DR MPA research projects
Tim Merrick @ Focal Plane Photo
During the consultation phase the Fair Isle community and Fair Isle DR MPA steering group agreed on long-term research and project goals with the aim of better understanding Fair Isle’s marine environment in order to inform conservation decisions.
These research and projects seek to significantly improve our understanding of the biodiversity and use of Fair Isle’s waters. Collectively, they will deliver a full ecosystem approach to the investigation of Fair Isle’s marine environment capable of informing marine management decisions in order to protect, enhance and restore its marine wildlife.
Participants in the Winter 2020/2021 consultation agreed that important areas of data collection centred on baseline data, particularly in the benthic region. Other areas of research mentioned include projects on: seabirds; crab and lobster tagging; fish and fishing activity; marine mammals; invasive non-native species; as well as socio-economics. More information on priority research areas can be found within the Fair Isle DR MPA Research and Projects Plan.
The following active and ongoing research projects are funded by National Trust for Scotland (NTS) who were awarded funds from the Peoples Postcode Lottery (PPL) to support the conservation effort on Fair Isle:
Shag: Fine-Scale Foraging Mapping Project
Fair Isle Cetaceans: Population and Distribution Monitoring
Fair Isle Inshore Fish Survey
