Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme

Introduction

The Scottish Government's ambition to deliver up to 40GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2040 is critical to achieving Scotland's Net Zero target by 2045. This requires a strong and transparent evidence base to support the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy in Scottish waters. 

The Scottish Marine Energy Research programme (ScotMER) works with a range of organisations such as government, academics, industry, nature conservation bodies and environmental groups.  Together, they identify gaps in our knowledge about the environmental and socioeconomic effects of offshore renewable energy.

ScotMER then prioritises the evidence needs, develops targeted research and makes the new evidence available. By working closely with others, ScotMER delivers evidence that informs the planning, licensing and consenting of offshore renewable energy, as well as policy development.

Receptor groups and evidence maps

ScotMER Receptor Groups work with organisations to map the evidence gaps for each receptor. A list of organisations involved in each Receptor Group, including links to the evidence maps (last updated early 2024), are below.

• Ornithology ScotMER Receptor Group
• Marine Mammals ScotMER Receptor Group
• Fish and Fisheries ScotMER Receptor Group
• Diadromous Fish ScotMER Receptor Group
• Benthic Species ScotMER Receptor Group
• Physical Processes ScotMER Receptor Group
• Socioeconomic ScotMER Receptor Group

Research reports

The ScotMER programme commissions research to address the most important evidence needs. Research findings from 2022 onwards are categorised by receptor below.  

Research findings before 2022 are grouped further down the page.

Ornithology

• Offshore wind farm impact assessment - Rum Manx Shearwaters population model development: study
• Seabirds - strategic ornithological compensatory measures: review
• Renewable energy installations - effect on harbour porpoises: adapting the IPCOD framework
• Understanding seabird behaviour at sea part 2: improved estimates of collision risk model parameters
• Offshore wind energy - sectoral marine plan: seabird tagging feasibility
• Offshore wind - birds on migration in Scottish waters: strategic review
• Seabird study data - best practice development: study
• Seabird species off the east coast of Scotland - impact of climate change: study
• Offshore wind developments assessment - seabird collision risk, displacement and barrier effects: study
• Seabird behaviour at sea: research
• Seabirds - feasibility of extending SeabORD to the entire breeding season: study
• Free-ranging seabirds - novel physiology tag development to measure oxygen consumption: research
• Offshore wind developments - collision and displacement in petrels and shearwaters: literature review

Marine mammals

• Harbour and grey seals: distribution maps for Scotland
• Marine mammals: methodology for combining data
• Offshore renewable developments - developing marine mammal dynamic energy budget models: report

Fish and fisheries

• Offshore windfarms - monitoring impacts on the commercial fishing industry: good practice guidance
• Developing essential fish habitat maps: report
• Fish and fisheries research to inform ScotMER evidence gaps and future strategic research in the UK: review
• Assessing fisheries displacement by other licensed marine activities: good practice guidance - literature review

Benthic

• Marine renewable developments in Scottish waters: review of benthic ecological surveying

Diadromous fish

• Offshore wind - diadromous fish: review - January 2024
• Atlantic salmon from large Scottish east coast rivers - genetic stock identification: report

Physical processes

• Offshore Wind Sustained Observation Programme (OW-SOP): scoping report

Socio-economics

• Offshore wind energy – sectoral marine plan: further research for social impact assessment
• Participatory engagement and social research: methods toolkit
• Offshore wind farm developments - public perceptions: survey

Marine Scotland data publications/ScotMER programme publications before 2022

• The Status of Sabellaria spinulosa Reef off the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire Coasts and Guidance for Conservation of the Species off the Scottish East Coast | Marine Scotland Data Publications 
• Scoping Study - Regional Population Viability Analysis for Key Bird Species CR/2016/16 | Marine Scotland Data Publications 
• Improving estimates of seabird body mass survival relationships | Marine Scotland Data Publications 
• Review of Demographic Parameters and Sensitivity Analysis to Inform Inputs and Outputs of Population Consequences of Disturbance Assessments for Marine Mammals 
• Regional baselines for marine mammal knowledge across the North Sea and Atlantic areas of Scottish waters | Marine Scotland Data Publications 
• Developing marine mammal Dynamic Energy Budget models and their potential for integration into the iPCoD framework 
• Seabird Survey Designs for the East Coast of Scotland (marine.gov.scot) 
• Automated Identification of Fish and Other Aquatic Life in Underwater Video | Marine Scotland Data Publications

Symposiums

ScotMER Symposiums showcase the latest research funded by the Scottish Government and more widely by other research programmes. The events provide a platform to communicate new evidence exploring how offshore renewable energy developments may affect our natural environment and other users of the sea.  

You can catch up on the last three symposiums on the Marine Directorate YouTube channel.

You can read more about previous symposiums in our website archive.

• NRS Web Continuity Service (pre-2025)
• [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Marine energy research symposium (pre-2020)