Sea Trust’s Porpoise Photo-ID project surveys Pembrokeshire’s Harbour porpoise population. The project trains volunteers as citizen scientists, engaging the community with nature conservation while researching an understudied and under-threat top predator—the Harbour porpoise.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Harbour porpoises are the UK’s most abundant cetacean and are vital to the ocean. Despite this, porpoises are overlooked and understudied. Harbour porpoises face many threats, which can lead to rapid declines in population numbers. We have seen huge declines in small cetaceans, such as the vaquita, showing the vulnerability of these populations. A decline in porpoises would unbalance the entire ecosystem, leading to the destruction of our marine habitat. We want to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Solution
We are leading the UK in porpoise photo identification as the first to have a dedicated project, and the only organisation regularly monitoring marine mammals in North Pembrokeshire. This project gives us a close, in-depth, look at the local population and individuals, and how they use our waters, providing vital evidence to manage the protection of our Harbour porpoises. Citizen scientist volunteers complete the surveys, directly engaging the community with research and conservation.
