Scientific Diving Prof Robert Ferrier Dr Jake Rice Davidson, Prof Keith Head: Lister, Paula Prof Jane Francis Prof Murray Roberts Head: Howe, Dr John Day, Prof John Head: Sayer, Dr Martin Anderson, Angela Marilyn Jeffcoat Prof Toby Sherwin Abell, Dr Richard De Boever, Frederik Azzopardi, Elaine Black, Derek Abernethy, Colin Ditchfield, Dr Arlene Brown, Hugh Campbell, Elizabeth Prof Monty Priede Dr Henrik Stahl Arosio, Riccardo Duncan, Dr Katherine Mogg, Dr Andrew Hart, Fiona Ken Rundle Austin, Prof William Field, Joanne Thurston, Dr Simon Darling, Fiona Prof Sandy Tudhope Brand, Timothy Gachon, Dr Claire Lamb, Linda Crocket, Dr Kirsty Green, Dr David SRSL MacEachen, Janice Glud, Prof Ronnie N Garvetto, Andrea McLuckie, Gillian Hicks, Dr Natalie Hart, Dr Mark Head: Shimmield, Dr Tracy Robertson, Sharyn Rovelli, Dr Lorenzo Leakey, Dr Ray Allday, Joanne Smalley, Claire Stahl, Dr Henrik McNeill, Sharon Allen, Dr Chris Smith, Christine Turnewitsch, Dr Robert Mitchell, Elaine Hart, Dr Mark Tening, Eugene Rad Menendez, Cecilia Hausrath, John Watt, Lorna Ecology Department Saxon, Rachel Livingstone, Craig Slocombe, Dr Stephen MacDonald, John Health and Safety Head: Heymans, Dr Sheila Stanley, Dr Michele MacLeod, Dr Adrian Adams, Dr Tom Strittmatter, Dr Martina McInnes, Jacqueline Clay, Christopher Alexander, Dr Karen Swan, Sarah Murray, Sine Benjamins, Dr Steven Tett, Prof Paul Stewart, Alan Human Resources and Beveridge, Christine Thomas, Naomi Taylor, Dr Peter Reception Billing, Dr Suzi Ubbara, Swati Thompson, Phillip Black, Prof Kenneth Whyte, Dr Callum Vare, Dr Lindsay Head: Hausrath, Michelle Brennan, Dr Ruth Scherer, Cordula Veszelovszki, Dr Andrea Campbell, Karen Brunner, Lars Shellcock, Carole Wallace, Dr Keri Lee Cullen, Jacqueline CONTENTS Burrows, Prof Michael Culver, Rachel Campbell, Dr Iona Physics & Technology Greenwood, Susan Carpenter, Dr Trevor Department PROFESSIONAL Kersley, Shirley Cottier, Dr Elizabeth SERVICES Elliott, Jim Head: Cottier, Dr Finlo ICT and Information Fox, Dr Clive Aleynik, Dr Dmitry Boats Service Garcia Molinos, Dr Jorge Anderson, Dr Philip Graziano, Dr Marcello Beaton, John Keeney, John Head: Gontarek, Steven Greenhill, Lucy Cunningham, Prof Stuart Smith, Norman Cook, Nicola Research: Grist, Dr Hannah Dale, Dr Andrew Dale, Richard 1 Welcome 12 Ecology 32 Education Hughes, Dr Adam Dumont, Estelle Communications & OEC Kimmins, Olga Hughes, Dr David Gary, Dr Stefan Klein, Dr Thomas Kelly, Dr Maeve Griffiths, Colin Head: Miller, Dr Anuschka MacLucas, Nigel Kenter, Dr Jasper Hagan, Bernard Ault, Lauren Madej, Daniel Research: Kerrison, Dr Philip Houpert, Dr Loic Crabb, Andrew Norris, Elspeth William Speirs Bruce - growing Microbial and Molecular Lamont, Peter Hwang, Dr Phil Donovan, Terry recognition Biology Communications 2 18 36 Last, Dr Kim Inall, Prof Mark Kersel, William Michalek, Kati Johnson, Dr Clare McNeill, Helen Miller, Dr Raeanne Jones, Sam Paterson, Euan Narayanaswamy, Dr Bhavani MacDonald, Fraser MacKinnon, Rory Research: Nickell, Dr Thomas Meldrum, Prof David 3 Our people 24 Physics and Technology 38 Finances Payne, Dr Benjamin Meredith, Prof Michael Risch, Dr Denise Porter, Dr Marie Serpetti, Dr Natalia Rodwell, Shane Smalley, Claire Toberman, Matthew SAMS Research Steuben, Marieke Wilson, Karen 4 Learned society 28 Services Ltd 40 Publications Twigg, Dr Gail Wilding, Dr Tom Wilson, Prof Ben Research: Biogeochemistry and Earth National Facility for 8 Sciences 30 Scientific Diving 49 Staff list

Editors: Dr Anuschka Miller and Euan Paterson Front cover photo: The sea squirt, Ascidiella aspersa, as seen at 21m Design: Rory MacKinnon in the Firth of Lorne (Photo: NFSD), is part of the healthy marine ecosystem SAMS works towards.

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