Shetland’s Sustainable Seas: local conference and evening talk champion marine biodiversity and stewardship

UHI Shetland and RSPB Shetland warmly invite you to attend Shetland’s Sustainable Seas: Protecting, Managing and Restoring Marine Biodiversity, a free public conference and evening event celebrating and exploring the protection, management, and restoration of Shetland’s marine ecosystems.

Hosted at UHI Shetland’s Scalloway Campus lecture theatre on Tuesday 10 June, this event brings together local industry, organisations, and researchers to share knowledge and discuss the sustainable management of Shetland’s seas. The afternoon conference will be followed by a public evening talk diving into Shetland’s underwater world and the stewardship shaping its past, present and future.

We are also delighted to announce that this event has been officially endorsed as a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Decade Activity, acknowledging its contribution to global efforts for a healthy and sustainable ocean.

Event details

Conference: Shetland’s Sustainable Seas

Join us at 2pm for Shetland’s Sustainable Seas, a free conference highlighting how Shetland’s marine environment is currently being locally managed, and where necessary, protected and restored. The event will provide an overview of sustainable marine management in Shetland, followed by sessions on managing pressures (including biosecurity and responsible access), advancing restoration efforts, such as seagrass projects and the launch of the new Guiding Marine Restoration document, and exploring how community engagement and citizen science inform local decision-making.

Evening talk: Sea Sense – Biodiversity and Stewardship in Shetland Waters

Join us at 7pm for an engaging evening of storytelling and science as we explore Shetland’s unique marine ecosystems, taking you on a journey from the seabed to the surface. Discover the incredible biodiversity of our local waters, the ways these ecosystems support wildlife, communities, and industries, and how responsible stewardship is helping to maintain balance in the face of environmental change. All are welcome!

This event reflects a shared commitment to supporting a sustainable future for Shetland’s seas. Whether you work in the marine sector, are interested in coastal heritage, or are simply curious about life beneath the waves, these events are for you.