michaelrea

Held on Wednesday 22 April, students from S2-S6 were able to try state-of-the-art equipment, including Augmented Reality welding, driving simulators and other new digital technologies available at the College. We were also able to hear from apprentices working with Babcock and INEOS abut their experiences as a females in the process chemistry, fabrication and welding industries.

Delivered with support from ECITB, Equate Scotland and INEOS, the event highlighted the College’s ongoing work to support more women into traditionally male‑dominated industries and widen access to careers in engineering and related fields.

Scottish green chemical producer Celtic Renewables, who are based at Grangemouth, converts by-products and waste from a range of industries including food, drink & agriculture into green chemicals – bio acetone, bio butanol, and bio ethanol. Their patented technology and processes effectively defossilizes chemical production allowing products like cosmetics, paints and cleaning products to made in a low carbon way. At this moment they are the only company in the world to do this at industrial scale.

The apprenticeship programme welcomed four apprentices - Matthew Hampson, Aiden Reid, Rory MacDonald, and Lewis McNab, in collaboration with Forth Valley College, in August 2025. The first year involves full-time study at the college, followed by two years of hands-on training at the Grangemouth biorefinery. We expect to make at least four episodes over the next year, demonstrating how the 'Just Transition' in Scotland is actually producing jobs while delivering Net Zero, especially in a community that has been synonymous with Oil and Gas for decades.

That's why it was great to make some promotional films to support the launch of their new 'Out to Play' resource pack, ‘Nature Stories for Children’ in Spring 2024. The pack was created Saffron Gillies, Creative Engagement Lead and offers a selection of interactive ideas to support educators, parents / carers to deliver storytelling in a range of settings including schools, nurseries, the community or even at home.

And so, on a fairly 'diverse Scottish weather day', we spent a few hours at Craigton Primary in Glasgow, listening to some traditional tales which explore new ideas, cultural heritage and citizenship, encouraging us all to think about the natural world and what we can do to protect it. We recorded interviews with the Headteacher, Class Teachers and the pupils on how storytelling in nature can impact learning in school and beyond. I was so impressed with the articulation of the young people that it made my job so much easier!

I think in terms of Eco-Literacy, the 'Nature Stories for Children’ programme really delivers from the ground up; everyone can get involved and does. And this model, if you like, is exactly what we need if our goal is to establish an environmentally literate society to help tackle the many challenges we face going forward.

The final trip on this journey was at the end of August 2023 and it took us away from the coast itself, 100s of miles inland to Moldova to investigate the impact of rivers on the Black Sea. As Associate Professor Tudor Castraveț from Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University explains, that for Moldovan citizens, ‘it’s difficult to understand they are part of the Black Sea basin populations because they are not in direct contact with the sea’. However, it’s through the rivers, not only from the Dniester that runs through Moldova, but all around Europe, that place significant pressures on the ecosystem of the Black Sea itself.

Some of Europe’s longest and largest rivers flow into the Black Sea, including the Danube, the largest tributary, as well as the Dnieper, Dniester and the Don. This catchment represents a huge area encompassing 23 countries where 190 million people live. As an example, the Danube River begins in Germany’s Black Forest and flows some 2,850km through cities, valleys and wide gorges before reaching the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. Consequently, Black Sea water quality is largely dependant on human activities in these drainage locations – run-off from agriculture, industry, household waste water, and now plastics and microplastics – all make their way to the sea, the endpoint of the system, causing eutrophication, plastic pollution, and chemical contamination.

As Elena Culighin, Environmental Researcher & Executive Director of National Environment Centre, explains in the film, ‘Water and rivers are basically the veins and arteries of Earth, and it doesn’t depend on the distance from where we are established’. This is perhaps the most critical message we can make about the health of the Black Sea. The responsibility is not only on coastal and regional communities, but its Europe-wide. It’s on all of us to play a part and understand the impact we, as humans, make to our planet.

The trip around Moldova took us to Vadul lui Vodă (Dniester), Trebujeni (Răut River), Costești-Stânca reservoir (Prut River) and a few other places in between. It’s a fantastic country to visit, wonderful landscapes, with great local produce and wine. I’d like to specially thank Tudor and Viorica Castraveț, Vitalie Dilan, Iradion Jechiu and Elena Culighin for all their efforts and hospitality. I’ll never forget it.

