St Andrews Researchers Partner with Government to Improve Understanding of Scotland’s Seabed

The Scottish Government has joined forces with academics from the University of St Andrews to address a critical evidence gap in the management of Scotland's seabed. The partnership, supported by two £30,000 grants, aims to improve understanding of the marine environment, with a particular focus on seabed sediments as significant stores of organic carbon.

These seabed carbon stores are deemed more substantial than the country's land-based carbon stores, which have been the target of growing restoration efforts aimed at reducing Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions. However, the seabed carbon reserves remain vulnerable to various pressures, particularly from climate change and disturbances to the seabed.

Research at the University of St Andrews, led by Professor Bill Austin from the Scottish Oceans Institute, will examine the risks to these carbon stores, particularly from human activities and natural disturbances that could release carbon stored in the sediments. The team aims to develop a more nuanced understanding of these risks and create tools for better risk management, which could inform new policies to protect Scotland's marine carbon stores.

The project will also involve Craig Smeaton, a lecturer at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, and collaborate with the Scottish Association for Marine Science, which also received funding. The funding has enabled the purchase of a new experimental system designed to simulate natural and human-induced sediment resuspension, allowing for a detailed study of how these seabed disturbances affect the carbon stored in the sediments.

This research will be crucial in developing sustainable strategies for Scotland's marine environment, guiding policy changes that aim to preserve vulnerable carbon stores. By focusing on the seabed's role in carbon storage, the Scottish Government and researchers hope to better understand the potential impact of various activities and disturbances on this critical environmental asset.

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