The amazing organisations featured in Scotland: Ocean Nation

I wanted to help viewers learn more about some of the amazing organisations we had the great privilege of working with in Scotland: Ocean Nation, so that you can support them if you wish! We were so fortunate to be able to work with some fantastic charities and groups who are truly making waves towards helping people and our ocean. Click on the links to be taken to their websites, and if you haven’t yet watched the series, you can do so here:

Scotland: Ocean Nation streaming for free in the UK - click on the image to go to STV Player

In chronological order of how they appear in the series:

Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST)

Instigators and stewards of Scotland’s first No Take Zone, helping people to learn about, care about and protect the amazing, under-appreciated ocean habitats around Arran and further afield in Scotland. Campaigning for policy change, including being members of the Our Seas Coalition.

Flame Shell (C) Paul Kay

the Our Seas Campaign

Historically, the area within 3 miles of shore around the whole coast of Scotland was off-limits to bottom trawling. In 1984 this 3-mile limit was removed, and since then inshore fish stocks have dramatically collapsed. The seabed is home to fragile, slow-growing reefs and ecosystems which are easily damaged by bottom trawling and scallop dredging. The Our Seas campaign is a coalition of hundreds of members around Scotland calling for a reintroduction of something similar to this limit, alongside a just transition to support lower impact fishing methods. You can learn more about the campaign and sign the petition here:

Seawilding

The Seawilding project, initially set up in Loch Craignish but now expanding to other areas in Scotland, aims to reintroduce native Scottish oysters and seagrass to areas where they once thrived. Both these species are important ecosystem engineers, creating living habitats which support biodiversity, forming the base of the food chain. Seagrass has declined around the UK by 90%, and yet it can sequester carbon 35 times faster than a rainforest, storing it within the seabed in its root systems.

The vibrant seagrass bed in Loch Criagnish (C) James Appleton

Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS)

In Scotland: Ocean Nation we heard from Professor Mike Burrows, a climate scientist, about the importance of nature in our ocean. SAMS is a world-renowned research and teaching organisation based in Oban.

Nick Ray - Life Afloat

Nick is a kayak adventurer, mental health advocate and suicide survivor. He is currently part way through a year long expedition around Scotland’s coastline, exploring slow and mindful adventuring. He is one of the most open and genuine people I have the pleasure to know, and his social media is an inspiring place to be.

The Ullapool Sea Savers

This group of children are a force to be reckoned with, having taken on politicians in Scottish parliament, alongside other members of the community such as Ailsa Maclelllan, to ban the dredging of kelp around the coast of Scotland. Kelp is a phenomenally important part of the marine ecosystem. USS also run extreme beach cleans to the Summer Isles and engage the community in important ocean matters.

The Ullapool Sea Savers cleaning a remote beach on Tanera Beg, Summer Isles. (C) James Appleton

RSPB Scotland

Scotland is famous for its seabirds, and the RSPB do important work to ensure the populations can thrive. One of the best success stories is the reintroduction of the White-Tailed Sea Eagle, a bird that was persecuted to the point of eradication from the UK. A successful reintroduction programme now sees Sea Eagles thrive around the West coast. We were very fortunate to be able to join RSPB staff to ring one of the new chicks.

Whale entanglement

This is an enormous topic, and we worked with several organisations to gather the information we needed for the series.

We spoke in depth with Ellie Maclennan of the Scottish Entanglement Alliance, who has been working closely with creel fishermen to conduct research into the true incidence of marine mammal entanglement in Scotland, since so much of it goes unreported.

We also consulted SMASS - the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, who talked us through what we had found on the water at the time. They help co-ordinate rescues and gather information about stranded animals.

The entangled juvenile Humpback Whale we found whilst paddling. (C) James Appleton

Macduff Marine Aquarium

This was an amazing place to visit, and an important way to engage more people with the underwater world. All the species found within the aquarium can be found in Scottish waters, which makes for a magical and surprising visit!

Scottish Seabird Centre and Bass Rock

Bass Rock is home to the UK’s largest colony of Northern Gannets, an amazing species which can dive into the water at speeds of up to 60 mph! Just across the water on the mainland is the Scottish Seabird Centre who are stewards of the rock, and who educate and inspire the public to care about seabirds around Scotland. Seabirds are in trouble, facing challenges from climate change, overfishing and plastic pollution. The Avian Influenza outbreak in 2022 his bird colonies such as at Bass Rock really hard. Please support their work to help remove additional pressures from Seabirds in Scotland.

Northern Gannets in Scotland (C) James Appleton

Groundswell Scotland

This amazing charity helps women to process trauma through surfing. Their 8-week programmes are life-changing for participants. It was a real joy to spend time in the water with them at Pease Bay on the East coast of Scotland.

Seaful

We were very humbled to be able to take a group of inner-city school children from Glasgow to the isle of Arran to go snorkelling for the first time. This was such an eye-opening experience - an activity I took for granted was truly life-changing for these young people who had a light bulb moment when they realised our seas are full of life and worthy of our care and protection. Seaful is the little charity I founded several years ago, and our aim is to help more people, who might not otherwise have the chance, to find their own connection to the water, to see what’s out of sight and out of mind.

A group of children from Glasgow discover the underwater world for the first time. (C) James Appleton

I hope these links are helpful! Thanks so much for any support you can give to these amazing organisations!