Professor Beth Scott
Professor of Marine Ecology
School of Biological Sciences
Tel: +44(0)1224 273257
Email: b.e.scott@abdn.ac.uk
Twitter: @BEScott_abdn
Research Profile
Research Interest
Prof Beth Scott is a Professor in Marine Ecology. Her research identifies general rules in bio-physical oceanographic processes that lead to the creation of hotspots of biodiversity and predator-prey activity. Specifically, her research group defines biological and physical variables that provide the limited, patchy locations and conditions where energy is transferred across trophic levels in marine food webs. Her research team uses approaches ranging from the collection and use of fine-scale information from acoustic instruments as well as the analysis of large-scale and long-term data sets for climate change predictions on spatial population dynamics. Both scales of information are used within Bayesian spatial and ecosystem modelling methods. Her recent research portfolio has focused on the understanding of effects of marine renewable energy systems on multi-trophic interactions and cumulative effects leading to new methods for co-developing a Marine Spatial Planning decision-support system and efficient incorporation of ecosystem services and natural capital values into policies.
Current Projects and past collaborations include:
Supergen ORE Hub (2018-22, EPSRC) Co-Director and the Champion for Environment. The hub combines offshore wind, wave and tidal research and provides research leadership to connect academia, industry, policy and public stakeholders, inspire innovation and maximise societal value.
EcoWATT2050 (2014-17 EPSRC) provided underpinning science for the strategic policy development and planning investigating very large-scale array deployments along with climate change effects to determine the limits to energy extraction, both physically and ecologically.
CORPORATES (2014-16, NERC). The project developed a highly effective participatory framework for the exchange of knowledge between ORE Industries, academics, planning and regulatory functions of Government.
FLOw, Water column & Benthic ECcology 4D (FLOWBEC) (2011-14, NERC). Consortium project in which we designed, built and successfully deployed an upward facing platform with multiple acoustic instruments that is operational in flows speeds >4m/s. Lead to a KTP with MeyGen (2014-16) where the applied techniques for environmental monitoring won us the Scottish Renewables Green Award 2017.
Professional Background:
Prof Scott is recognised for having experience of translating science into policy and conversely defining a science agenda to meet policy requirements from having been on the Scientific Advisory Committee of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH, 2005-2011) and (2018-) on the Experts Panel. She was also appointed to the DEFRA Ministerial Science Advisory Panel overviewing the new Network of Marine Protected Areas (MCZ) (2009-2012). She was the Leader of MASTS Marine Renewables Energy Forum (2015-20) and is a member of the Scottish Marine Energy Research Programme (ScotMER, 2015-).
