Independent, community-based marine research dedicated to understanding and protecting the marine mammals of the Clyde.
Clyde Porpoise is an independent, community-based marine conservation and research initiative dedicated to improving our understanding of harbour porpoises and the wider marine environment of the Firth of Clyde.
For almost a decade, we have undertaken acoustic surveys, investigated marine mammal behaviour and explored the environmental pressures affecting cetaceans in Scottish waters.
Our work is driven by a simple belief: that better scientific understanding, combined with local knowledge and sustained observation, is essential to protecting marine wildlife and the habitats on which it depends.
Listening Beneath the Surface
Much of our research involves passive acoustic monitoring, using underwater hydrophones to detect and record the high-frequency echolocation clicks produced by harbour porpoises.
These recordings allow us to investigate where porpoises occur, how they use different habitats and how their behaviour may be influenced by activities taking place around them.
Over successive survey years, we have accumulated a substantial archive of acoustic recordings and associated survey observations. These historical data provide valuable opportunities to investigate porpoise distribution, examine underwater noise and develop a better understanding of the Clyde’s marine ecosystem.
Our work also includes collaborative scientific research and investigations into the interactions between marine mammals and human activities.
Understanding a Changing Clyde
The Clyde is a complex and changing marine ecosystem, shaped by fishing, shipping, aquaculture, coastal development, pollution and climate change.
These activities can create overlapping pressures on marine mammals, affecting their habitats, prey availability and underwater acoustic environment.
Through long-term acoustic monitoring and scientific investigation, we aim to improve understanding of these pressures, identify important marine mammal habitats and contribute evidence that supports informed conservation and marine management.
Our work is rooted in the belief that independent research and local knowledge have an important role alongside larger scientific institutions in understanding and protecting our seas.
Looking to the Future
Nearly a decade of independent research has established a valuable foundation for future work.
Our ambition is to build on this experience, make greater use of our historical acoustic records and continue investigating harbour porpoise distribution, abundance, behaviour and habitat use.
We also aim to develop our understanding of underwater noise and the cumulative effects of human activities on marine mammals.
Together, these investigations contribute to a developing picture of harbour porpoise ecology and the changing marine environment of the Clyde.