Edinburgh Shoreline has launched an ambitious new project, Above and Below, recognising that effective conservation cannot happen in isolation but depends on a healthy, connected environment both on land and at sea.
Thanks to a generous donation from the ELGOL Fund for Nature, the project will expand research and deepen understanding of environmental changes in the Firth of Forth – particularly the dramatic decline of blue mussels, a key indicator species for marine health. The support has also enabled stronger partnerships and greater engagement with local communities.
A major challenge in the Firth has been the lack of up-to-date data on water temperature and quality, limiting informed decision-making in marine conservation. Over the next two years, Edinburgh Shoreline will help fill this gap by monitoring seawater temperature and basic water quality, including the installation of temperature data loggers as part of an Atlantic-wide survey (CCTBON). A new public campaign will also invite beach and sea users to report pollution, unsavoury sightings, and any water-related health concerns.
Building on the Show Us Your Mussels citizen science project, the team will identify sites for trial survival mussel sites. Data from these studies will be analysed and shared.
On land, the project also looks “above” the shoreline, addressing biodiversity loss along Edinburgh’s coast. With local volunteers, Edinburgh Shoreline will be surveying current sites and creating coastal wildflower meadows at Silverknowes, bringing life back to one of the city’s most urbanised stretches of coast.
