Biodiversity conservation is essential for the sustainability of our planet. A SEFARI Gateway funded project led by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and NatureScot, is updating and expanding upon their previous groundbreaking research on Scotland’s Genetic Diversity Scorecard to include marine habitats. By monitoring genetic diversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the project aims to enhance the understanding and preservation of biodiversity across diverse habitats, and this will support long-term resilience and sustainability in Scotland’s ecosystems.

In this blog, we take a closer look at the new ‘Scorecard’s’ updates and what it means for biodiversity monitoring and Scotland’s role in protecting global biodiversity.

The Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) describes biodiversity as ‘every species and all the genetic differences within each species; it encompasses many ecosystems from forests, drylands, wetlands, mountains, lakes, rivers, agricultural lands and islands where living creatures, including humans animals, insects and plants, form a community, interacting with one another and the air, water and soil around them’. Biodiversity is, therefore, integral in creating healthy ecosystems, resilience and carbon storage in terrestrial and marine environments.  

The CBD met in Aichi Japan in 2010 and adopted 20 targets which aimed to halt global biodiversity loss. This included Target 13, maintaining and safeguarding genetic diversity. The wording of the target focused on cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals, rather than wild species. To overcome this gap, the project team created Scotland’s Genetic Diversity Scorecard, which was published in 2020.

Image: Islands of Graemsay and Hoy, Orkney (Image by Hannah Kulmatycki).

The ‘scorecard’ looked at many species in an easy-to-follow and holistic manner, which can then be adapted for other countries to quantify their genetic diversity for biodiversity conservation. Within Scotland, the project won the 2020 Innovation Award at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)’s Nature of Scotland Awards. In addition, the work is now also recognised as a Complementary Indicator under the Global Biodiversity Framework, which was finalized at COP15 in Montreal, Canada. Furthermore, the ‘scorecard’ is used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidance selecting species and populations monitoring genetic diversity.

Since the project team’s initial work in 2020, there have been a number of vital policy updates to local and global frameworks. In 2023, for example, the Scottish Government signed the 30 by 30 pledge to protect 30% of all land and marine species, and in 2024, at COP 16 a landmark agreement on biodiversity and climate change was formed. This agreement showed the need to intertwine biodiversity with climate change-related losses such as ocean acidification and the impacts of natural disasters. With increased legislation and understanding (e.g., from the NatureScot’s Biodiversity Duty Report, 2021-2023), a need developed to expand and build upon the project team’s world first genetic diversity ‘scorecard’. Therefore, SEFARI Gateway have renewed their support by awarding further funding.

Image: Atlantic Puffins, Isle of May (Image by Hannah Kulmatycki)

In this new phase, the project team are working on adding more species, as well as increasing the capacity for ongoing monitoring. A key focus is looking at how to include coastal and marine species alongside the land-based ones covered in the original ‘scorecard’. Marine species and their habitats in the UK and Scotland hold extreme importance for both economic and social benefits. In 2023, NatureScot reported that coastal and sea environments in Scotland contributed over £2.2 billion to the Scottish Economy. With the importance of marine environments to Scotland, it also becomes essential to protect and monitor any potential impacts on the genetic biodiversity which underpins the resilience and ability of ecosystems to provide services to people.

Image: Bottle-Nosed Dolphin, Moray Firth (Image by Eunice Pinn).

The team’s current three main objectives are to:
•    Revise the original Scottish Diversity Scorecard to reflect the updated Global Biodiversity Framework
•    Extend the monitoring to marine species and update the terrestrial Scorecard to allow for nation reporting (after 5-years)
•    Increase the on-going monitoring of intra-species diversity and management within Scotland

When asked about the importance of this project, Dr David O’Brien, Biodiversity Evidence and Reporting Manager, NatureScot and Research Associate of the RBGE, stated that “Protecting genetic diversity is key to conserving and restoring species and ecosystems, as well as the services they provide to people. But first, we need to understand it. By expanding the Scorecard to marine species, we can increase our knowledge and take an evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation.”

The revised genetic diversity ‘scorecard’, which will feature these key expansions, can be expected later this year, and is set to be an influential tool across all areas of biodiversity.

In the most recent project update, the team have already:
•    Asked Eunice Pinn (NatureScot) to lead the Marine Sector expansion
•    Met with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to collaborate through the 4 Countries Biodiversity Group
•    Selected new species to revise the scorecard approach for terrestrial species
•    And have hosted workshops to discuss biodiversity genomics and species accounts

Expanding Scotland’s Genetic Diversity Scorecard is a significant step in biodiversity conservation at both a local and global scale. By incorporating terrestrial and marine ecosystems the researchers are advancing an integrated approach to monitoring and protecting genetic diversity that aligns with national and global biodiversity goals set at recent COP events and since the last ‘scorecard’ was released. As we face increasing environmental pressures, including from climate change, the insights gained from this project will provide critical knowledge for sustainable biodiversity management and policy decisions, ensuring Scotland’s natural heritage is safeguarded for future generations. Through such collaborative efforts and continued innovation, Scotland is showing that it can and does lead in preserving biodiversity that supports ecological resilience and economic prosperity.

Project Leads: Prof. Pete Hollingsworth (RBGE) and Dr David O’Brien (NatureScot).

Hannah Kulmatycki has helped with the writing of this blog. She has been on work placement with SEFARI Gateway and is pursuing his MSc in Science Communication and Public Engagement at University of Edinburgh. Hannah also supplied many of the images from her own Scottish adventures.