Sea Mammal Research Unit News

Bringing home the prize for Valeport’s first product in action competition were an image of a Weddell Seal in the Antarctica carrying a Valeport CTD sensor and a hands-on video showing the pilot deployment of a Valeport Midas directional wave recorder at the mouth of the U.K.’s Humber Estuary. U.K.-based Valeport, a designer and manufacturer instrumentation for the oceanographic, hydrographic and hydrometric communities, asked its customers to submit videos and photos of Valeport products in action for a chance to win an iPad Air 2 (video category) and iPad Mini 3 (picture category).

A joint taskforce has launched a Code of Practice to protect Bottlenose dolphins near Aberdeen’s Harbour mouth, and provide guidance to vessels operating in the port. The code has been developed by a joint taskforce who have come together as a result of increased interest in the dolphins. The group includes Aberdeen Harbour Board, East Grampian Coastal Partnership, Police Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage; with expert advice from the University of Aberdeen, RSPB, the Sea Mammal Research Unit and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

New evidence has emerged that seal deaths around the UK’s coastal waters are the result of predatory behavior by grey seals, rather than ship propeller injuries, says UK Chamber of Shipping. Sea Mammal Research Unit researchers observed a grey seal killing five young seals, leaving them with the distinctive spiral seal injuries that had previously been believed to be the result of shipping activity. Combined with recent similar evidence from Germany, this suggests such behavior may be more common and could explain the unusual clusters of injured seals found in UK waters. David Balston, Director of Policy at the UK Chamber of Shipping said…

Tritech expands its industry-standard sonar range with a key renewables device, launching its Gemini SeaTec Mammal Detection System at the All-Energy show in Aberdeen, UK. Gemini SeaTec is a mammal detection system which provides a valuable tool in the detection of marine life around subsea turbines. Tritech’s subsea sonars have been deployed on marine current structures since 2008 when the company made its first step into the offshore renewables sector. Tritech has now developed its real-time multibeam imaging sonar technology for this market.