Marine Climate Change Forum

Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland

Research

Marine Climate Change Forum

Background

Climate Change is a cross-cutting theme within the MASTS remit but has until now not had a dedicated forum. The Marine Climate Change Forum aims to address this, providing a focal point for climate change related research within the MASTS community in synergy with activities by the other MASTS research fora and themes. In spring 2019, the First Minister declared a climate emergency, and in September 2019, the Climate Change Bill brought in a legally binding target for Scotland to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.

The Scottish Government will continue to look to the scientific community to provide the necessary evidence to support climate change policies for adaptation and mitigation. The MASTS community also contributes already to the global knowledge base on the ocean’s role in the Earth’s climate, and climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation.

Aims

Horizon Scanning: bring together expertise to identify research priorities, emerging issues, and funding mechanisms.
Research Translation: translate research outputs to policy makers and other stakeholders.
Foster Collaboration: encourage new collaborations and nurture existing ones to submit funding proposals and PhD studentships.
Outreach: disseminate research topics/themes to a broad audience, including contributing to activities at and around COP26 (November 2021, Glasgow).

These four main aims at their core are built on five common principles: (1) ensuring the MASTS community has opportunities to network, (2) communicating research within and beyond the MASTS community, (3) delivering tangible outputs, (4) amplifying –rather than duplicating– activities, and (5) being inclusive of all disciplines, career stages and organisations.

Main activities 2020-2021

Identification of research priorities: establish research expertise and research priorities relating to all aspects of marine climate change (organise workshop and publish outputs).
Coordinated a programme of activities around and at COP26.
Increase climate literacy: co-develop a carbon literacy course with the MASTS Graduate School, first iteration of the course to run January 2023
Run activities at MASTS’ Annual Science Meetings

Forum Convenor: Dr Bee Berx

Deputy Forum Convenor: TBC

Steering Group: Laura Steel (NatureScot); John Baxter; James Rimmer & William Austin (USTAN); Kara Layton (Aberdeen University); Mike Burrows (SAMS-UHI); Joanne Porter & Jack Sheehy (Heriot Watt); Kate Wade (JNCC); Colin Moffat (independent); Pablo Diaz (Marine Scotland Science); Marco Fusi (Edinburgh Napier); Kevin Scott (St Abbs Marine Station); Dan Goldberg & Simona Aracri (Edinburgh University); & Ricardo Gonzalez-Gil & Silvia Malgoli (Strathclyde University).

Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland