A new report has revealed how much carbon is locked away by the isles' rich underwater habitats - and how much more could be captured in the future.

Produced by UHI Shetland's marine spatial planning team, the report explores the "blue carbon" potential of seagrass meadows, kelp forests, maerl beds and more.

Blue carbon refers to carbon captured in the world's ocean habitats, which act like underwater rainforests, absorbing carbon dioxide and locking it away for decades or even centuries.

They play a crucial role in carbon storage, with a single hectare of seagrass able to store as much carbon as eight hectares of sandy seabed and twice as much as a forest on land.

In the report, titled Exploring Sublittoral Blue Carbon Habitat Suitability and Potential in the Shetland Islands, researchers have produced high-resolution maps of these habitats - already totalling the equivalent of 27 football pitches.

And with predictive modelling, the experts believe as much as 62 square kilometres could be found around the isles.

The carbon stored in the habitats already mapped is equivalent to the yearly emissions of more than 100 people in Shetland or the same as driving a car for over 2.5 million miles.

Combined, the mapped and predicted habitats could potentially store more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon.

The report also highlights that the blue carbon value of seabed habitats around Shetland is extremely variable.

While rocky or stony habitats offer little to no carbon storage, those with the highest blue carbon potential are already protected through existing marine management.

UHI Shetland's marine scientist, Tanya Riley said: "This report highlights the varying roles that the seabed around Shetland contributes to climate mitigation, from storing carbon to supporting healthy ecosystems.

"It also shows that existing management efforts are already delivering climate benefits, by protecting habitats that play a key role in capturing and storing carbon."

This research contributes to a growing body of work aimed at supporting marine management and Scotland's net zero targets.

It builds on the 2024 UHI Shetland Net Zero Policy Brief for Marine Habitats and was supported by the University of the Highlands and Islands Knowledge Exchange (KE) Fund for Net Zero.

UHI net zero hub Co-ordinator Christine Anderson said her team was delighted to support the important research, which highlights the vital role Shetland's marine habitats play in tackling climate change.

"By deepening our understanding of blue carbon potential, we can better support regional marine planning and unlock nature-based solutions that contribute to Scotland's net zero ambitions," she added.

The report is available from the marine spatial planning team pages UHI Shetland's website.