Have You Seen Marine Mammals On The Isle Of Wight?

Thursday, 14 May 2020 15:57

We're being asked to log any sightings of marine mammals on the Isle of Wight - as part of a new study to map out the areas they may visit. Islanders are being encouraged to contribute to the research - by Portsmouth University - with the aim of producing accurate and up-to-date information on their whereabouts. Any sightings of marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals will be published as a Master's of Science thesis and a journal research paper. Scroll to log your sightings. Dr Sarah Marley, a Lecturer in Marine Biology and Principal Investigator of the study, said: “Marine mammals play an important role in the ecosystem, but also face many threats to their survival. So it is important to understand where and when these animals are occurring around the Isle of Wight and the Solent. We know that harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, harbour seals and grey seals use this area – but otherwise, our information is pretty limited. “By using local knowledge to create a map of historic marine mammal sightings, we will know how to best focus our future research efforts. This online survey is a crucial first step in developing a broader research program to study marine mammal ecology in this area.” Robyne Castles, a student studying MSc Applied Aquatic Biology, said: “My Masters project aims to collate sightings data for marine mammals around the Isle of Wight. I would really appreciate it if people could tell me any details of when and where they have seen marine mammals in this area. It is okay if some of the details are a bit vague – every bit of information helps.” You can contribute to the survey here.