Celebrating 60 Years of Scientific Diving at Heriot-Watt University

That the Parliament congratulates Heriot-Watt University on marking 60 years of pioneering scientific diving, recognising six decades of excellence in marine science, research and education; acknowledges the university's longstanding contribution to advancing understanding of Scotland's marine environment through world-leading underwater research and specialist diver training; notes that Heriot-Watt's scientific diving team continues to support research into climate change, marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and the restoration of native oyster populations in mainland Scotland and Orkney, while contributing to the work of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland; recognises the increasingly important role of scientific diving in supporting Scotland's energy transition and blue economy through research underpinning offshore renewable energy, subsea infrastructure, environmental monitoring, carbon capture and storage, and marine spatial planning; commends the university's continued leadership in developing underwater technologies, robotics and sensing systems that strengthen scientific evidence and inform marine policy; recognises the contribution that scientific diving makes to skills development, innovation and collaboration between academia, industry and government, and wishes Heriot-Watt University every success as it builds on 60 years of scientific diving to support Scotland's future as a global leader in marine science, offshore renewables and the sustainable stewardship of its seas.