About us

Why we’re here

The St Abbs Marine Station is the vision of a group of donors who are passionate about trying to tackle the major challenges facing the marine environment – not least from climate change, pollution, ocean acidification and overfishing – through marine science. We are committed to conducting independent, scientific research that helps us better understand the complex issues that affect the sea and human life.

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.

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.

How we started

The St Abbs Marine Station was established in 2010 as a charity dedicated to marine science, conservation and education. We completed our first major project in 2015 – the development, construction and operation of a state-of-the-art marine science research facility.

In pictures

Collaborations

From 2015 to 2020 the St Abbs Marine Station had a tripartite institutional agreement with Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University. In 2020 we signed a five-year partnership with the University of Edinburgh to ensure more sustainable use of the seas and marine ecosystems.

Our partners