SRSL is able to offer a series of biological assessments ranging from microbial to benthic faunal surveys.  SRSL has the requisite taxonomic expertise in a broad range of marine environments, varying from shallow coastal waters to the deep sea, which provides for an efficient and rigorous analysis service.  Supplementing this skill set is an experienced field work team capable of organising and conducting benthic surveys tailored to the clients needs.

SAMS has a long and distinguished track record, working at the forefront of the biological characterisation of the marine environment.  This work encompasses the detailed phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of marine organisms including bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, meio- and macrofauna as well as the identification and early surveys of deep sea fish species.

Our benthic surveying capacity offers excellence in the quantification of the state of benthic marine habitats, ranging from laboratory based taxonomic analysis to full execution of environmental assessments including planning, survey, analysis and report writing.

Plankton analysis is aided by both the academic expertise of SAMS along with the presence of the National Culture Collection for Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) which SAMS hosts. These two assets underpin an extensive knowledge base relating to the identification, isolation and provision of phytoplankton species to customers. Typical clients of these services include aquaculture companies, biotechnology SME's and governmental agencies, with SRSL recently winning a significant contract to provide the phytoplankton monitoring programme in Scottish inshore waters on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (Scotland).

Furthermore, SAMS has developed innovative molecular methods to allow quick phylogenetic characterization of marine bacteria. This has resulted in a rapid and robust service for sequencing of the small unit of 16S ribosomal DNA .

In addition to an advanced biological skill set, SRSL can draw upon a wealth of expertise in complementary fields such as ecological modelling and data management. This often enhances the interpretation of field studies and the quality of the work in all relevant fields, be it habitat mapping studies through to biodiversity related issues or environmental impact assessments.