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erielements Winter 2013/14
environmental
research
institute
Migratory Salmon in the Pentland Firth
Led by scientists at the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), the Pentland Salmon Initiative aims to promote investigation into the migratory patterns of one of Scotland’s most iconic fish, the wild Atlantic salmon. Focusing on the Pentland Firth, an important migration route for salmon and of international in-terest because of its powerful waves and strong tidal race, the project will also investigate the potential impact that marine renewable devices may have on this species.
As well as accessing local rivers, salmon are known to use the Pentland Firth en route to important east coast rivers. However, little is currently known about the specific behaviour of salmon passing through coastal waters e.g. direction of post-smolt travel. As such, there are a number of key questions which need to be answered if we are to understand how migratory salmon may interact with the marine renewable arrays planned for Scot-tish waters.
The initial focus will be on mapping salmon migration in northern coastal waters. Using new information on the complex water move-ments in this region, scientists will collect field data on the effects that construction and operation of energy devices may have on the fish’s behaviour. A key concern of stakehold-ers is the potential for migrating salmon to be affected by noise during the construction phase so one as-pect will be to investigate the response of wild salmon to varying sound levels in order to determine whether those generated by renewable activity are likely to present an impediment to salmon navigation in the areas affected
Researchers at the ERI have recently worked on a number of related themes (i.e. Marine Renewable En-ergy and the Environment) and will utilise this expertise to develop Particle Tracking Models (PTMs) which will allow the trajectories of individual fish to be simulated within oceanographic models. PTMs are recognised as having important potential for predicting the passage of migratory salmon through renewa-ble energy sites. However, good models require appropriate data and the current paucity of this on be-haviour during coastal stages of migration (both adults and smolts) represents a serious limitation on any assessment of possible interactions. The project will seek to close this knowledge gap by capturing adult salmon movements using up- to- date tracking and telemetry technology.
The ERI has enlisted the expertise of Alan Youngson, formerly of the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory in Pitlochry, and Professor Tony Hawkins, former director of the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen. As the initi-ative progresses, the ERI team will link with colleagues from the Rivers and Lochs Institute (Inverness College/ UHI) and together, will seek to develop a partnership of stakeholders who have interests in ma-
Atlantic Salmon © Lorne Gill /SNH
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marine renewables and salmon migration. This partnership will include scientists, fishery board representa-tives, planners and developers.
Speaking about the initiative, Professor Stuart Gibb, director of the ERI, said: “Salmon support important economic activity in Scotland. Despite this, little is known about their behaviour when passing through our coastal waters. New research is needed if we are to understand how salmon may interact with the arrays of marine renewable devices planned for Scotland’s coastal zone. We are immensely honoured that scientists of the calibre of Alan Youngson and Professor Hawkins have chosen to join us,” Professor Gibb continued. “They bring a truly unrivalled wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable in addressing key questions relating to the behaviour of migratory salmon.”
Professor Tony Hawkins said: “It will be a pleasure to work with scientists from the ERI on the exciting topic of salmon behaviour. There is a strong need for more studies of the movements of salmon in the sea, both during the outward smolt migration and the return migration of adult salmon to the Scottish coast. We also need to know more about the effects of renewable energy developments upon behaviour and the health of salmon populations. The Institute is well placed to take forward this new research and I look forward to ex-changing ideas and proposals with my new colleagues in Thurso and Inverness.”
Alan Youngson added: “Caithness and Sutherland are central to new developments in marine energy. Our goal is to ensure that salmon rivers in the north and elsewhere remain in good shape while the new indus-tries prosper.” The Pentland Salmon Initiative has become a high priority for the ERI and we look forward to working in this exciting area of science with colleagues across the University of the Highlands and Islands and with other stakeholders with an interest in Atlantic salmon migration.
For further information contact [email protected]
ENERGYMARE – a road map for Europe’s marine energy
Untapped marine renewable energy sources are at-tracting interest worldwide. European countries, where western coasts are exposed to the north At-lantic ocean, have some of the best wave and tidal resources in the world. ENERGYMARE, funded through EU Atlantic Areas programme, aims to max-imise the renewable potential of this region by devel-oping a clear ‘road map’ for the use of Europe’s ma-rine energy. As partners in this project, two research-ers from the ERI (Kirsty Lees and Philippe Gleizon) headed to Lisbon in mid-November to take part in the quarterly workshop.
