Restoring Shetland's Marlie Meadows

The Shetland Islands are the UK’s most northerly archipelago. In a select few sheltered, shallow voes, protected from the full force of the Atlantic waves, we find seagrass meadows (or marlie or marlok in Shetland dialect). These seagrass beds are an important and diverse habitat, but most of the beds which were present in the early 1900s have now been lost from Shetland.

The ‘Restoring Shetland’s marlie meadows’ project aims to restore 1.2 ha of subtidal seagrass beds in west Mainland. This project aims to trial shoot transplantation methods in areas where seagrass was historically abundant, thereby enhancing resilience across multiple sites.

This project builds on previous SMEEF-funded work by UHI Shetland, which identified 14 seagrass beds in Whiteness Voe, and one small remnant bed in Weisdale Voe. Drone surveys and community efforts helped map approximately 1.59 hectares (15,900 m²) of subtidal Zostera marina meadow. However, this is a small fraction of the seagrass that would have existed in the past.

UHI Shetland aims to collaborate with local organisations and the community to increase the abundance of seagrass habitats, monitor the condition of existing beds, and raise awareness of this vital ecosystem.

Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF)