Nature And Landscape

Scotland’s Hidden Reefs: Saving Maerl, Herring and Underwater Ecosystems through Citizen Science, Advocacy and Storytelling

Maerl beds of twiggy pink coralline seaweed support entire food chains. Dubbed Scotland's Barrier Reef, maerl is the most ancient and precious keystone habitat in the UK, yet few have heard of it, let alone understood the imminent threats to its survival. The Blue Hope Alliance’s (BHA) project will change that. Our aim is to restore maerl alongside the fisheries, ecosystems and coastal heritage which depend on it. Living in the UK's last regional stronghold of maerl, our community-led citizen science survey coalition has collected a decade of evidence recording maerl's decline. The next step is to establish the science enabling recovery. We'll celebrate our greatest Marine heritage, empower and upskill generations of caretakers and reconnect communities to sealife through events, film and storytelling. Our project’s beating heart is the creation of the first community-owned open source underwater photographic archive – a heritage legacy to inspire generations and serve science.