This project coincides neatly with my work on EU Horizon projects, DOORS Black Sea and DANUBIUS-RI, in stimulating discussions on UN Ocean Decade, Digital Twin Ocean, European Ocean Observing System (EOOS), and Future Look for Operational Oceanography.

The event marked the 10th anniversary of the international EuroGOOS Conference and nearly 30 years of the EuroGOOS organization, which was founded in 1994 as the European implementer of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Following a summer where we witnessed record ocean temperatures across the globe in a series of marine heatwaves, there was universal calls to bolster ocean observation services in order to monitor and understand these trends. Equally, was the need for increased Ocean Literacy, but not just for schools and general citizens but professionals, policymakers and scientist themselves. The entire sector needs to be able to explain its work and value so we can all be in a position to make informed decisions on how we tackle climate change in our own lives.

I work with both sets of colleagues on DOORS Black Sea, a Horizon 2020 EU project, and its great to see new connections and partnerships forming with the people I already know well. This initiative draws on University of Stirling's pioneering expertise in monitoring water quality using remote satellite technology and optical water sensors.

This is particularly relevant for Ukraine whose ability to conduct traditional water sampling and measurements has been removed as a result of the war. Access to water bodies in Ukraine are currently restricted due to military operations. Furthermore, ongoing Russian attacks are destroying vital infrastructure, including the Kakhovka Dam and hydroelectric power plant, and damaging water pumping stations, purification plants and wastewater treatment facilities, causing contamination of ground and surface waters.

During the two-week visit the group carried out experiments in the University laboratories and at Loch Lomond. During the visit, staff and students received hands-on experience in the use of bio-optics and radiometry sensors in the field. This was followed up with training in analysis of water samples at Stirling laboratories and using Earth Observation techniques using free-to-access data from Copernicus satellites.

The project will rejuvenate an existing 5 hectare greenspace to create an exciting new neighbourhood park. The project will improve accessibility within the park, provide play opportunities for a wide range of age groups, introduce new tree and meadow planting, and provide gathering spaces from which to enjoy uninterrupted views to Arthur’s Seat.

Image: The outdoor projection event was a very effective way of raising awareness © Michael Rea .

A week long artist-led consultation event led by WAVEparticle was held during the Summer of 2022, where we ran workshops and interviewed local people about the project, to establish a range of priority park improvements. I made a short documentary film based on these interactions and it aims to tell the story of the space, why greenspace is important for people and what they would like to see happen.

Film: Short documentary about the greenspace and the changes people would like to see © Michael Rea .

The initial consultation and design work culminated in a wonderful outdoor projection event where the film and other visuals were projected onto the side of the tower blocks. It's a really intresting way to enegage communities with each other and think about the spaces they live in. And for a camera-geek like me, It also makes for very atmospheric night photography - this was defintiely something you won't see everyday!

Image: The brilliant WAVEparticle team © Michael Rea .

Credits: The City of Edinburgh Council, Faithful + Gould, Anderson Bell & Christie Architects, WAVEparticle, TRANCND, Moredun Multi Residents Association, Gilmerton & Inch Community Council, Michael Rea (Video anf Photography)

This 4 year project aims to transform the way scientific research of the Black Sea is conducted, and at the same time, stimulate an emerging blue economy in the region. There's a lot of travel, which I love, and its been great fun promoting the scientific work of researchers to the wider world. This fieldtrip to Varna in Bulgaria, looks at the innovative ways they are working to monitor water quality which is essential for local economies, population health and wider society.

The Black Sea is subject to large amounts of organic matter and pollution transported by the rivers. The degradation of this material over time has contributed to uniquely high concentrations of gases, notably Hydrogen Sulphide and Methane that emit from the seafloor. This has made the Black Sea the largest anoxic water body on earth, where below 150-200m depths there is not enough oxygen to support marine life, except only some forms of bacteria.

