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Whale Songs Recorded by Shellfish Gear
21 Jan
Summary
- Acoustic devices will be attached to shellfish catching gear.
- The project aims to record whale and sea life sounds.
- A £29,937 grant supports this innovative Scottish project.
In an innovative effort to understand marine life, conservationists are attaching acoustic devices to gear used for catching shellfish. This trial project, led by the Mull-based Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) in collaboration with local creel fishermen, will take place during January, February, and March. The goal is to record the vocalizations of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, providing valuable data on their behavior and movements off Scotland's west coast.
The recordings are crucial as winter conditions limit survey opportunities, leaving significant gaps in understanding year-round marine mammal activity. Whales and other marine mammals rely heavily on sound for communication, navigation, and foraging. This project, named Creel for Sound, has received a £29,937 grant from the Scottish government's Nature Restoration Fund.
If successful, the trial could be expanded to other parts of Scotland. HWDT has a long history of marine surveys, having recorded over 100,000 individual sightings of whales, dolphins, and other wildlife last year. This new technological approach promises to deepen the understanding of life in Scotland's seas, acknowledging that more is known about the Moon's surface than our own oceans.