On the first day partners from Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom presented updates on their work packages. This was followed by a visit to Peniche and Portugal’s wave energy pilot schemes, where the Mayor and local representatives described recent developments. A prototype of a deep water offshore wind farm has been tested in the wave site at Aguçadoura and the group were in-formed that, despite huge technological challenges, the exploitation of far-offshore marine energy remains a very promising sector. Other key projects in Portugal include the development of a pilot zone between Nazaré and Figueira da Foz and a 1MW wave farm project at Peniche. Three demonstration wave rollers have already been deployed at Peniche providing a nominal power of 300kW. The final visit for the group was to Peniche Harbour where one of the prototype wave rollers is currently being re-scaled.
This collaborative project is enriching for the ERI as it provides access to development issues and facili-tates knowledge exchange between regions that have different environmental conditions, and complemen-tary experiences and practices.
For further information contact [email protected]
ENERGYMARE partners at the Lisbon meeting
INVESTING IN OUR COMMON FUTURE
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Honour for ERI stalwart
Each year the North Highland College (NHC) Graduation ceremony hon-ours the academic achievements of its students. However, this year, held a very special honour for ERI stalwart Bill Gray: the role of Mace Bearer.
Donald MacBeath, Deputy Principal was Master of Ceremonies at the event, this year held at St Peter’s & St Andrew's Church in Thurso. He paid tribute to Bill: ‘I would like to thank our Mace Bearer, Mr Bill Gray. Bill recently retired from the NHC having given over 11 years dedicated service to our Environmental Research Institute as a Technician and as an Administrator. He was a highly respected member of staff at the ERI, and deservedly established a reputation as highly proactive “Mr Fix IT”- no job too big, no job too small and he certainly didn’t worry about whether a task fell within the terms of his job description! If there was something needed done, Bill rolled up his sleeves and got on with it! Entrusting the University Mace to Bill today is a fitting tribute to his ser-vice to the UHI research community at NHC’.
Bill said, "I was honoured to be asked by Mr MacBeath to act as official Mace Bearer in this year's Cere-mony and had no hesitation in accepting such a prestigious role. My job was to lead the graduates and officials to and from the venue carrying the ceremonial Mace intended to represent the official's authority.
St Peter's Church was filled to capacity with graduates, their friends and family. The atmosphere was electric, and the applause for each student taking the stage to receive their award was truly moving. I was proud to be a part of such a fantastic occasion and want to thank the NHC for the opportunity to have this experience. I wish all the graduates the very best for the future in their chosen ca-reers"
While Bill rounded off his working life as part of Scotland’s newest University, he start-ed his career in a very different sector, serving his apprenticeship as a butcher in Grangemouth, eventually becoming a ‘Master Butcher’ in Falkirk. After working with a supermarket chain in the central belt, Bill undertook a retraining programme and joined the ERI in 2000: the year it officially opened.
We wish Bill health and happiness in retirement.
For further information contact [email protected]
Bill Gray acts as Mace Bearer at the NHC Graduation ceremony
Bill in 2000
Recent publications
Mateo, R., Vallverdú-Coll, N., López-Antia, A., Taggart, M.A., Martínez-Haro, M., Guitart, R., Ortiz-Santaliestra, M.E., 2014. Reducing Pb poisoning in birds and Pb exposure in game meat consumers: The dual benefit of effective Pb shot regulation. Environment International 63, 163-168.
Downs, C.A., McDougall, K.E., Woodley, C.M., Fauth, J.E., Richmond, R.H., Kushmaro, A., Gibb, S.W., Loya, Y., Ostrander, G.K., Kramarsky-Winter, E., 2013. Heat-stress and light-stress induce different cellular pathologies in the symbiotic dinoflagellate during coral bleaching. PLoS ONE, 8, e77173.
Mimee, B., Andersen, R., et al. 2014. Impact of quarantine procedures on weed biodiversity and abun-dance: Implications for the management of the golden potato cyst nematode, Globodera rosto-chiensis. Crop Protection, 55, 21-27
Muller FLL, Batchelli S (2013) Copper binding by terrestrial versus marine organic ligands in the coastal plume of River Thurso, North Scotland. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 133, 137-146.
