Scientists have found a marked resurgence in seabed marine life nearly a decade after protections against bottom trawling and dredging were put in place in an area off the Scottish coastline, which they say underscores the need for better protections.

Convex Seascape Survey scientists recorded the return of more than 1,500 species critical to the marine ecosystem – like worms and shellfish – in Scotland’s South Arran Marine Protected Area.

They found that seabeds which were free from trawling supported roughly twice as many species, and up to three times the abundance of marine life compared with the nearby fished areas.

Approximately 13.7% of EU marine areas are designated Marine Protected Areas, MPAs. Just 0.2% of Europe’s seabed however is currently protected from destructive bottom-towed fishing. 

Scientists say that their findings point to what are being lost areas insufficiently protected, and highlight that muddy seabeds – which have often been dismissed ecologically as barren – are anything but. 

They also warned that while the rapid recovery of these foundational marine species is encouraging, the long-term benefits of carbon storage may take decades.

While species return quickly, the seabed itself needs time to settle; researchers noted early signs of stabilisation where protection strengthened the link between sediment health and carbon retention. This suggests that while protected seabeds eventually become reliable carbon stores, the process is fragile and easily disrupted by renewed trawling

Delay of properly enforced marine protection therefore risks both damage to our ecosystems, and to a critical carbon sink.

Lead researcher Dr Ben Harris from the University of Exeter said: “These seabeds may appear empty, but they are anything but. They can recover when protected, but much more slowly than fish communities in protected areas. That means long-standing, well-enforced protection is needed to realise their full ecological and biodiversity benefits.’’

Professor Callum Roberts from the University of Exeter said:  “The evidence is clear: protection works. What’s missing now is the urgency to act on it.”

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