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Scotland’s blue economy includes the marine, coastal and the inter-linked freshwater environment of Scotland, the different marine and maritime sectors it supports, and the people connected to it. It also encapsulates the legislation, policies, programmes and international commitments that determine its management, as well as the under-pinning scientific research that provides data and information for evidence-informed policy development and is used to evaluate our success.
Our twelfth annual conference discussed how to support the Blue Economy Vision for Scotland. The MASTS Annual Science Meeting is a cross-disciplinary event that brings together members of the marine science community, with the aim of promoting and communicating research excellence and forging new scientific collaborations. After hosting the ASM online for the past two years, we came back to being in-persona again!.
The first two days brought together expert plenary speakers and contributed talks, panel sessions and e-posters outlining the latest research and management practices that address key topics related to marine science and management in the face of global climate change. Alongside our general science sessions, the event included special topic sessions, and plenty of opportunities to network. The third day was devoted to workshops.
MASTS welcomed the following keynote speakers:
All abstracts that were presented have been combined here.
Individual session abstracts and information is below.
There will be 7 general science sessions across the first two days of the conference. Abstracts can be accessed below for each session.
Papers were offered in any field of study applied to the usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in the marine environment, including, but not exclusively, machine learning, computer vision, probabilistic modelling, single and multi-objective optimisation etc.
Chair: Dr Rory Murray.
Talks are 15 minutes each and after them there will be a panel Q&A session, plus an informal discussion on key knowledge gaps in both research and application of new evidence. The information in this session will help explore future research needs under Scottish Government’s ScotMER programme.
Abstracts were invited for 2 or 5 minute speed presentations or eposters. Submissions were could be in any field of study related to marine policy, management and governance, including, but not exclusively, fish, fisheries, marine mammal science, blue carbon, predictive modelling etc. Presentations from ECRs are particularly encouraged, and can focus on any stage of development from inception to results (including presentations from 1st and 2nd year PhD students still developing research ideas). As part of this session, there will also be a panel discussion after the presentations.
Papers were in the field of study related to multiple aquatic stressors, including, but not exclusively, chemical pollutants, noise, climate change, sewage, electrical fields, multi-variate analysis and modelling etc.
Chair: Dr Lois Calder (Dean of Grad School)
Audience: All welcome!
We want all our postgraduate researchers to thrive and to make our community welcoming and supportive for people from diverse backgrounds. We wish to invite postgraduates and supervisors interested in enhancing the culture of inclusion and belonging to attend this facilitated discussion. This will be the first in a series of workshops around this topic for PGRs and supervisory staff, and our aims are to raise awareness and foster collective understanding, to establish a set of guiding principles to support diversity, equality and inclusion in our postgraduate research community, and to design some key interventions to deliver continuous development of an inclusive culture. We want to give a voice to all our community in cultivating and embedding a diverse and inclusive culture and hope that you will join us to share your opinions, ideas and experiences.
At this year’s MASTS ASM, the MASTS Renewable Energy Forum is hosting a panel session on the opportunities and challenges for the marine space presented by Scotland and the UK’s plans transition to Net Zero.
2022 has felt eventful in the context of achieving Net Zero. The Scottish Government convened its second Just Transmission Commission to advise on and provide scrutiny for the Government’s ongoing Just Transition planning. Meanwhile, the outcomes of the ScotWind offshore wind leasing round were also announced this year, delivering the UK’s largest expansion in offshore renewable energy in the last decade. Tidal stream energy projects were also successful in 2022 as part of the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference scheme, with proposals to generate a further 40 MW of electricity. Undoubtedly these developments will have consequences (positive and negative) for the marine environment, and also for other users of the marine space, for communities, for supply chains, and for society.
This year’s developments in offshore renewable energy are also set against other national and global events, including the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, that have impacted energy prices, widening inequality. Similarly, the UK’s current financial situation is putting pressure on public sector budgets, including research.
This panel will discuss the part that the research community can play in the transition to net zero, how the dual challenges of the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis are considered, and the roles for climate adaptation, ecological enhancement, and technology innovation.
Panel Chair:
Prof. Ben Wilson: Associate Director for Science & Research, SAMS-UHI
Panellists:
Dr. Janelle Braithwaite: Senior Policy Officer – Marine Planning at Marine Scotland
Prof. Dickon Howell: Director and founder of Howell Marine Consulting and visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University.
Prof. Tavis Potts: Personal Chair, Dean for Environmental Sustainability, University of Aberdeen
Andrew Macdonald: Director of Offshore Wind Development and Operations, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.
ePosters were delivered during the conference. The abstracts for each session can be accessed here: ePoster session 1, ePoster session 2, ePoster session 3, ePoster session 4, ePoster session 5
Organised by Colin Moffatt and John Baxter about SMA2020.
In 2020, the Scottish Marine Assessment (SMA2020) provided a clear set of conclusions, recommendations and suggested action. SMA2020 highlighted the challenges for the Scottish marine community to:
Objective of the workshop
Having presented the evidence and developed a set of next steps based on that evidence, there is a need to energise the process to ensure that evidence-based decisions on how to manage human activities impacting on the seas around Scotland are made. SMA2020 also provided the evidence to ‘update’ Scotland’s National Marine Plan.
In this context, it is intended that there is a short document prepared based on the discussions which MASTS can then take to e.g. Scottish Ministers. The document will be based around the answers to the six workshop questions and will represent the views of the MASTS community as to what action should be taken.
Organised by Jenni Kakkonen & Bernadette Moloughney.