Image: Dr Anton Antonov from GeoMarine Ltd on the DOORS buoy on Varna Lake, replacing the sensor. © DOORS Black Sea

As part of the DOORS project two remote sensor buoys have been installed on Varna Lake which measure various water parameters in real time. At 20-minute intervals, data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, methane concentrations and pH redux is sent over GSM to DOORS researchers. This represents a promising step forward in monitoring capability for the area but also provides essential data to allow future modelling for large scale deployments further out in the Black Sea.

It is feared the impact of climate change will accelerate gas discharges from the seafloor. Methane, in particular is a powerful greenhouse gas which can contribute to acidification of the sea itself and potentially become a huge carbon source if it makes its way into the atmosphere. The warmer weather in summertime tends to yield higher concentrations of methane emissions and this September field trip targets a time when the seawater is at its hottest.

Image: The dive location was about 200m off the coast at Zelenka. © DOORS Black Sea

A key part of this study is to compare the performance of 2 methane sensors for in situ measurements, firstly, on the instrumented buoy in Varna Lake, and to measure methane fluxes both at the sediment water column interface, and at the sea surface-air interface at Zelenka on the coastal environment. However, as I was able to witness first hand, the process of measuring and monitoring these gases in the Black Sea is not easy. It involves a lot of equipment and requires relatively calm conditions to do the work. A specialist dive team from Ifremer and IO-BAS were able to locate methane seepages from the seafloor around 200m off the shore at Zelenka, and take underwater samples for analysis.

Image: The dive team from Ifremer and IO-BAS. © DOORS Black Sea

The overall aim is to interpret the data to better understand the environmental factors (current, storm, water temperature, earthquake, etc.) that control methane fate at the coastal Black Sea water column, including Varna Lakes and the Zelenka seep-site. The preliminary findings will be shared by DOORS researchers at the MARblue conference on 26-28th October in Constanta where they will further discuss the challenges associated with this kind of monitoring.

The 3 day tour of the area, led by Dr Adrian Stănică, DOORS Project Coordinator and Director of GeoEcoMar firstly took us to the Black Sea Danube mouths, critical navigational routes for trade, and a place where the freshwater meets marine water. There, we could witness first hand more than 100 large ships from several countries, many loaded with Ukrainian grain, waiting to make their way back out to sea and around the world.

Image: Dr Adrian Stănică navigating through a Danube Delta canal. © DOORS Black Sea

The situation is a true indicator of the impact of the war on the Black Sea. Ukraine is the world’s leading wheat exporter, accounting for 9% of the global market. It also accounts for 42% of the sunflower oil market and 16% of world corn production. Russia’s blockade of Black Sea ports not to mention the dangers of floating mines along the coast, has meant an estimated 25m tons of wheat are stuck in Ukraine, pushing up world grain prices.

While it is unclear at this moment the environmental impact the war is having on the marine waters without scientific analysis, there are fears about the increased risk of oil spills and other contamination that could affect what is already a very fragile ecosystem.

Image: Cristian Teodoru from GeoEcoMar analysing some water samples from Lake Rosu. © DOORS Black Sea

Our second day saw us head inland to the Danube Delta lakes including one of the largest, Lake Rosu, which historically was once connected to the Black Sea but today the gradient channels prevent saltwater intrusion into the lakes. Researchers from GeoEcoMar conducted some water sampling. While there have been attempts to dredge several channels to deliver more oxygen-rich water into the Delta with the aim of increasing fish populations, these areas remain largely eutrophic, making it difficult for fish stocks to thrive and survive. As a result, the fishing industry in the Danube Delta has decreased significantly in recent years.

Image: Lake Rosu, one of the largest lakes in the Danube Delta © DOORS Black Sea

The trip has highlighted the delicate relationship between marine and freshwater interaction alongside the industries that we, as humans all depend on in our lives.

You can follow DOORS Black Sea through our website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Images from the trip can be viewed here on Flickr.

The work was produced from a series of nationwide workshops with adults living with eczema in the summer of 2019 and aims to which aims to challenge stereotypes about adult eczema in society and how the condition affects long-term health and social outcomes.Sculpture is now exhibited @uofglasgow Advanced Research Building - Check it out: