Scotland is home to some of the world’s most unique biodiversity, with many species found nowhere else on Earth. Yet, over 10% of Scottish species are currently threatened with extinction. This crisis affects life both above and below sea level, but marine habitats often receive far less attention—leaving them especially vulnerable.

Maerl beds are one such endangered marine habitat. If current trends continue, Scotland could see an 84% decline in maerl bed distribution by 2100. One of the key challenges in protecting maerl beds is providing sufficient evidence to enforce protections.

Maerl Maid is an underwater data gathering system, designed to assist community conservation groups with long-term scientific evidence to support their advocacy work. By making high-quality data accessible and easy to collect, Maerl Maid will help citizen scientists protect these eco-systems.