Latest news with #SMRU
The National
18 hours ago
- Health
- The National
Significant decline among harbour seals in Scotland, study finds
Scotland's west coast is a region long considered as the last stronghold for the marine mammal in the UK and conservation experts have said the findings should serve as 'a real wake-up call'. Harbour seals have experienced long-term decline across much of the UK since the early 2000s, with the exception of the west coast of Scotland, where numbers held steady in the likes of the Inner Hebrides and the western Highlands. READ MORE: Green leadership have dispensed with the radicalism that got them elected Dr Debbie Russell, lead seal ecologist and deputy director of the SMRU said the figures mark a 'concerning turning point' for harbour seals' survival. 'For years, we've viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay,' she said. She added: 'This is a real wake-up call. For years, we've viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay. 'To now see declines in this region suggests that the pressures affecting these animals are becoming more widespread or severe.' The UK harbour seal population is genetically distinct from harbour seals elsewhere in continental Europe. Experts have said the decline of the UK population is particularly worrying in a wider geographical context. Researchers said the causes of the decline remain 'complex' as scientists are investigating several potential reasons as to why UK harbour seals numbers are dwindling. Experts have said some possible factors include disease outbreaks such as phocine distemper virus (PDV), environmental changes and reduced prey availability, possibly linked to climate change and competition with and predation by grey seals. Researchers added that decline on the west coast raises urgent questions about the resilience of the UK's marine ecosystems and the need for enhanced protections for marine mammals. Dr Carol Sparling, director of SMRU, called for urgency in addressing the matter.
STV News
20 hours ago
- Health
- STV News
Concerns grow amid 'significant decline' in harbour seal numbers
The number of harbour seals across the UK are showing 'significant signs of decline', a new study has found. Monitoring figures from the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) show that Scotland's west coast harbour seal numbers have dropped significantly for the first time in decades. The figures show a decline of 20% between 2018 and 2023. Experts said the figures mark a 'concerning turning point' for harbour seals' survival in British waters. Monica Arso Harbour seal figures show a decline of 20% between 2018 and 2023. This latest data revealed that numbers are now declining on the west coast of Scotland, where they had previously been stable or increasing. The west coast region had long been considered a 'stronghold' for the species, holding over 65% of the UK population and offering a glimmer of hope amid widespread population declines elsewhere in the UK. Since the early 2000s, harbour seals have experienced long-term declines across much of the UK, particularly in the Northern Isles, the east coast of Scotland, and, more recently, parts of south eastern England. Dr Debbie Russell, lead seal ecologist and deputy director of the SMRU said the figures are a 'real wake up call'. Monica Arso Monitoring figures from the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) show that Scotland's west coast harbour seal numbers have dropped significantly for the first time in decades. 'For years, we've viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay,' she said. 'To now see declines in this region suggests that the pressures affecting these animals are becoming more widespread or severe.' The UK harbour seal population (Phoca vitulina) is genetically distinct from harbour seals elsewhere in continental Europe, so the decline of this unique population is particularly worrying in a wider geographical context. Researchers said the causes of the decline remain 'complex' with scientists are investigating several potential drivers. Some possible factors include disease outbreaks such as phocine distemper virus (PDV), environmental changes and reduced prey availability, possibly linked to climate change and competition with and predation by grey seals. The decline on the west coast raises urgent questions about the resilience of the UK's marine ecosystems and the need for enhanced protections for marine mammals. Dr Carol Sparling, director of SMRU, called for urgency in addressing the matter. 'We need to act quickly. That means continued investment in research and monitoring and the development of targeted conservation measures.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Significant decline among seals on Scotland's west coast
Scotland's west coast harbour seal numbers have dropped significantly for the first time in population fell by 20% between 2018 and 2023, in a region long considered the last stronghold for the marine mammal in the experts said the findings - carried out by the University of St Andrews - should serve as "a real wake-up call".Harbour seals have experienced long-term decline across much of the UK since the early 2000s with the exception of the west coast of Scotland, where numbers held steady in the likes of the Inner Hebrides and the western Highlands. The research was carried out by the university's Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), which has monitored seal populations since the 1980s through aerial surveys, photo-ID, and tagging Debbie Russell, lead seal ecologist and deputy director of the SMRU, said the figures marked a "concerning turning point" regarding the species survival in UK added: "This is a real wake-up call. For years, we've viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay. "To now see declines in this region suggests that the pressures affecting these animals are becoming more widespread or severe." The west coast of Scotland holds around 65% of the UK's entire harbour seal is ongoing regarding reasons for the population decline, with possibilities including disease outbreak, environmental changes and reduced availability of seals and their more elusive cousins - grey seals - are both native to Scotland, but greys are bigger and more powerful has lead to some suggestions that the larger mammals are forcing harbour seals from their traditional areas and onto public beaches, where they are at Carol Sparling, the director of SMRU, said there needed to be a quick response to the university's findings and called for targeted conservation measures.