BioPAD – the official launch
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The official launch of the Bioenergy Proliferation and Deployment (BioPAD) project, funded by the North-ern Periphery Programme, took place last October in County Donegal. The conference was well attended by a range of people interested in the use of bioenergy and the development of this sector. The launch
was carried out by Mr Joe McHugh, member of the Irish Parliament, who provided an insightful speech regarding the place (and associated benefits) of bioenergy within the national mix of fuels.
The first BioPAD dissemination event took place prior to the launch with a range of talks provided by the network of contacts and associate partners including Michael Ó hÉanaigh, Director of Services at Donegal County Coun-cil; Merja Rautiainen from Measurepolis, Kainuu, Finland and Stephen Hynes from the Irish Bioenergy Association.
ERI’s Dr Neil James delivered a presentation on the theme of success in the face of adversity which focused on two case studies from the north of Scotland - Wick
District Heating Scheme, Caithness, and Creed Waste Management Facility, Isle of Lewis. Dr Kenny Boyd concluded proceedings by emphasising the importance of stakeholder engagement.
Case studies in Republic of Ireland / Northern Ireland
Whilst in Ireland, Neil met with the Donegal Woodland Own-ers Society (DWOS), a BioPAD case study, which uses a cooperative structure to deliver heat within a remote and rural area. Neil was able to see first-hand one of DWOS’s forests at Ballyshannon, a timber depot and a boiler installa-tion at Laghy, Co. Donegal where DWOS has been con-tracted to supply heat for a nursing home. Another case study involved a farm and wood fuel supply business in Lon-donderry, Northern Ireland. In addition to supplying and in-stalling boilers, Original Heating grows a variety of short ro-tation willow coppices as a source of woodchip.
The fourth partner meeting in Ballymena, Northern Ireland focussed on bioenergy policy involving local stakeholders. Visiting the Agri-Food and Biosciences Insti-tute (AFBI), in Hillsborough, Co. Down, a research organisation which focusses on agriculture, environ-ment and biosciences, partners learned that the working farm uses crops (e.g. willow coppice and Mis-canthus) and cow slurry as fuel for its anaerobic digester. Biogas is then used in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to supply heat across the site and electricity, in combination with solar photovoltaic panels. The Institute is also home to the Environment and Renewable Energy Centre which conducts re-search into a range of issues including feedstock efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.
For further information contact [email protected]
Mikko Nivala from Metla, Finland and Neil James, ERI
Visit to AFBI, Hillsborough, Co. Down
www.eimr.org www.eimr.org
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New faces at ERI
David Braidwood, PhD student Supervised by Dr Roxane Andersen, my PhD aims to provide information which will help with the restoration of the Dounreay site. This will involve analyses of soil and rock around the site; trials of different seed mixes in these soils (both on and off site) and surveys of recently disturbed areas and reference habitats. Prior to joining the ERI, I spent a few years at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh where I completed an MSc in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants and worked in the herbarium. I am happy that I am now able to apply knowledge gained during both my Ecology degree and my MSc to this project. [email protected]
Jeremy Evans, Research & Enterprise Manager I joined the ERI in September to manage the contractual agreement and administra-tive delivery of research projects. Building on ERI’s established network of contacts, I am looking forward to developing new enterprise activities as well as external relation-ships that will contribute to the promotion of our research. I have an MA in Internation-al Development and Social Change from Clark University, MA USA as well as exten-sive research experience in community forest management. Previous roles have in-cluded environmental consultancy & business development. [email protected]
Joss Ratcliffe, Masters by Research student The Flow Country peatlands: Studying the past to shape the future - uses techniques such as tephrachronology and carbon dating to establish the rate of carbon accumu-lation and whether conifer plantations have had an impact on carbon storage. Funded by the Carnegie Trust, British Ecological Society and the Royal Society, I am super-vised by Dr Roxane Andersen (ERI) and Dr Richard Payne (University of Stirling) and work with a range of partners. During my Ecology degree at Lancaster University I studied the effect of temperature and nutrient availability on microbial respiration in peatland soils. [email protected]
Angela Creevy, Soil Ecology Apprentice Based at the ERI with supervision by Roxane Andersen, I am currently employed by The Conservation Volunteers as a Soil Ecology Apprentice. This involves using Tes-tate amoebae and other microorganisms to monitor and assess how peatlands re-spond to environmental change. With a wide interest in ecology and the environment I am delighted to have the opportunity to investigate these fascinating organisms in Scottish peatlands and to contribute to ERI’s vibrant peatland research programme. [email protected]
Thesis success for Marco
Congratulations to Marco Cuscov who successfully defended his thesis at the end of December and has now completed his Masters Degree by research. En-titled “Voltammetric analysis of marine and terrestrial surface active substances in surface waters of Thurso Bay”, Marco’s research was supervised by Dr Fran-cois Muller. Marco has now returned to Italy and we wish him well for the future.