Understanding vectors and pathways for introduction and spread of invasive non-native species (INNS), and improved biosecurity and routine monitoring is essential for safeguarding of marine environmental habitats in Scotland. The extent of coastline and range of varying activities relying on the marine environment in Scotland is large and without collaboration, effective monitoring, reporting, data and knowledge sharing it would remain challenging. This workshop is aiming to enhance our understanding of marine INNS monitoring activities across Scotland and promote collaboration which would lead to improved biosecurity for invasive non-native species in Scotland. The workshop will also identify monitoring and data gaps and how best to address these by bringing together scientist, stakeholders and government. Expected Outcomes/Outputs:
Organised by Ingrid Kelling (Heriot Watt University) and Women in Scottish Aquaculture.
Speakers: Iona Campbell (Aquaculture Stakeholder Engagement Policy Manager, Marine Scotland) and Teresa Garzon (Women in Scottish Aquaculture).
Workforce diversity recognises and values the differences between people, and research shows that high diversity and good performance are interlinked: improving diversity and inclusion is good for society and the economy. Working to achieve greater equality in the Scottish aquaculture industry will improve sustainability, knowledge and contribute to a more just society. In this workshop we will review the current data in Scottish aquaculture, actively determine the critical elements for improving diversity and inclusion in the sector, hear from those making a difference from industry and policy, and develop credible recommendation for change.
Co-hosted by the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum and the UK Blue Carbon Forum the workshop aims to identify and provide evidence-based actions for blue carbon as Nature-based Solutions that go beyond climate mitigation, highlighting benefits for biodiversity, society, as well as climate adaptation and resilience. Taking place during COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh, the workshop falls one year after the 2-day SBCF conference “Blue Carbon: Beyond the Inventory” which brought together international science and policy experts to discuss blue carbon and highlighted the importance of ocean action.
Programme details:
It will be held in an open format with presentations and discussion between participants facilitated by the co-hosts. Topics for discussion include: Blue Carbon within Highly Protected Marine Areas; Organic and Inorganic Carbon in Blue Carbon Ecosystems; Impacts and Risks to Blue Carbon Ecosystems; International Blue Carbon Policy Challenge Areas. Details of further presentations from NatureScot, Marine Scotland and Finance Earth will shortly be updated.
The workshop will:
(1) provide a platform to identify and obtain the data and knowledge needed to develop and implement blue carbon Nature-based Solutions for climate, people and biodiversity;
(2) increase and augment the capacity of ocean scientists who wish to conduct and synthesise research on blue carbon at local and regional scales;
(3) facilitate just and fair activities for blue carbon, including supporting the co-design of science and actions with communities and stakeholders, particularly where these actions can support protection of the marine environment and a just transition to Net Zero.
Agenda and bios for the day here
Custodianship of Marine Life: Ecosystems Impact of Anthropogenic Activity in the ‘Blue Space’. What does ‘Good’ look like and How do we Explain it to Others? Topics covered in this workshop include Environmental Social Governance, Data as a Currency, and The Energy Transition – Are we really transitioning
PDFs of the talks:
Talk 1, Talk 2, Talk 3, Talk 4, Talk 5, Talk 6, Talk 7, Talk 8, Talk 9, Talk 10, Talk 11, Talk 12
Agenda and bios for the day here
SUT, MASTS and the D’Arcy Thomson Forum present The 10th Anniversary Special of the Salvage, Decommissioning & Wreck Removal Workshop – Navigating the Blue Economy through the Climate Emergency: How do we achieve joined up thinking and improved decision making?
PDFs of the talks:
Talk 1, Talk 2, Talk 3, Talk 4, Talk 5, Talk 6, Talk 7, Talk 8, Talk 9, Talk 10, Talk 11, Talk 12, Talk 13
Our first workshop of the day will help you to reflect on your skills, attributes and capabilities, and use this knowledge to sell yourself to different sectors, thinking about interviews, and writing CVs, cover letters, grants and internship applications. During the morning there will be lots of opportunities to discuss and share ideas and turn these into your own ‘personal statement’, which is a very important aspect of selling yourself across different platforms, including grant applications
Science and research are deeply creative sectors where new knowledge is created through observation and experimental testing. In our second workshop, we will examine idea generation and the creative process, both alone and in collaboration, looking at tools available, what works best for you, and how to translate your thoughts into a grant proposal for research, travel, conferences and more. From dreaming to doing…
The facilities of the Technology & Innovation Centre are available to exhibitors during the MASTS ASM. Exhibitors will be in the main conference lobby and are expected to stay for the duration of the conference. To have a stand at the conference please fill out this form and send to Emma Defew.
The 2022 MASTS ASM was organised by Dr Emma Defew (MASTS Programme Coordinator) & Hannah Ladd-Jones (MASTS Engagement)
If you would like to get involved or have a query, please drop us an email.
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The event will take place in a variety of rooms in the Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC). A full access guide for the TIC is here. Including information regarding accessible toilet locations, lifts and outside access. Directly from the TIC “Events in the Technology & Innovation Centre: an A–Z Guide“
The event’s reception and posters will be in the main conference lobby on the ground floor at the TIC. Seating is available around the lobby, although this is limited and we ask that this is prioritised for disabled attendees. There are plenty of quiet areas around the TIC. Dietary requirements will be catered for.
Address:
Technology & Innovation Centre,
99 George Street,
Glasgow, G1 1RD
+44 (0) 141 444 7000
If you have any questions, requests, or concerns about access at this event, please contact MASTS at [email protected].
MASTS 11th Annual Science Meeting 2021 stats
See what has featured in our previous 11 Annual Science Meetings here
Check out some of the images from the 2019 ASM on the slideshow below.
MASTS was founded in 2009 to be a unique collaboration between marine research organisations, government and industry.
Charity Number: SC045259
Company Number: SC485726
We’re working behind the scenes to bring you a suite of useful, and updateable, resources including:
If you would like to be updated when the resources section is live please let us know.
