Innovation & Research Associate - Isla Bonita

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£37, 694 - £47,389)

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35 hours per week), Fixed Term for 5 Years

Holiday Entitlement: 33days annual leaveplus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

The Orkney‘demonstrator’projectis part of the Horizonfundedprogramme Isla Bonita:
Supporting Managing Authorities to Restore the Oceans and Waters on Islands. In line with the European Ocean Pact,Isla Bonita has the overall aim to make the ocean, and waters become island communities’ bestally.

It will do this by supporting island managing Authorities to drive systemic transitions including relevant climate resilience. Island managing Authorities, will co-developa range of demonstration projects, includinga range of Nature Based Solutions (NBS),into a portfolio with broad applicability.

European oysters once formed significant biogenic reefs, delivering important ecosystem services to coastal communities such as habitat provision, water filtration, carbonstorageand coastal protection.

These important reefs are now collapsed (usingIUCN criteria) mostlydue tooverfishingin the 1800’s.The Orkney Demonstrator will restore oyster reefs using at least three different reeftypes in 10 x 10m patcheswhilstevaluating andoptimisingthehabitatcreation.

Shell waste will be repurposed to createtheoyster patchreefsand theoyster survival and biodiversity benefits willdemonstratethe most cost-effective enhanced design. A plan for scaling-up locally and nationally will be produced.

Whenlost, creels madefrom non-biodegradable materials remain intactfor decades and continue to capture marine animals (ghost fishing) and contribute to marine plastic pollution. This combined with other plastics is a growing problem for Orkney.

The technology to improve

Abandoned

Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) retrieval from the seabed willbedemonstratedand optimised working with local fishers toidentifyareas with high losses of creels. Litter retrieval innovations will include using marine drones fitted with appropriate toolsto allow gear to besubsequentlyhauledonboard retrieving vessels. Recovered creels will be repaired as necessary and re-used for further fishing.