Understanding MARINELife............

......which is run by a passionate team of conservationists, including Director of Research Tom Brereton who, as well as this role, is also Visiting Professor in Conservation Science at the University of Nottingham and Associated Director, Monitoring Research for Butterfly Conservation.

Tom gave Coastwise members a broad picture of the research into marine animal presence and movements around the UK, most of which requires the cooperation of friendly ferry and fishing boat operators, and volunteer observers prepared to go out and identify and count sightings.

The ships used included 17 passenger ferries, 10 freight vessels, 50 small boats and 3 research ships.

As well as cetaceans, Tom mentioned Balearic Shearwaters, which have moved North from the Bay of Biscay to the Lyme Bay area as the climate has warmed.

Cetaceans covered by the research included Bottlenose, Common and White -Beaked Dolphins (historical distribution pictured on R), Minke, Fin, long-finned Pilot and Cuvier's Beaked Whales. Thie latter was studied as it has deep feeding areas in marine deeps, including the Channel (Bathymetry pictured on R).

Tom concluded by summarising the many threats (pictured on R), and a plea for surveyors, who can make contact through www.marine-life.org.uk.

Overall, a very interesting in-depth (pun intended) overview of the extensive research being undertaken in this field.

A YouTube video of the talk will be available here shortly.