The importance of independent marine evidence provision in a multi-use environment: MBA information resources and The Marine Life Information Network.

One of the most pressing challenges today is the need to manage our oceans on a sustainable basis, balancing opportunities for exploitation with the need for conservation and protection. A vital tool for informing sustainable management is access to accurate, up-to-date marine environmental data and information, which is also seen as ‘independent’ by industry, conservationists, policy-makers and other Stakeholders. The Marine Biological Association has specialised in providing independent evidence for over a century and hosts a number of programmes dedicated to independent evidence provision. For example, the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) is the most comprehensive information resource for the marine environment of the British Isles and also the largest review of the effects of human activities and natural events on marine species and habitats ever undertaken. MarLIN, along with the Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH and other MBA information resources, is currently being used to support a wide range of UK and European legislation as well as providing vital underpinning information for industry (e.g. through informing EIAs). We provide an overview of MarLIN in particular whilst examining the importance of ‘independent’ scientific information in a multi-use environment.

Life Around the Turbines

Life around the Turbines is an outreach project developed by the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA) funded by COWRIE (Collaborative Offshore Wind Research into the Environment). The project was designed to promote the need for renewable energy, raise awareness of marine biodiversity and generate discussions about offshore wind farms particularly with school children around Great Britain. The project has run from 2008 – 2014 and has involved workshops with schools all around Great Britain; production of online resources and a series of training events and tools for marine educators. All of the resources and workshops were developed to correlate with the national curricula for England, Scotland and Wales and cover a range of topics including science, citizenship and technology. Combining charismatic marine wildlife with technology and interactive, hands-on workshop activities has proved a successful and popular combination, received well by students and teachers. We present the methods of engagement used and some of the information received through a basic activity evaluation process. We will also share information about how conference participants can obtain and utilise free resources to support their own outreach and teaching at www.mba.ac.uk/education.

Shore Shapers: Introducing children and the general public to biogeomorphological processes and geodiversity

Coastal processes and wildlife shape the coast into a variety of eye-catching and enticing landforms that attract people to marvel at, relax and enjoy coastal geomorphology. These landforms also influence biological communities by providing habitat and refuge. There are very few field guides to explain these processes to the general public and children. In contrast, there is a relative wealth of resources and organised activities introducing people to coastal wildlife, especially on rocky shores. These biological resources typically focus on the biology and climatic controls on their distribution, rather than how the biology interacts with its physical habitat. As an outcome of two recent rock coast biogeomorphology projects (detailed at: www.biogeomorph.org/coastal) a multi disciplinary team produced the first known guide to understanding how biogeomorphological processes help create coastal landforms. The ‘Shore Shapers’ guide (shoreshapers.org) is designed to: a. bring biotic geomorphic interactions (how animals, algae and microorganisms protect and shape rock) to life and b. introduce some of the geomorphological and geological controls on biogeomorphic processes and landform development. The guide provides scientific information in an accessible and interactive way – to help sustain children’s interest and extend their learning. We tested a draft version of the guide with children,the general public and volunteers on rocky shore rambles using social science techniques and present the findings, alongside initial results of an evaluation of a newer version of the guide and interactive workshops taking place throughout 2014.