>Scotlands Hidden Gems

SNH – November biodiversity topic: “SNH is raising awareness of the contribution that marine biodiversity makes to the economy and environment of Scotland.

The marine biodiversity around Scotland remains a well-kept secret. More than 8,500 species of animals and plants live in Scotland’s seas. Raising awareness of their amazing diversity of form and colour is key to their protection. We depend on the sea for food, transport, energy, and recreation and enjoyment, yet most of us are unaware of the damage we have wrought through mismanagement, malpractice and ignorance. This ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude is no longer acceptable, and everyone must seek ways of working together to ensure that all marine activities take their impact on biodiversity into account.

Scotland’s marine environment

Scotland’s seas are one of our greatest biodiversity assets; positioned between subpolar and subtropical influences they support a fascinating and varied assemblage of marine habitats and species. The 16,500km of coastline (approximately 9% of entire coastline of Europe) is extremely diverse with a highly indented fjordic and fjardic landscape to the west, characterised by exposed islands, high sea cliffs and rocky skerries, and the North Sea coast to the east, which is predominantly low lying with sedimentary shores and only intermittent stretches of cliff. The outer isles form three major archipelagos of Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.

Scotland’s seas are home to the world’s most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins, 21 other species of the world’s 82 whales and dolphins and a third of the global population of grey seals.

Beneath the waves some of the finest marine habitats in Europe can be”