Cardigan Bay bottlenose dolphin mysteries to be solved by collecting poo
Conservationists are hoping to learn about a group of bottlenose dolphins that make their home in Welsh waters - by studying their poo.About 200 bottlenose dolphins are said to live in and around Cardigan Bay and, although they have been studied for several years, experts want to learn more about their relationships, breeding potential and movement patterns.Analysis of samples will help them to understand what they have been feeding on and where and help build individual profiles for each dolphin.They will also attempt to match the samples with photo identification records of the dolphins gathered on camera by members of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.
The trust secured funding for the project from the Welsh government's Nature Networks Fund in collaboration with Aberystwyth University.The samples will be gathered by net after the dolphins defecate and then analysed by university scientists using techniques to extract detailed data about the animals' diet using environmental DNA (eDNA).Sarah Perry, the trust's marine conservation and research manager, said she hoped the study would "unravel the mysteries of bottlenose dolphin ecology in Cardigan Bay"."This project covers an area of research that we have aspired to embark on over the past decade or so and we are excited that it has come to fruition at a time when it is even more important that we build on our knowledge of the species in the waters around us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Denbigh High School evacuation: 'Historical chemicals' found
A high school has been evacuated after "potentially harmful chemicals" were found in a science department store cupboard. Denbigh High School said the evacuation order followed the discovery of the "historical chemicals". The school is due to reopen on Wednesday. Denbighshire council said: "Disposal experts would be sourced to ensure the secure and proper disposal of the chemicals."
The Independent
17 hours ago
- The Independent
What is new Covid variant NB.1.8.1? Symptoms as cases confirmed in UK
Covid-19 is once again making headlines more than five years after the initial outbreak, with a new variant confirmed in the UK and in several countries across the globe. The new strain, named NB.1.8.1, now accounts for just over 10 per cent of global infections , with cases now confirmed in Northern Ireland and Wales. While there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe symptoms, experts believe that it in can infect cells more efficiently and can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation and nausea. Since first being recognised in January 2025, the omicron variant has spread to several states across the US, Australia, Thailand and is the most dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. What is NB.1.8.1? The World Health Organisation has designated the NB.1.8.1 as a 'variant under monitoring', and comprises around 10.7 per cent of all submitted sequences. A WHO spokesperson said: " SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." While it first appeared in samples at the beginning of this year, data from GISAID, a global data of genetic sequences of major disease-causing viruses, show that the first known cases were registered at the end of April. What are the symptoms? While evidence has suggested that NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily than other variants, the WHO has not observed any signs that it has an increase in severity. "Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not lead to more severe illness compared to previous variants, although it appears to have a growth advantage, suggesting it may spread more easily," Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, told CBS News. "In other words, it is more transmissible." Common symptoms align with typical Omicron subvariants and include fatigue, fever, muscle aches and a sore throat. So far, cases have been recorded in both Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as in popular British tourist hotspots overseas. However, given the dwindling numbers in people testing for Covid-19, it has become increasingly difficult to know the true number of infections. Do the Covid vaccines work against NB.1.8.1? Current Covid jabs are expected to remain effective against this variant and protect anyone infected from severe illness.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Winter brings Australia's ‘humpback highway' to life and peak hour is about to begin
Every winter, Australia's 'humpback highway' hums to life. Thousands of humpback whales migrate from Antarctic feeding grounds to tropical breeding areas along Australia's east and west coasts. Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a Sydney-based whale scientist, said that peak 'blubber to blubber' traffic on the highway occurs between mid-June and early July. That is when crowds will flock to greater Sydney's headlands and beaches, hoping to glimpse the balletic performers as they defy their immense size. Lucky spotters can watch whales, weighing up to 40 tonnes, breach and crash back into the Pacific Ocean, flanked by bursts of sea spray. 'You don't need a boat to see a whale,' Pirotta said. 'I would encourage Sydneysiders to look out on their weekend or morning walk because we have such a fabulous coastline. 'Anywhere you can see the ocean, you have a chance of spotting a whale.' Once hunted to near extinction, the humpback whales – Megaptera novaeangliae – have made a remarkable recovery. Population estimates now range between 30,000 and 50,000. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email But as numbers grow, migration patterns are shifting. 'Some are hanging out here all year round, at least in those colder southern waters like Tasmania,' Pirotta said. Global heating, shifting food sources and warming oceans are likely factors – with implications for future marine life. No longer listed as a threatened species, humpbacks still face risks in increasingly industrialised seas. Entanglement in commercial fishing gear, shark nets and drum lines, vessel strikes and acoustic pollution from seismic blasting are all potentially deadly hazards. Last year, it took rescuers almost five hours to free a young humpback whale in Sydney Harbour after it became entangled in ropes and buoys. 'When you're a migrating animal the size of a bus, there are a number of challenges that whales face that we as humans present,' Pirotta said. The growing humpback population means conservation efforts 'need to be bumped up', she said. Melting Antarctic ice is also threatening krill – a key food source for the whales, which are so important to supporting ocean health. 'Their poo drives nutrients and helps the food chain, which we rely on, especially our fisheries industry,' Pirotta said. Pirotta works with the Gamay Rangers, who care for country around Gamay (Botany Bay). 'Indigenous knowledge holders reflect the past of our First Nations scientists, our first whale scientists,' she said. For many saltwater people of the east and west coasts, whales are sacred and hold a significant cultural and spiritual place. Yuin man Dr Jack Pascoe, an ecologist at the University of Melbourne, said the whales – Gurawal – hold lore in the form of stories. Pascoe helped establish the Saltwater People's Alliance, which advocates for the preservation of whale song lines. He said Australian environmental laws are 'flawed and not fit for purpose'. Stronger action on climate and more Indigenous-led conservation strategies that recognise species of cultural significance were needed, he said. Simon Miller, from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, has said the 'pressing international threat' of climate change is affecting whale migration and marine ecosystems. 'Australia needs to be a leading global citizen and do our bit … keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees,' Miller said. Like Pascoe, he has urged state and federal governments to develop stronger environmental policies. According to the CSIRO, sea surface temperatures in Australia have risen by 1.08C since 1900, with the greatest warming off the south-east and Tasmania.
