Colin Moffat

Professor Colin Moffat serves as Visiting Professor at Robert Gordon University and Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University, with primary research operations through the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) as indicated by his institutional email. He retired from the position of Chief Scientific Advisor Marine to the Scottish Government in 2021 after leading major national and international marine assessment initiatives.

His academic foundation includes a PhD in heparin biochemistry with links to tumour angiogenesis, building upon initial chemistry studies. This background evolved into specialized research on marine ecosystem health assessment methodologies.

Moffat's research focuses on developing indicators for marine ecosystem status, particularly addressing contamination from microplastics, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and pharmaceuticals. His work critically examines ocean acidification and climate change impacts through large-scale assessments like the OSPAR Intermediate Assessment 2017 and Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020, which established frameworks for measuring progress toward clean, healthy oceans.

He currently chairs the ECOWind Programme's Advisory Group, integrating scientific research with policy development to balance offshore wind energy expansion with marine ecosystem conservation. This builds on his foundational contributions to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and World Ocean Assessment 2.