Beth Mouat

University of the Highlands and Islands | UHI · Department of Marine Science and Technology

A particle tracking model is described and used to explore the role of advection as the source of harmful algal blooms that impact the Shetland Islands, where much of Scotland’s aquaculture is located. The movement of particles, representing algal cells, was modelled using surface velocities obtained from the 1.5 km resolution Atlantic Margin Model...

Infrastructure at sea to accommodate a transition to renewable energy and meet global climate commitments is proliferating around the world. Although there is seemingly more space at sea than on land for these new developments , anticipated and existing conflict with existing marine users such as the fishing industry have raised concerns. Yet, coun...

The aim of this work was to gather together all the available information on fishing activity (location, landings, and value) and important habitat information for key species listed to create a series of maps for the N&EC RIFG to integrate into their management plan.Five Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs) have been established around Scotla...

To achieve climate targets, there is a growing number of renewable energy and cable projects at sea, which need to minimise impacts on the fishing industry. Data characterising fisheries activities will inform the siting and impact assessment of a project. In contrast to more ‘mappable’ sectors such as aquaculture, the spatiotemporally dynamic natu...

Food production is estimated to emit between 20–30 % of global anthropogenic carbon emissions. The need to achieve net zero emissions requires a transition to low carbon, sustainable food sources. Of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for food production, only 4 % are attributed to wild capture fisheries. However, within seafood GHG studies a...

NAFC Marine Centre UHI was tasked to carry out a series of hydro-acoustic and Drop Down Video (DDV) surveys of suspected Priority Marine Features (PMFs) based on the results of the most recent SNH survey and some historic PMF records. The aim of the survey was to map horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) and maerl beds, to determine their extent, abunda...

NAFC Marine Centre UHI was tasked by the SSMO to carry out a hydro-acoustic and Drop Down Video (DDV) survey covering the more recent SSMO Voluntary Closed Area in northern Mousa Sound. The aim of the survey was to map the extent of the Priority Marine Features (PMFs), to determine their extent, abundance, and define whether the findings constitute...

Inshore fisheries are known users of both the Papa Stour SAC and the surrounding areas, including St Magnus Bay (NAFC Marine Centre, 2014). Creel fishing for crabs and lobsters occurs within the SAC limits while scallop dredging occurs predominantly outside on the flatter, softer sediment. Some scallop fishers, who dredge in St Magnus Bay, have rep...

Razor clams of the genus Ensis are the subject of valuable fisheries. Concerns about the sustainability of razor clam harvesting in Welsh waters have recently resulted in the closure of an intertidal area and the need to determine effective measures to assess stocks. The aim of this report was to provide a review of the biology of razor clams in We...

There is increasing legislative and policy emphasis on the importance of effective management of the marine environment as a shared resource, with aspirations to maximise environmental, economic, and social benefits, also termed the ecosystem approach to management. As extensive and long-term users of the marine environment, fisheries and the integ...

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) is an invasive non-native species to Europe, introduced as an aquaculture alternative in 1890. In recent years, C. gigas have expanded their range past 60ºN on the east side of the North Sea along the Norwegian coast, consistent with range-expansion predictions. However, the northwest North Sea...

Report of Fishing Industry Science Alliance (FISA) Project 04/12. The main aim of this work was to trial the use of Succorfish’s SC2 VMS tracking technology on vessels from the inshore scallop dredge fleet around Shetland and to evaluate its effectiveness as a tool for informing management decisions and protecting the environment. Understanding th...

Fishing is a significant industry for Scotland’s rural communities. Scotland’s marine fishing industry is the largest in the UK and the 4th largest in the European Union (EU). Over the past five years, Scotland’s sea fish and shellfish landings have averaged around 370,000 t with a value of over £450 million p.a. The industry provides employment to...

During 2010 a set of 22 voluntary closed areas, distributed around Shetland, were proposed by local industry in order to help protect and conserve threatened habitats from potential physical disturbance from scallop dredging. Initially, closed areas were implemented on a precautionary basis over predicted beds of maerl and horse mussel (Modiolus mo...

Horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) and maerl beds are ‘priority’ habitats that can be threatened by human activity and as such require conservation under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP). During 2010 the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO), the body responsible for the management of all shellfish stocks within six nautical miles...

Populations of the crawfish, Palinurus elephas, in Welsh waters have declined significantly since the 1960s and 1970s when changes in fishing practice took place. This large benthic crustacean is a key species in reef features within existing marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and also within the wider context of the Welsh marine ecosystem...

The native European oyster, Ostrea edulis, is a sessile, filter-feeding, bivalve mollusc, distributed widely from Norway in the north to Morocco in the south. Wild populations were once abundant around the Scottish coast and, during the 1800s, the main Scottish fishing stocks were located in the Firth of Forth, Loch Ryan, Orkney, Shetland, and West...

Laurenson, C. H., Dobby, H., McLay, H. A., and Leslie, B. 2008. Biological features of the Lophius piscatorius catch in Scottish waters. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1281–1290. Here, data on 50 265 Lophius piscatorius sampled between 1998 and 2006 on board commercial fishing vessels during observer trips and chartered surveys at Shetland,...

The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (L., 1758), is common throughout the British Isles and is an important industry in Shetland valued at over £2 million annually which contributes to 54% of the annual rope grown mussels in Scotland. The aim of the study was to address the feasibility of monitoring biological and environmental conditions in order to as...

Recent work has shown that there is variability in the pattern of moulting in velvet crabs around Shetland. As a result of this, alternate closed seasons on the east and west coast have been implemented to protect stocks. Recent studies and reports from fishermen have shown that the patterns of moulting are variable between years, as well as betwee...

The common whelk, Buccinum undatum, was sampled from three areas; east and west Shetland, and the south coast of England. The largest whelk measured 122mm shell length (SL) and was recorded from west Shetland (mean 76mm) with the smallest animal recorded from south England, measuring 31mm (mean 54mm). Both east and south areas showed a peak in leng...

Ph. D. thesis submitted to the Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 2002. Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Glasgow, 2002. Includes bibliographical references.

The diet of Illex argentinus was examined using samples collected from the Falkland Islands jigging fishery during February and March 1998. Samples were taken at two hourly intervals from 18:00 to 06:00h aboard three different vessels. In total, 640 stomachs were examined. The diet of I. argentinus in this study consisted mainly of crustaceans (hyp...