The Scottish aquatic environment is among the most diverse in the world supporting over 8,000 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. Marine Scotland's role is to assess the quality of the aquatic environment, tying to understanding the effects of both natural and human activities. In addition, it is leading a research programme to improve knowledge on the potential environmental impacts of marine renewables.