Scottish Oceans Institute
The story of the SOI
From St Andrews Fishery Laboratory to state-of-the-art marine science hub.
"Our oceans are currently facing challenges on an unprecedented scale due to human impact and climate change. Marine scientists at the Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI) in St Andrews are engaging with these challenges to produce cutting-edge, world-leading research.
This new £16.5 million aquarium, research and teaching building – with its state-of-the-art facilities – will provide our scientists with the resources and space they need to find answers to some of the most pressing issues of our time."
- Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Vincent Janik - Director of SOI
History
1884
St Andrews Fishery Laboratory is set up in a wooden building (the old Fever Hospital) with money from the Fisheries Board.
1886
A new permanent laboratory is established on the East Sands and is named after Charles Henry Gatty – its benefactor, and a keen amateur marine biologist. Professor McIntosh is the first Director.
1960
A new building is funded by the Wellcome Foundation, the Carnegie Trust and the University of St Andrews.
1985
The departments of Botany, Physiology and Zoology create an interdisciplinary research centre, paving the way for the current School of Biology.
1996
The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) moves to St Andrews from Cambridge. The Gatty is now one of the world’s leading centres for research into marine mammals.
2009
Interdisciplinary Scottish Oceans Institute is formed from Schools of Biology, Chemistry, Geography & Geosciences and Mathematics & Statistics to provide a focus for all marine research.
2011
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is awarded to the University in recognition of the work carried out by the SMRU as “a world-leading research unit which is helping to further understanding and protection of the oceans”.
2016
Marine Science at St Andrews has developed to the extent that the Gatty, its aquarium and its other experimental facilities are too small and too outdated for the cutting-edge research being undertaken here. The University Court approves a significant investment for its redevelopment and work begins on the new SOI building.
2019
The new Scottish Oceans Institute is officially opened on 30 September 2019 by Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland.
The Launch
The new SOI building and aquarium were officially opened on Monday 30 September 2019 by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:
"St Andrews has an excellent reputation for world class research and developing international collaborations.
The Scottish Oceans Institute very much helps reinforce that reputation and its work on marine science will help ensure that our marine environment continues to be well managed while sharing learning and best practice."
- First Minister
"The Scottish Oceans Institute enjoys a global reputation as a leader in the study of the marine environment. The facilities at the new centre of excellence will further enhance St Andrews’ world standing in the field of marine sciences research and advanced teaching and will provide wonderful opportunities too for our local community and our visitors."
- Principal and Vice-Chancellor
SOI Director Professor Vincent Janik said:
"The new SOI building has brought all our marine scientists under one roof, facilitating daily interactions that will lead to innovative and new research. The new aquarium is a research facility of the highest standards and we are very excited to use it in expanding our work on how human activities affect our oceans."
- Director, Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI)
The Scottish Oceans Institute emerges
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Safeguarding our seas
"Now, looking out of my office window I can just see the seaward part of the River Tay. One hundred and fifty years ago I would have seen the Dundee whaling fleet returning from a summer in the Arctic with whales from the Davis Straight and seals from Newfoundland.
Times have changed since then. We now know that the oceans are a finite resource and that human impact is having severe, and possibly irreversible, consequences. It is the job of SMRU and the SOI to help understand and, where possible, mitigate such impacts."
- Senior Research Fellow, Scottish Oceans Insitute
Case studies
Here are some examples of the groundbreaking research projects that our marine scientists are currently undertaking to do just this. The new SOI building will give our scientists the support and resources they need to continue to engage on a world-leading level with key environmental issues.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
A special 40th anniversary collection of research papers showcasing recent marine mammal conservation research undertaken and highlighting vital, long-running monitoring undertaken by SMRU staff and students.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Research carried out by Dr Amanda Stansbury and Professor Vincent Janik and published in the journal Current Biology has found that seals could provide a new model system to study speech disorders.
Distant navy sonar affects whale behaviour
Research led by Professor Patrick Miller of the University of St Andrews and Dr Paul Wensveen of the University of Iceland has discovered that sonar from naval ships can severely disrupt the behaviour of northern bottlenose whales over distances never previously tested.
International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration
Dr Lars Boehme and Giulherme Bortolotto De Oliveira of the SMRU were on board the first ship-based research expedition to Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.
Thank you
With grateful thanks to everyone who has helped to make this wonderful facility a reality – in particular:
- Scottish Funding Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- The Wolfson Foundation
- The Sol Goldman Charitable Trust
- Mrs Beverley and Mr Frank MacInnis
- Alexander J Roepers
- Mr Tim and Mrs Kim Allan
- Mr J Michael Buchanan
- Sally Connally Hardies and Donald Hardie OBE
- Mr Olivier Sarkozy
- Mr Keven Magee and Ms Elizabeth McGuirk-Magee
For more information about Scottish Oceans Institute
Contact
Email: soi@st-andrews.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 3472