www.eri.ac.uk
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Non-native species in the marine environment
Developing Satellite Algorithms for European Space Agency
Dr Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy studies the use of Earth ob-servation data from satellites and has recently advanced the estimation of air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases by developing algorithms to translate satellite altimeter ob-servations into gas transfer velocity data. This work has been carried out as part of the OceanFlux Greenhouse Gases project, an international collaboration funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) to improve the quantification of such gases. www.oceanflux-ghg.org Lonneke recently presented her results to the international
scientific community. The first presentation was given at the “Air-sea Gas Flux Climatology; Progress and Future Prospects” workshop which was held at the Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) in Brest, France. This was followed by input to a second workshop - “OceanFlux Sea Spray Aerosol” - which was held at the University of Ireland, Galway in October 2013. The air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases is of major importance in the climate system. Scientists have estimated that since the mid-1990s the oceans have absorbed approximately half of the CO2 that was produced by humans in the previous 200 years. However, with large uncertainties in these esti-mates, even for CO2 which is the most studied gas, one of the main scientific challenges concerns the calculation of the gas transfer velocity parameter (the rate at which the gas passes through the water surface). The algorithms developed by Lonneke have been applied to the OceanFlux Greenhouse Gas-es climatology configurator, an online tool used to generate CO2 trends and, as a result, have helped to improve the estimates of air-sea gas exchange. For further information contact [email protected]
Scientists at the IFREMER workshop
In November, PhD student Chris Nall attended an international conference on the ‘Non-indigenous species in the North-East Atlantic’ hosted by the Institute of Agriculture and Fisheries Re-search (ILVO) in Ostend, Belgium. This event provided an ex-cellent opportunity for European scientists and policymakers to discuss their work and establish new networks. Chris’s presen-tation on the distribution of marine non-native species in north-ern Scotland was well received and, introducing potential ways in which the wave and tidal energy industry may contribute to the spread of such species, it prompted further discussion. The conference spanned three days and topics included: the distribution and success of non-native species in the North-East
Atlantic; vectors of introduction; impacts; risk assessments and prevention methods. Take home messag-es referred to the need for better reporting/recording; the importance of using systematics when identify-ing species; a requirement for information on newly proposed EU legislation and the need to develop measures that will prevent the spread of non-native species on an international scale. The conference also highlighted species that are present in the south of Europe and which may be introduced to Scotland in the future. Chris acknowledges the European Social Fund and the UHI for funding his participation at this event. For further information contact [email protected]
Chris presents his work in Belgium
www.eri.ac.uk
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erioutreach
Student Placements
The ERI Outreach Strategy aims to provide opportunities for students of all ages to learn from science based activity. Last summer, Tom Gibson (University of Plymouth) and Marius Ramsoy (University of Ox-ford) gained experience working with Angus Jackson and Philippe Gleizon respectively. Funded through Erasmus, Geraldine Hoen (University of Bordeaux) worked with Andrew French on a three month intern-ship. Her project ‘ Linking habitat characteristics with red deer condition in the Scottish Highlands ‘ investi-gated how climate and habitat might influence bone growth. Two other students provide a short account of their placements at the ERI. Conall McGinley (University of Stirling) ‘Could stereo photography make a vital contribution to environmental impact assessments for offshore wind de-velopments? I sought to answer this question through a project provided by Dr Elizabeth Masden (ERI), in collab-oration with Dr Kate Brookes (Marine Scotland Science), as part of the “Making the Most of Masters” programme. My project involved assessing photographs taken close to the Beatrice offshore wind demonstrator. The aim was to critically evaluate the use of stereo photography as a method for assessing the flight heights of seabirds, data which is used when estimating the number of birds which may collide with a turbine development. This was a fantastic opportunity to develop my knowledge and contribute to a rapidly growing research ar-ea. With offshore wind developments set to expand, it has been fascinating to assess the potential impacts on bird populations, and understand the role of stereo photography in environmental impact assessments.’ Rebecca Crawford (University of Glasgow)
