Tag: Marine Biodiversity Fund

ScottishPower Foundation celebrates Citizen Science on the shores of St Andrews  

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Hermit crabs and sea hares were among the first finds within St Andrews’ rock pools as a community-driven initiative, part funded by the ScottishPower Foundation, hosted its debut Scottish BioBlitz event.   

The Big Rock Pool Challenge blends citizen science with coastal exploration to protect and celebrate marine biodiversity. Delivered by The Rock Pool Project, the initiative has received support from the ScottishPower Foundation, which will award up to £600,000 over the next three years from its Marine Biodiversity Fund.  

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Coinciding with UK Invasive Species Week, hermit crabs and sea hares were amongst the top discoveries by the team of volunteers and locals from the community on the shores of East Sands Beach, as the project begins to build a snapshot of what animals and plants call the nation’s rock pools home.   

One of four events taking place across the UK, the Big Rock Pool Challenge: National BioBlitz 2025 is encouraging local communities to visit their local rock pools as part of UK Invasive Species Week, from 17 to 25 May, and into the summer months to uncover the marine life hidden there, and log their findings on the iNaturalist app.  

This real time data is enabling the Rock Pool Project – in partnership with the Marine Biological Association – to monitor species along the nation’s coastlines, helping scientists to understand how invasive species are spreading and how to better protect native wildlife by taking action sooner.   

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “It’s been fantastic joining The Rock Pool Project team in St. Andrews for the first official event in Scotland.   

“The project is one which truly encapsulates the ethos of the Marine Biodiversity Fund, bringing communities together and inspiring and educating people across the country to strive to leave the environment in a better place for generations to come.”  

Established in 2021, the Marine Biodiversity Fund was created as a lasting legacy of COP26, the environmental climate conference, which was hosted in the ScottishPower Foundation’s home city of Glasgow.

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Offering multi-year support to a project which contributes to the broader global agenda for environmental sustainability, the fund aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and aims to leave a positive legacy for future generations.   

The Rock Pool Project is the second initiative to be supported by the fund and will focus on UK coastal wildlife conservation through volunteer-led monthly local marine wildlife events across the country to foster communities with a passion for local marine conservation.

The project will provide comprehensive training and support to enable volunteers to lead these events, building capacity and community ownership.  

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Dr Ben Holt, CEO of The Rock Pool Project said: “As with many of the UK’s rock pools, we’ve found East Sands Beach to be teeming with fascinating marine life. There is, however, more to be done as much of the UK’s rock pools remain unrecorded.   

“The support from the ScottishPower Foundation is enabling the project to reach even more people across the country and to help us to build a vital snapshot of what’s living in our rock pools, and how that’s changing. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with nature while doing something that really matters.”  

St Andrews Rock pool BioBlitz, SPEN

Dan Lear, Head of Data and Information at the Marine Biological Association said: “The data captured and shared at the events running in St. Andrews and across UK Invasive Species Week increases the available evidence to support our stewardship of the marine environment.  

“All the data is shared with UK, European and global agencies, showing how a single species record can contribute to international policy development.”  

The national campaign continues across the UK between 20 – 26 May with events in Plymouth, Falmouth and Brighton, all open to the public with more information on how to take part here: https://www.therockpoolproject.co.uk/national-bioblitz  

Ahead of the summer months, The Rock Pool Project is encouraging communities to join its volunteer-led monthly local marine wildlife events across the country with more information here: https://www.therockpoolproject.co.uk/   

Seagrass meadows and oysters being restored in major Firth of Forth marine restoration project

Seagrass meadows and oysters are being put on the path to recovery in the Firth of Forth in a major marine restoration project – supported by the ScottishPower Foundation – that will enhance the local environment and help tackle climate change.

Announced days before the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference gets underway in Glasgow, ‘Restoration Forth’ will see up to £600,000 awarded over three years from the Foundation’s Marine Biodiversity Fund, which was created to mark the year of COP.

The first award from the fund – and the biggest-ever grant provided by the Foundation – Restoration Forth will be managed by WWF, the leading independent conservation organisation, in partnership with scientists, charities and local community groups. They will work together to design a blueprint to restore and sustainably manage seagrass and oyster habitats for a thriving Firth of Forth.

Often described as the ocean’s unsung hero, seagrass provides important habitat for marine life and is an incredible tool in the fight against climate change. Oyster reefs – which once flourished in the Forth – remove pollutants and provide sanctuary for a vast array of marine life. 

Working closely with local communities, the restoration of these two species  will enhance the coastal and marine environment of the Forth, support nature-based solutions to address climate change, and create opportunities for local people to reconnect with the sea.  

ScottishPower Foundation’s grant is the first funding contribution towards the £2.4 million total cost of the project, which aims to restore up to four hectares of seagrass and 10,000 oysters per year by the end of 2024.

Ricardo Zanre, WWF’s Ocean Restoration Programme Manager said: “Coastal habitats like seagrass meadows and oyster reefs are vital to a thriving marine environment but across the UK we’ve seen their steep decline over the last century.

“This is a concerning loss in so many ways – for the homes they provide for marine life, their value in absorbing carbon dioxide and improving water quality and their importance as heritage for coastal communities.

“The Forth is an amazing example of a place where local communities working to restore coastal habitats can not only help to bring back these benefits, but also to strengthen the connection between nature and community. We’re hugely grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for sharing this vision and their support in helping to achieve it”

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “We’re really excited that Restoration Forth is the first project supported by our Marine Biodiversity Fund. With COP26 about to get underway, the climate emergency is very much at the forefront of all our thoughts and there is no time to waste.

“This project – supported by the biggest-ever grant awarded by the Foundation – is a great example of how we can take action now to restore our coastal habitats. Thriving marine environments are crucial if we are to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises and Restoration Forth will allow us to make a positive impact in partnership with local people and communities, who are at the heart of the Foundation’s work.

“A large part of our funding will go towards developing a skills development programme for local communities to protect their restored coastal environment. This incredible work in the Firth of Forth will provide a blueprint for restoring ecosystems through a collaborative community approach.

“It has the potential to be used as a model for marine biodiversity restoration projects across Scotland and around the world, ensuring the Foundation will help create a positive climate legacy for years to come. That’s exactly what we wanted to achieve when we created our new fund and why we’re so proud to work with so many esteemed partners to help turn this project from a vision into a reality.”

Partners supporting WWF to deliver Restoration Forth include Edinburgh Shoreline Project, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, The Heart of Newhaven Community and Wardie Bay Beachwatch.

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.