Communities invited to apply for marine equipment funding

The second round of the Community Marine Equipment Fund has been launched to help local groups buy equipment to record and monitor their local marine life.

The aim of the project is to enable communities and local groups to gain the skills, experience and knowledge to participate in biodiversity surveys, helping improve knowledge of marine species and habitats.

Individual grants of up to £1500 will be offered for entry level equipment such as ID guides, quadrats and GoPros. Larger grants up to £3000 are available for joint applications between two or more groups.

Applications should have an emphasis on enabling community and/or youth engagement in marine monitoring, and will be assessed on a rolling basis with a closing date of June 1.

NatureScot project officer Lucy Cotgrove said: “We encourage communities and local groups to apply to us for any survey equipment that will help them. Scotland’s coasts and lochs are special places for marine habitats and wildlife, and the information that volunteers collect is vital and helps support decisions on how to protect these areas.”

There is more information online for applicants, who can also contact communitymarine
survey@nature.scot with any questions they may have.

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