Ecology
Our ecologists provide ecological information and advice
relating to Scotland's freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. This
involves an extensive programme of field surveys, sample analysis
and reporting, drawing upon the specialist skills and experience of
around 70 members of staff. There is a strong emphasis on
individual staff involvement and local knowledge, providing a sound
context upon which the ecological information is based. Ecologists
are based in eight offices: Dingwall, Aberdeen, Perth, Edinburgh,
Galashiels, Dumfries, East Kilbride and Stirling. All but the last
of these have ecology laboratories.
What do we do?
The heaviest demands placed upon the ecology function relate to
the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), both in
terms of business development and environmental monitoring. Other
notable business drivers are the directives concerned with the
quality of bathing waters and shellfish growing waters. Typically,
over 8,000 samples are collected and analysed by the ecology staff
each year.
The ecologists provide ecological advice to internal and
external customers, including comment on significant development
proposals such as new roads and hydropower schemes. They also help
SEPA to comply with its biodiversity duty, in relation to our
regulation of discharges.
Developing areas of work relating to SEPA's regulatory role
include biomonitoring of atmospheric emissions and assessing the
effects of organic wastes on soils.
Structure
Three regional ecology units deliver a local service of planned
monitoring and assessment, and respond to requests for ad hoc
surveys and analyses. The majority of the tasks undertaken relate
to freshwater systems and their diverse flora and fauna, requiring
considerable taxonomic expertise. In addition there are elements of
the work programme concerned with environmental impacts on
terrestrial systems from atmospheric pollution and waste disposal,
as well as on wetlands and the physical structure of rivers and
lochs. The work is diverse in its demands, requiring field work,
microscopy and data handling.
Regional ecologists also provide an ecological assessment
service to support our regulatory colleagues, with enforcement work
where possible breaches of license conditions occur. Where
investigations lead to legal action they are able to provide an
expert witness service.
An ecology advisory unit focuses on a variety of business
development tasks. Established initially to help prepare SEPA for
the demands of the Water Framework Directive, the work of this
unit has since widened to encompass biodiversity and land
quality issues. The unit benefits from specialist expertise in
these areas, as well as in some topics relevant to the WFD, such as
hydromorphology and the ecology of wetlands. Project management and
the development of the ecology function's capability are important
components of this unit's work.
Four laboratories in Edinburgh, East Kilbride, Aberdeen and
Dingwall provide a microbiology service, together constituting a
dispersed Microbiology Unit. The work of this unit is dominated by
the sampling and analytical requirements of the Shellfish Waters
and Bathing Waters directives – the latter usually involving the
recruitment of additional staff during the summer. These programmes
of work take the microbiology staff into marine and coastal waters,
in contrast to the usual operations of other ecology units.
Investigation and control of pollution of faecal origin often
directs attention to point sources, such as waste water treatment
outfalls, but, increasingly, diffuse sources such as livestock
grazing land and contaminated surface water are of interest.