In 2018, large shoals of spring-spawning herring returned to inshore Wester Ross waters for the first time in 50 years. The Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science (CCRS) at Edinburgh University has kickstarted the WOSHH-eDNA-Sound project, which is designed to help detect if, when and where large spring-spawning herring shoals are present in inshore waters.
Restoring herring populations and protecting the seabed habitat they depend on for reproduction would likely have significant positive knock-on effects for other species including other fish, seabirds and marine mammals that prey upon herring hence increase overall marine biodiversity, health, resilience, and productivity.
The CCRS received £27,906.00 in the SMEEF 2023/24 grant round for this work. This was our first fully privately financed round made possible by donations from businesses interested in restoring and enhancing Scotland’s coasts and seas. Contributors are listed here. For more information about how to contribute to SMEEF contact manager@smeef.scot