Maerl Necklace

'Maerl' pendant necklace in sterling silver made on the Isle of Arran by Jess MacDonald Brass.

*10% of each sale goes to Arran COAST*

Maerl is a collective term for certain red coralline algae that grow unattached on the seabed.

Maerl grows at a very slow rate, around 1mm per year, but given time they can create complex habitats that can rival those of seagrass beds and coral reefs. These habitats can support a variety of algae and invertebrates and even act as nursery habitats for commercial species such as cod, scallops and pollock. Unfortunately, because of their slow growth, it takes a long time for these diverse habitats to recover after they are hit by trawls and dredges.

This piece was designed and made after being inspired by the work from the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) which started decades ago with the aim of reversing the decline in Arran’s marine habitats. COAST spearheaded a campaign that established the first community-developed Marine Protected Area in Scotland, giving citizens a voice in a debate that has been dominated by the commercial fishing industry. Since then the wildlife in this area has thrived. 

If you get out on the COAST Explorer boat on one of the Sea Science trips with the team, you may even get to see maerl on the high tech camera 😜.

Dimensions: 25 x 11mm approx
Chain: 18 inch

My jewellery is individually hand-crafted or made in small batch cast production which is hand-finished - this is reflected in the final finish of each piece. This means that it will not be the same as machine made or mass-produced jewellery. Instead, it gives each of my designs a special artisanal touch.