The Scottish aquatic environment is among the most diverse in the world supporting over 6,500 complex and 40,000 single cell species of plants and animals in inshore waters alone. This incredible environment includes rivers, lochs, estuaries, coastal waters and offshore waters and is home to many distinctive habitats and iconic species such as basking sharks, over twenty species of marine mammals and internationally important bird populations.
Although each environment is different, they are biologically linked and Marine Scotland recognises that it is vital to protect marine biodiversity and these ecosystems.
Its role is to ensure that the natural environment, and the diversity of industries which depend upon it, is safeguarded for the future by working to assess the quality of the aquatic environment, trying to understanding the effects of both natural and human activities and leading research in improving knowledge on the potential environmental impacts of marine renewables.