Last summer, I undertook a placement at the ERI to gain practical experience which would complement my marine biology degree. I worked with Chris Nall on marine non-native species, specifically the ascidian Corella eumyota, recently dis-covered in the marinas in northern Scotland. Corella is a solitary ascidian with a circumpolar native range that has invaded many parts of Europe. The aim was to determine whether it had the potential to outcompete native species and whether its presence or absence could affect species richness. The work involved placing settlement panels in Scrabster and Wick Harbours then returning to photograph them. Three treatments were applied - some panels had Corella removed each week; others were photographed with no ascidians removed and the final group were left undisturbed. I also measured abundance of common ascidian species and undertook an epi-faunal study to see whether there are variations in the flora and fauna which grow on different ascidian species. Other opportunities at the ERI included assisting
with monitoring of great skuas; helping to analyse photos from a wave device and getting involved with en-vironmental education - it was great to see how enthusiastic people are about environmental science. I gained valuable experience from my placement with a good balance between field and lab skills. My inver-tebrate identification skills improved a lot and I learned a great deal about how to design an experiment and carry out field work. I’d like to thank everyone at the ERI who gave me help and guidance over the summer, in particular my supervisor Chris Nall. For further information contact [email protected]
Dr Angus Jackson and Dr Elizabeth Masden with Conall
Rebecca collecting samples
Environmental Research Institute
Castle Street, Thurso,
Caithness, KW14 7JD, Scotland
Tel: +44 (0) 1847 889589
Email: [email protected]
Centre for Energy & Environment,
North Highland College UHI, Thurso,
Caithness, KW14 7EE, Scotland
Tel: +44 (0) 1847 889000
Web: www.eri.ac.uk
A Bright Future for Science
Earlier in the autumn, Angus Jackson, Chris Nall, Rebecca Crawford and Paul Gaffney from the ERI, pro-vided entertaining, science- based activities for family groups at the Orkney International Science Festival.
The ERI was again well represented at the successful Women @ Work Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics event in Wick, November 2013. The aim was to provide young women with access to strong scientific role models together with information which would encourage take up of education and employment in these areas. Presentations, workshops and ‘marketplace stalls’ kept participants entertained for much of the day.
As the new Soil Ecology Apprentice (funded by The Conser-vation Volunteers) at the ERI, Angela Creevy was delighted to be asked to run an interactive session. Having studied microorganisms in soil and water, Angela was keen to share her experience of the ‘microcosmos’. Her workshop, ‘Investigating the minutiae of life’, provided a great way for young women to enjoy ‘hands on’ scientific activity and learn how to use microscopes to investigate whether micro- or-ganisms can act as indicators in our environment.
After the event, Angela commented - “it was fantastic to see the pupils engaging in scientific investigation and to listen to them chat about the type of career paths they might follow in the environmental science sector. Encouraging women to pursue science subjects is something that I am very passionate about and I hope that my workshop pro-vided inspiration for the young women who attended”.
Meanwhile, Dr Elizabeth Masden gave an entertaining and informative account of her career as an ecologist, which has taken her from Yorkshire to Caithness, with a few detours around the globe. Fascinated by the marine environment, Elizabeth studied marine biology at both the University of St Andrews and the University of Cali-fornia Santa Cruz before going on to work at the British Antarctic Survey, the Australian Antarctic Division and CEFAS. Working as a post-doctoral research associate at the ERI, Elizabeth is interested in population dynamics and spatial ecology - her current research is related to seabirds and renewable energy. Elizabeth’s account of working on isolated islands around Scotland (and Tas-mania) and her advice on how to be cheeky, yet polite, when pursuing goals attracted a lot of interest. Just the sort of scientific role model that the young women were looking for!
Approximately 80 people attended, including pupils from local High schools. Between activities, participants were able to browse the stalls provided by local organisations,
including the ERI, where the environmental careers advice provided by Barbara Bremner proved popular.
For further information contact [email protected]
Elizabeth and Angela at the ERI stand
Angela presents her work
