Marine Science Unit

SEPA's Marine Science Unit provides data and scientific expertise on all aspects of Scotland's marine environment to SEPA's regulatory staff and a variety of external stakeholders. Our primary function includes the provision of environmental information, advice and expertise in support of statutory monitoring requirements for EC Directives.

We also contribute monitoring data to the Co-ordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme (CEMP) of the OSPAR International convention (http://www.ospar.org ). CEMP is part of the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP) which collates data on inputs and environmental concentrations of contaminants and their effects in the North East Atlantic. In the UK, the monitoring for CEMP is carried out by SEPA and other UK bodies under the UK Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP).

The links below provide more information on the main drivers for marine monitoring:

• Water Framework Directive
• Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 
• Nitrates Directive 
• Dangerous Substances Directive  
• Shellfish Growing Waters Directive
• IPPC
• CSEMP 

Internally, Marine Science advises on the limits for new and revised consents to discharge to marine waters and provides a modelling advisory service to assess the risks of discharges to water and air quality.

Our monitoring programme includes the assessment of:

• biology;
• chemistry;
• hydromorphology;
• ecotoxicology.

The unit comprises 45 permanent staff, split between SEPA’s Aberdeen, Dingwall, East Kilbride and Edinburgh offices. We also have four permanent boat crew based aboard the main survey vessel (Sir John Murray) and a fleet of small boats. Further information on SEPA’s fleet is available here.