The Science Operations programme provides scientific services required to support the work of Science programmes. These services include Ships, Engineering, Statistics, Quality and Data Management, Library, and project sponsorship for the new Ellis building. The programme also contains the Offshore Energy Environmental Advice group which provides a variety of services in support of marine energy industries.
The programme has oversight of the process used to plan and implement Marine Scotland's science programme. This includes agreeing priorities for the science programme, reporting progress, and reviewing quality.