Rare seagrass “fairy circles” observed in Scotland

NatureScot’s marine team have captured rare footage of seagrass “fairy circles”, as a new report highlights the historic loss of this vital habitat. The circles, filmed in the Sound of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, are made of seagrass and form naturally. But the circles are rarely observed, and scientists are uncertain how they are formed.

Seagrass beds were once common across Scotland - so common that seagrass was even used as thatching for houses in Orkney. NatureScot has today published the report, Review of Scottish Seagrass Declines, highlighting wide-scale loss of this habitat across Scotland over both the 20th and 21st century, but also hope for the future.

Sarah Cunninham, NatureScot’s Marine Protected Area and Marine Enhancement Manager, said:

“As far as we know, this is the first video of seagrass fairy circles in Scotland's seas. Our marine monitoring team call them seagrass doughnuts – but whatever you call them, they’re spectacular. We were delighted when we spotted them and were able to get some aerial video showing them off!

“Seagrass is a wonder habitat, often likened to the rainforest because of its effect on nature and the climate. The lush meadows it creates are home to an amazing array of wildlife. Their leaves and roots also trap carbon, helping tackle the climate crisis. Seagrass can also improve water quality, reduce contamination in seafood, and act as the first line of defence along coasts by reducing wave energy, protecting people from the increasing risk of flooding and storms.”

In the 1930s, the wasting disease epidemic, caused by a marine slime mold, led to vast losses in seagrass beds. Losses were so extreme in some places that seagrass beds have not yet recovered. For example, in Shetland, broad-leaved seagrass was so abundant that plants had to be cut to allow boat passage. Today, Shetland's seagrass is severely depleted, with scattered beds only present in some sea inlets and lagoons.

Other factors have also contributed to the wide-scale loss of Scottish seagrass beds, including pollution and poor water quality, particularly near cities; coastal development, such as causeway construction; and mechanical damage caused by scallop dredging.

Despite the historical losses, the report offers some hope, revealing that when human pressures are removed or reduced and water quality improved, seagrass populations can recover. Pockets of recovery have been seen in several areas, including Loch Ryan, the Solway Firth, Montrose Basin, and the Firth of Forth.

Scotland’s seagrass beds are protected as a Priority Marine Feature and within Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), with additional protections through fisheries management measures proposed by the Scottish Government for the future. There are also many community groups working to restore seagrass around Scotland’s coasts through mechanisms like the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF). SMEEF is currently undertaking a three-year Seagrass Enhancement Programme, funded by £2.4m contribution from SSEN Distribution, and aiming to plant 14 hectares of seagrass in suitable locations around Scotland.

Read the full report here.

ENDS