12 May 2026
Photo by Igor Francetic Three ScotWind offshore wind developers have joined forces with Crown Estate Scotland and NatureScot to fund a two-year acoustic study of minke whale activity in a marine protected area that lies directly in the path of planned grid connection infrastructure off the Aberdeenshire coast. The study, led by the Scottish […]
24 Feb 2026
Photo by Kier in Sight Archives Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban have developed a land-based tank method for cultivating Palmaria palmata — the red seaweed commonly known as dulse — that dramatically reduces early-stage mortality and enables year-round production of a species that has historically proved extremely difficult to farm. In controlled […]
15 Jul 2025
Photo by William Hook The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has launched the SkateSpotter app, a new tool designed to aid in the conservation of the critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius). This free mobile application allows anglers, divers, and the general public to upload photographs of flapper skates, which are then used to build a photo-identification […]
25 Jan 2025
The charitable research institute the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Sams) recently voted to make the ocean a trustee on its board, represented either by a specific person or a working group that can help hold the organisation to account and speak up for the ocean’s interests. The Conversation spoke to Sams’ director, Nicholas Owens, […]
20 Sep 2024
The UK has become the first nation to map and estimate the amount of carbon stored in its seabed habitats, including in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The Blue Carbon Mapping Project, completed by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) on behalf of WWF, The Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB, reveals that 244 million tonnes […]
23 Jul 2024
Researchers from a global collaboration have unveiled groundbreaking evidence of dark oxygen production (DOP) at the abyssal seafloor, challenging existing understanding of deep-sea oxygen dynamics. The study, published in Nature Geoscience, reveals that polymetallic nodules on the abyssal Pacific Ocean floor may contribute to unexpected oxygen production in the deep sea. Polymetallic Nodules reveal new […]
15 Jul 2024
A presumption that rapidly melting Arctic sea ice will open up new shipping routes has sparked a warning from scientists investigating the fast-changing ice conditions. Although seasonal sea ice – the ice that thaws in summer and reforms in winter – has been shrinking at a rate of knots because of climate change, this has […]
19 Jul 2022
The UK will become the first nation to produce a complete map of its blue carbon stores, thanks to a new, pioneering project, the Scottish association for Marine Science (SAMS) has announced: The Blue Carbon Mapping project – led by SAMS and funded by WWF-UK in collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts and RSPB – builds on […]
