What lies beneath: getting a glimpse beneath the ocean

We’ve previously shared the Our Seas petition to re-introduce the three-mile limit around Scotland’s coast to protect underwater ecosystems that are damaged by bottom trawling and dredging. 

And if you haven’t signed it yet, please do because we’ll be handing it to Scottish MPs on 23rd June! 

But even if you know our seas need better protection, it can be hard to visualise that if you’ve never scuba dived or snorkelled around Scotland’s coast. 

Last summer, Cal spoke to Phil Taylor, from Open Seas, who had just returned from an incredible trip surveying around Scotland’s coast using a remote operated vehicle (ROV). 

In their discussion on the Our Ocean Podcast, Phil shared what his team found on their expedition – and sadly it wasn’t good news in a lot of places. 

 

Let’s start with the good news though. Phil shared that in places designated as marine protected areas – and crucially where those protections are reinforced – the underwater ecosystem is thriving. 

“Where Scotland’s seas are protected, they are doing really well and they’re vibrant,” Phil told us. 

“A great example is Broad Bay, just to the north of Stornoway, in a site that was protected outside of the marine protected network before that, and it was often claimed to be a barren landscape that was just full of starfish. But what we found was a Garden of Eden. 

“We saw shoals of sandeels swarming around the ROVs. We saw wrasse coming out of these rocky habitats, and we saw all sorts of juvenile fish showing just how important this place can be as a nursery ground for the rest of our ecosystem.”

However, Phil also explained that the opposite was true when they surveyed locations that aren’t protected from the most damaging forms of fishing – bottom trawling and dredging. Sadly, this includes many locations that Scottish ministers promised to protect back in 2018, but where meaningful protection has yet to be introduced. 

Maerl beds (a type of algae that grows incredibly slowly and looks a lot like coral) had been destroyed off the isle of Texa in the Inner Hebrides. Whole colonies of serpulid worm reefs had collapsed in Loch Creran. 

The message from Phil and the rest of the team behind the Ocean Witness report at Open Seas is simple: we need to stop the degradation of our marine habitats and only then can we start to turn things around. 

 

There is a great deal that needs to be done at a policy level to better protect Scotland’s seas and ensure that marine protected areas are truly protected. This will include fisheries management and more sustainable quotas. 

But there is still plenty that you, as an individual can do to help show our politicians that this is an issue you care about too. 

First, please sign the Our Seas petition to re-introduce the three-mile inshore limit on bottom trawling and dredging. Remember, you’ve only got until 23rd June 2026 to add your name!

Second, stay informed about the state of our seas by signing up to hear from Open Seas. The more we all know and understand our marine ecosystems, the more equipped we are to have informed conversations about the protections that are needed. 

Third, if you eat seafood, ask where it comes from. Find out how it was caught so that you can avoid any produce that’s dredged, or any seafood that comes from fisheries with a really high rate of bycatch.

Although the picture Phil and his team discovered is far from rosy in many parts of Scotland’s seas, he urged all of us to have hope.

“The sea has an incredible ability to recover because it is a fluid, dynamic environment. From an ecological perspective, because there is water moving around that is carrying with it eggs and larvae, the sea has an ability to recover. That means it’s faster to recover, in some cases, than the land.

“The sea is very, very big and there are places within it where stuff is still hiding and intact-ish. I’m hopeful that if we can get on top of these quite simple problems for which the science is clear, we will be able to get to a position where the sea will be healthy and vibrant.”