Tanya Riley
Post Graduate Marine Scientist
Tanya specialises in marine habitat research using both hands-on surveys and distribution modelling to inform sustainable marine management.
Tanya joined the Marine Spatial Planning Team at UHI Shetland in 2023 and her research primarily focuses on enhancing our understanding of habitats in Shetland and beyond. Her work combines both hands-on and analytical approaches, conducting marine surveys and gathering first hand data from the marine environment to provide a holistic view of habitat health. Tanya uses marine surveys and distribution modelling to contribute to sustainable marine management, including the creation of a dominant marine biotope map for the Shetland Islands. In addition to her habitat and species distribution modelling work, she is investigating the role of blue carbon habitats within Shetland’s waters. Tanya’s work also emphasises the importance of high-resolution local data in informing decision-making.
At UHI Shetland, Tanya’s commitment to integrating stakeholder knowledge into scientific research is demonstrated through a community-led marine restoration project, which aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities for marine restoration in Shetland. This project has been formally endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade as a Decade Activity.
Prior to joining UHI Shetland, Tanya completed her MSci (Hons) in Marine Vertebrate Zoology at Bangor University, where her research ranged from habitat modelling for Eurasian otters to benthic taxonomy and exploring the climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
Current Projects:
- Guiding Marine Restoration and Enhancement in the Shetland Islands (2024-present)
- Shetland Islands dominant marine biotope map (2023-present)
- Fair Isle DR MPA Benthic Survey (2024/25)