General description of SAMS and the Scottish Marine Institute
Going back to 1884, SAMS (short for the Scottish Association for Marine Science) is among the country's oldest marine organisations. It is independent and has charitable status. It is also a founding partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands and includes employees of the Natural Environment Research Council. SAMS is a research and education provider and a learned society with a membership of over 400.
The Scottish Marine Institute represents SAMS' facilities near Oban where most research, education and commercial activities of the Association are delivered.
Our main activity is research where we follow a multi- and often interdisciplinary path. Besides our education department we have thus four science departments (Ecology; Microbial and Molecular Biology; Physics, Sea Ice and Technology; and Biogeochemistry and Earth Science) and address four fundamental research themes:
- Arctic Seas
- Dynamic Oceans
- Marine renewable energy
- People and the Sea
We also have several capability centres including:
- Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa
- Marine Bioenergy Scotland
- Centre for Ocean Governance
- National Facility for Scientific Diving
- Centre for Smart Observation Techniques
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