St Abbs Marine Station is a Scottish registered charity dedicated to marine science, conservation and education.
In 2020 we signed a five-year partnership with the University of Edinburgh to ensure more sustainable use of the seas and marine ecosystems.
As partners, we will address a range of scientific and societal challenges and enhance interdisciplinary marine research, teaching and innovation.
The St Abbs Marine Station was established in 2010 as a charity dedicated to marine science, conservation and education.
2015 saw the completion of its first major project – the development, construction and operation of a fully equipped marine science research facility.
From 2015 to 2020 the St Abbs Marine Station had a tripartite institutional agreement with Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University. This highly successful collaboration maximised the use of the facility and allowed a full programme of research to be implemented.
The St Abbs Marine Station project came about through the awareness of a group of donors of the major challenges facing the marine environment – not least from climate change, pollution, ocean acidification and overfishing – and their belief that there is an increasingly urgent need for marine science to respond these challenges. The fundamental proposition underlying the establishment of the St Abbs Marine Station facility is that greater understanding of the complex issues affecting the sea and human life is urgently required and that independently conducted scientific research is likely to be the key to achieving this.
Located in the historic fishing village of St Abbs, Berwickshire, the Marine Station is ideally placed to access the important marine environment and clean water of the Berwickshire coast. These coastal waters, part of the oldest voluntary marine reserve of the UK, are famous for their interesting seascape and rich biodiversity. In spring and early summer, thousands of seabirds breed on the cliffs of St Abbs Head.
A newly established state of the art facility
An ideal platform for marine science, education and conservation
Supported with secure funding