St Kilda

St Kilda’s sea caves

This short film showcases some of the fantastic marine life found thriving in the waters around St Kilda during a 2015 Site Condition Monitoring survey. (C) SNH 2016 www.snh.gov.uk St Kilda lies 41 miles west of the Outer Hebrides and is the most remote part of the British Isles. With life on the islands becoming increasingly challenging, the archipelago’s last 36 residents were evacuated to the mainland in 1930. However, these islands remain incredibly important for their wildlife and the waters around St Kilda have been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for their reefs and sea caves. A team of marine scientist recently returned to these ‘islands at the edge of the world’ to survey the extraordinary sea cave complex and the spectacular marine life they support. Source © Scottish Natural Heritage/ George Stoyle/ Richard Shucksmith.

UNESCO Marine World Heritage and COVID-19 (Part II)

The unprecedented drop in tourism revenues left UNESCO marine World Heritage sites struggling to keep rangers on the payroll, prevent rising illegal activity or continue crucial scientific monitoring. Local communities have seen their income vanish overnight, but some found creative ways to deal with the crisis and prepare for the future, as was shared during a September 2020 online meeting with Marine World Heritage Managers in the Americas. More information: https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2179/