Scottish Association for Marine Science
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The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is a marine science research centre located on the Dunstaffnage peninsula, beside Dunstaffnage Castle and near Oban, Argyll, on the Scottish west coast. Research foci include polar research in the Arctic[1] and Antarctic, climate change and marine biological research, as well as biotechnology and other areas related to blue economy.[2] It is considered one of the oldest oceanographic organisations in the world and is Scotland's largest and oldest independent marine science organisation.[3]
SAMS | |
 | |
| Type | Research institute University |
|---|---|
| Established | 1884 |
Administrative staff | ca 150 |
| Students | 160 |
| Undergraduates | 100 |
| Postgraduates | 30 |
| 30 | |
| Location | , 56°27′04″N 5°26′27″W / 56.45115°N 5.440741°W |
| Campus | Dunbeg |
| Director | Prof N Owens |
| Affiliations | UHI UNU NERC MASTS |
| Website | www |
History
editThe Association was founded in 1884 by Sir John Murray following the Challenger expedition. The Scottish Marine Station, as it was then known, was established in Granton, outside Edinburgh and was the first marine research station in Scotland. It grew quickly and over the next 10 years began a gradual transfer of activities to Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae on the west coast. In 1894, a local committee undertook fundraising in order to construct a building onshore.[4] This station, situated near Keppel Pier, was completed in 1897.[4] In 1901 the committee transformed itself into the Marine Biological Association of the West of Scotland by adopting a formal constitution.[4] In 1914 the association was incorporated as a not-for-profit company and renamed the Scottish Marine Biological Association.[5]
After 80 years of investigations of the Firth of Clyde area and an island location, the Association relocated to the mainland in 1967 and built new facilities near Oban where it has easy access to a variety of oceanographic environments. In 1992 the Association was renamed to its current name, the Scottish Association for Marine Science.
The research laboratories at Dunstaffnage were rebuilt and re-equipped in 2004 and new teaching facilities were provided in 2010.[6] The Ocean Explorer Centre,[7] at Dunbeg, allows visitors to learn about the marine environment and the academic research going on at SAMS.[8]
In 2014 the Ocean Explorer Centre was opened by Michael Russell MSP, then Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, to serve as a visitor and outreach facility for SAMS.[9]
Research
editSAMS science has three main areas of focus:[10]
- Discovery the physical, chemical, geological and biological processes that drive the marine system
- Describing and quantifying how the coastal environment responds to human-made pressures such as climate change, habitat destruction, pollution and resource overexploitation and to work with society on developing and testing mitigation and adaptation measures and finally
- Developing a sustainable blue economy to promote the use the marine environment without degrading its health and productivity
SAMS addresses these challenges through multi-disciplinary approach to science, utilizing a variety of experts, including physicists, mathematicians, biologists, geologists, chemists, social scientists, computer scientists, technologists, engineers, and communicators.
In addition to marine research, in the fields of marine processes and climate change, renewable energy, the Arctic, marine prosperity and sustainability, and mining impacts, the institute has a commercial branch[11] and an education department.[12]
Business
editSAMS Research Services Ltd (SRSL) is the wholly owned trading subsidiary of SAMS and is also based at the Scottish Marine Institute, Dunstaffange. SRSL has been a part of the SAMS Group since 2002. The subsidiary delivers specialist marine consultancy and survey services, underpinned by the scientific research taking place at the research institute. SRSL aims to mitigate the risks involved in industry interaction with the marine environment, while promoting sustainable and productive oceans. SRSL provides environmental services to multiple industries, including aquaculture, renewable energy, marine mining, oil & gas (decommissioning), seafood security and marine biotechnology. The company also manufactures devices for autonomous snow and ice measurement used in polar environments.
Facilities
editRobotics facility
editUsing a multitude of flying and diving robots, the experienced and skilled staff and students at SAMS' Scottish Marine Robotics Facility develop, adapt, deploy and operate latest smart technologies to answer pressing environmental science questions. These new technologies drive marine science forward and the new knowledge enables people to plan how we interact with the marine realm more sustainably. The facility has an exceptional range of capabilities that support academic, regulatory and commercial projects. From aerial mapping to surface fluxes and the properties of deep water, the Scottish Marine Robotics Facility has technologies that span the atmosphere, ocean and ice.
Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa
editThe CCAP is the most diverse collection of algae and protists in Europe. It supports SAMS' research, currently with a focus on algal diseases.[13]
Education
editSAMS offers both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, the full details can be accessed through the association. Some examples are mentioned.
Undergraduate
editUndergraduate studies at SAMS offer multiple Bachelor's degree options to incoming students:
- Marine Science BSc (Hons)
- Marine Science with Arctic Studies BSc
- Marine Science with Oceanography & Marine Robotics BSc
Postgraduate
editPostgraduate studies at SAMS offer multiple options for incoming students:
- Aquaculture, Environment and Society (ACES) Joint Masters (Erasmus Mundus)
- Algal Biotechnology, Biology and Ecology MRes
PhD studentships over the course of the year are also available when possible, with the option of PhD self-funding for incoming students.
Academic partners
editSAMS is an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands. It is also a member of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), and one of its staff is the director of the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES).
References
edit- ^ "On patrol in the Arctic". BBC News. 3 September 2008.
- ^ "Science — Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban UK". www.sams.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ "About — Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban UK". www.sams.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Kerr, John Graham (1949). "The Scottish Marine Biological Association". Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London. 7 (1): 81–96. doi:10.1098/rsnr.1949.0008. ISSN 0035-9149. S2CID 57514649.
- ^ "An account of our history". Scottish Association of Marine Science. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory". Association of European Marine Laboratories. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ Ocean Explorer Centre
- ^ Campbell, Rita (16 June 2014). "New Ocean Explorer Centre offers "edutainment"". Press and Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Campbell, Rita (16 June 2014). "New Ocean Explorer Centre offers "edutainment"". Press and Journal. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Science — Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban UK". www.sams.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ SAMS Research Services Limited
- ^ SAMS Education
- ^ Gachon, Claire M. M.; Sime-Ngando, Télesphore; Strittmatter, Martina; Chambouvet, Aurélie; Kim, Gwang Hoon (1 November 2010). "Algal diseases: spotlight on a black box". Trends in Plant Science. 15 (11): 633–640. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2010.08.005. ISSN 1360-1385. PMID 20833575.
