Investigating the resilience of NE Atlantic intertidal forests
Ruby George
Swansea University
Rocky shores are key habitats providing essential functions such as nursery areas for commercially important fish, buffering wave action and being important recreational and spiritual places. With the severity and frequency of storms increasing due to climate change, it is essential we understand the ability of rocky shore communities to withstand and recover from disturbance.
To explore the variation and drivers of resilience on rocky shores, I am leading and coordinating a large-scale disturbance-recovery experiment spanning a latitudinal gradient from Portugal to Orkney. 18 months before my fieldwork trip we simultaneously removed canopy forming algae (which is susceptible to large storms) at 3 treatment levels across multiple sites in each of the 7 regions. Since then, with the help of partner organisations at each location we have been monitoring the recovery of communities. We are also undertaking coordinated measurements of the traits of an important foundational species on rocky shore, Fucus Serratus, to further understand the drivers of resilience in these systems.
In September 2024 I was generously funded by the challenger society to travel to Orkney and undertake fieldwork for this project. Thanks to this funding from the Challenger Society, I was able to take the more sustainable option of travelling to Orkney using the Caledonian Sleeper train and Ferry. This was a long, but beautiful journey and I was able to spend a day exploring Aberdeen whilst waiting for my ferry to Kirkwall in Orkney.
Fieldwork
I arrived onto the Heriot Watt Orkney campus (ICIT) and met with our project partner Professor Joanne Porter who, alongside some incredible volunteers, assisted with the fieldwork throughout my visit. I have four fieldwork sites in Orkney, the first we visited was Ness point in Stromness with stunning views across Hoy Sound.
The first step in this fieldwork is finding our 12 experimental plots at each site using a high accuracy GPS and physical tags. We then complete quadrat surveys of plots and measure morphological traits of the canopy forming algae. These surveys are completed regularly to monitor the recovery of the disturbed plots. During this research trip I was also taking additional photosynthesis potential measurements using the Handy PEA. This will enable me to evaluate the stress response of canopy forming algae to different environmental conditions along the experimental gradient and study the growth and productivity of tagged individuals over time.
We completed this fieldwork on the four rocky shores around mainland Orkney and Burray, often whilst being watched by the local selkies. As the northernmost region in our experiment, it was so interesting to see how differently the experimental plots are recovering compared to the southern regions.
Lab work
After we finished fieldwork, I processed all my algae samples in the lab by taking morphological trait measurements such as frond thickness, surface area, and stipe thickness. These traits can indicate their resistance to disturbances such as storms and heat waves and often vary with environmental conditions such as temperature and wave exposure. I am investigating how these morphological traits of fucoid macroalgae vary across the different sites and regions in this experiment and how they link to the overall resilience of the communities.
Orkney Science Festival
I was lucky to be visiting Orkney whilst the Orkney Science Festival was underway which included talks, workshops, and a seaweed exhibition. I attended some interesting talks by visitors from Japan and Malaysia about seaweed and coral restoration projects in their regions and learnt how to make sustainable Malaysian rice parcels. I also had the opportunity while attending the science festival to discuss my research in Orkney with local Orcadians. I hope to visit Orkney again next year and present this research project formally in the science festival!
Thank you so much to the challenger society for funding this trip to Orkney, I am so grateful for the opportunity visit such a beautiful location for fieldwork! Thank you also to all the collaborators involved in this project.
Profile
I am a 3rd year PhD student at Swansea University supervised by Dr John Griffin (Swansea University) and Prof. Pippa Moore (Newcastle University). My PhD research focuses on the ecological functioning and stability of rocky shores including the roles of heterogeneity, latitude, and urbanisation.
Latest News
Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and OceanWise are delighted to invite you to attend our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 19th – 23rd of May 2025.
Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.
Challenger Society Council Position Vacancy
The Challenger Society for Marine Science (CSMS) are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to support the next generation of ocean scientists and innovators. CSMS are looking for a new Council member to fill the Student Travel Awards and Stepping Stones Portfolio. The successful applicant will administer the travel and research grants available for Early Career Researchers.
The role involves:
- Receiving applications for the two schemes and responding to applicant inquiries
- Soliciting and compiling input from the rest of the Council for assessing the applications
- Communicating with successful and unsuccessful applicants for the two schemes
- Working with the Honorary Treasurer on allocating funds to successful applicants
- Following up with award winners on their reporting requirements
- Attending Council meetings four times a year (in person or online) and contributing to discussions and decision making for CSMS
The usual term for Council members is three years.
For more information about the CSMS Council, please follow this link: https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/The_Council
For more information about our Early Career Researcher grants and awards, please follow this link:
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Stepping_Stones
and
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Travel_awards
If you are interested in applying or have any questions regarding the role, please contact kathen@bas.ac.uk