Overview
In 2023 Project Baseline diver David Price headed to the Scottish Highlands to assist the Blue Hope Alliance with their ongoing maerl surveys. Operating out of the remote Achiltibuie Village, logistics were a real challenge for the scientists and divers. However, through hard work, collaboration, brilliant local community support, and dedication, they managed to complete a successful week of maerl and flame shell surveys to help inform future conservation efforts.
The Blue Hope Alliance
The Blue Hope Alliance is a cross-sector ‘Network for Nature’ which connects like minded groups through a community-led citizen science survey collaboration, supported by both volunteer marine scientists and divers.
The alliance works for the restoration of the marine ecosystem in the north west of Scotland and hopes to create a more sustainable coastal economy. They are united by a shared goal, to monitor ecosystem change. They collect data for evidence-based conservation and celebrate and protect life under the waves. Given the alignment between Project Baseline and Blue Hope’s goals, it was a real pleasure for Project Baseline UK to support the 2023 surveys.
Dive Surveys
During the week long project in the beautiful Scottish Highlands scientists and divers completed a series of surveys around the Summer Isles, Lochcarron, and Loch Broom. The primary aim was to assess the condition of the maerl beds in the area. The Wester Ross Marine Protected Area is the largest maerl MPA in the world.
Maerl beds are listed as a Priority Marine Feature in Scotland and are under threat from eutrophication and scallop dredging. Whilst it is a keystone species in its own right, it is also an important shelter for many other species. As such it is crucial for maintaining the biodiversity of the UK’s seas.
The divers employed several survey techniques, but primarily focussed on installing permanent transects. They used steel rods, installed using hammers, and simple line to define the survey areas. Once installed the scientists completed 25m transects, recording on a diver’s slate any key observations whilst towing a GPS beacon to allow for accurate location recording. The team also took video surveys and water samples, the latter from both the seabed and midwater. This allowed extensive documentation of the current state of the ecosystems.
Dive Team
The dive team consisted of both marine scientists, underwater camera divers, and volunteer recreational divers. Each team consisted of 3 divers, with at least 1 camera diver and 1 scientist per team. This allowed the teams to complete the video work and surveys whilst the third diver focussed on team safety and monitoring dive parameters, making them more efficient than a buddy pair and improving the efficiency of the teams.
Project Achievements
In addition to the data collection itself, the 2023 surveys were used to refine survey protocols to be able to hand them to other maerl survey groups, enabling standardisation of protocols across the northwest so that proper scientific comparisons between areas of maerl can be made. This will allow for a comparison across the sea loch’s of wester ross and beyond, and ultimately will enable the creation of an accurate baseline covering the entire area.
Simultaneously the project aimed to build a self sustaining citizen science survey alliance, including uniting these communities in support the recovery of the ecosystems. It is also hoped that the protocols developed will help other groups establish monitoring transects to bring awareness to what’s happening to maerl and continue with Seasearch and photographic surveys across Scotland. This would facilitate scientific investigation while fostering informed decision-making and public awareness.
Overall it was a highly successful week. Most of Blue Hope’s aims were met and it was great experience for Project Baseline diver David Price. With plenty of lessons learned for future projects it is hoped that PBUK and Blue Hope will continue to work together for many years to come.
Project Baseline UK 