Satellites and basking sharks
Blogs
Returning from a Seasearch diving survey in July 2006, I had the privilege of encountering a basking shark feeding off the north coast of the Isle of Rum. Witnessing first-hand …
Basking on the west coast
Blogs
The west coast of Scotland is a magnificent and visually spectacular region. Marine vistas, rugged cliffs and coastal landscapes give a sense of awe, inspiration and excitement to those fortunate …
Combating climate change requires a transformation in how we manage the marine environment
Blogs
The dangers posed by climate change have been at the forefront of public discussion recently, and rightly so. Reports from the Climate Change Committee, IPBES and IPCC have all clearly …
The sad story of a humpback whale
Blogs
Early in 2019, whale watchers in Fife were, for the third year running, treated to the sight of humpback whales. Three individuals were seen from February – April as they …
Jonny Hughes: Is a plastic planet now inevitable
Blogs
Our rivers and seas are quickly becoming a plastic soup. Billions of fragments of microplastics – tiny synthetic polymers less than five millimetres across – are washed into the environment …
Jonny Hughes: Why Japan and Norway should look to Dundee for leadership on whaling
Blogs
It’s well known that the growth of Dundee, once one of the great cities of Empire, was founded on jute, jam and journalism. What’s less well known is the vital …
Jonny Hughes: Science must come before the politics of sea fishing
Blogs
The annual round of EU fishing negotiations that concludes today in Brussels is a much less fractious affair than it was a decade ago. Nowadays ministers from EU Member States …
Working to improve standards in aquaculture
Blogs
Scotland’s salmon farming industry covers a vast area – there are over 200 farms located in coastal waters along the west coast, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. It has …
Jonny Hughes: Why we need a pragmatic approach to decommissioning in the North Sea
Blogs
The North Sea oil and gas sector has been a cornerstone of UK industry for over 50 years. At its peak in 1999, the UK was producing over three million …
Jonny Hughes: Why it’s time to stop plundering the seas for kelp
Blogs
Keystone species are so called because they have a disproportionately large effect on the environment relative to their abundance. One famous example is the wolves of Yellowstone National Park who, …