How Citizen Scientists Are Unlocking Shetland's Marine Mysteries
Explore the StoryImagine staring out at the cold, choppy waters of Shetland, binoculars in hand, waiting for a glimpse of one of the UK's most elusive marine mammals—the harbour porpoise.
Harbour porpoises are often called the "sentinels of the sea." As top predators in their ecosystem, their presence—or absence—offers crucial insights into the overall health of our oceans 3 .
The Shetland Porpoise Survey represents an innovative approach to marine conservation. Established in collaboration with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the project has created dedicated "Shorewatch" sites at key locations around Shetland.
Volunteers station themselves at predetermined sites and conduct timed watches, scanning the sea with binoculars.
For every marine mammal sighting, they record the species, number of individuals, distance from shore, and observed behaviors.
The data is submitted to centralized databases where it is used by NatureScot and Shetland UHI to update Regional Marine Plans and identify areas critical for protection 4 .
Addresses a major limitation of traditional marine mammal surveys: the scarcity of data during winter months and from remote coastal areas.
Incorporating experienced drone pilots to capture aerial footage of porpoise groups for accurate counts and behavioral observation 4 .
While citizen scientists scan the surface, another sophisticated tool is listening beneath the waves. Passive acoustic monitoring using specialized underwater microphones called CPODs has revolutionized our ability to detect harbour porpoises, even when they don't surface .
Harbour porpoises rely on echolocation for navigating dark waters, locating prey, and communicating.
Characteristic sound that signals a successful catch, providing a window into their underwater lives .
| Detection Type | Effective Range | Monitoring Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Signal | ~200 meters | ~400 meters |
| Classified Clicks | 72 meters | 144 meters |
The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) has collected 30 years of data from beached cetaceans, providing another critical piece of the puzzle. Their research reveals troubling trends: all cetacean groups have shown significant increases in annual stranding rates over the past three decades 3 .
| Species Group | Number of Strandings | Percentage | Primary Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour Porpoises | 2,676 | 52% | Spring (March) |
| Pelagic Dolphins | 1,217 | 24% | Summer (July-August) |
| Common Dolphins | 494 | 10% | Winter (February) |
| Baleen Whales | 479 | 9% | Summer (July-August) |
| Deep Divers | 281 | 5% | Autumn/Winter (Oct-Feb) |
Groundbreaking study developed methods to extract cortisol from harbour porpoise skin, creating a potential tool for assessing chronic stress levels in populations 5 .
Uses small skin plugs or epidermal scrapes to revolutionize how we monitor porpoise health in the wild.
| Tool | Function | Application in Shetland |
|---|---|---|
| CPODs (Cetacean PODs) | Underwater hydrophones that detect and classify porpoise echolocation clicks | Deployed at key sites to monitor porpoise presence and foraging behavior 24/7 |
| Binoculars & Survey Kits | Standardized equipment for visual monitoring | Used by citizen scientists at Shorewatch sites for consistent data collection 4 |
| Acoustic Playback Systems | Equipment to broadcast artificial porpoise clicks | Used in experiments to determine CPOD detection ranges and improve data accuracy 7 |
| Digital Photo-ID Databases | Collections of dorsal fin images for individual identification | Helps track individual porpoises over time, providing data on movements and population 6 |
| Skin Sample Analysis | Laboratory techniques to measure stress hormones | Extracting cortisol from skin samples to assess physiological health of populations 5 |
| Drone Technology | Aerial photography for population counts | Provides accurate counts of porpoise aggregations and documents presence of calves 4 |
The integrated efforts in Shetland—combining community sightings, acoustic monitoring, and stranding analysis—are producing tangible conservation outcomes.
Similar citizen science initiatives have proven their worth globally, accurately predicting distribution patterns 8 .
Protecting these enigmatic creatures depends on powerful partnership between science and community.
"The work of the Shetland Porpoise Survey demonstrates that you don't need a PhD to contribute to meaningful science; you just need patience, passion, and a watchful eye on the sea."