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 research has also extended into investigations of underwater sonar, acoustic deterrent devices and the interactions between marine mammals and human activities.
We have contributed to collaborative scientific research, including work involving the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews and Dept. of Bioacoustics at Strathclyde University.
Independent Research and Commitment
Clyde Porpoise began with a modest start-up grant from Ventures Trust almost ten years ago.
Since then, our research has continued without further external funding.
Despite these limitations, we have maintained a long-term commitment to fieldwork, acoustic monitoring and scientific investigation, developing an increasingly valuable body of research material.
Working independently has encouraged us to develop practical solutions, build technical expertise and make the most of the equipment and resources available.
Our achievements demonstrate what can be accomplished through scientific curiosity, practical experience, determination and a sustained commitment to understanding the marine environment.
The Challenges of Community-Based Conservation
Like many small, community-based conservation initiatives, Clyde Porpoise has faced considerable challenges in sustaining its work.
Operating largely without external funding has required resourcefulness, personal commitment and a willingness to overcome practical and organisational barriers that can be difficult for smaller research groups to navigate.
Our journey has also been marked by personal loss, including the death of a much-valued and trusted colleague whose contribution and friendship remain an important part of the project’s history.
Alongside these difficulties, we have experienced some of the wider challenges facing independent conservation initiatives, particularly when working alongside larger, better-resourced organisations. Securing fair recognition for locally developed knowledge, maintaining independence and establishing genuinely equitable partnerships have not always been straightforward.
These experiences have reinforced our belief that effective conservation must recognise the contribution of local communities and independent researchers, whose knowledge, commitment and long-term presence can provide a valuable foundation for scientific investigation.
Despite the setbacks, Clyde Porpoise has continued to develop its research, preserve its historical acoustic records and contribute to a growing understanding of marine mammals in the Clyde.
We believe that conservation is strongest when scientific expertise, community knowledge and institutional resources are brought together through mutual respect, transparency and genuine collaboration.
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 and environmental changes can create overlapping pressures on cetaceans, affecting their habitat, prey availability and acoustic environment.
Understanding how these pressures interact requires long-term observation, careful scientific analysis and collaboration across different disciplines.
Through our acoustic surveys and related investigations, we aim to contribute evidence that helps identify important porpoise habitats, improve understanding of underwater noise and support informed marine conservation and management.
Our interest extends beyond the presence or absence of harbour porpoises. We want to understand how these animals use the Clyde, how their behaviour relates to environmental conditions and what their ecology can tell us about the wider health of the marine ecosystem.
Looking to the Future
Nearly a decade of independent research has established a valuable foundation for future work.
Our ambition is to build upon this experience, expand our monitoring capabilities and make greater use of our historical acoustic records to understand harbour porpoise distribution, abundance, behaviour and habitat use.
We also hope to develop further research into underwater noise exposure, emerging environmental pressures and the cumulative effects of human activities on marine mammals.
These ambitions will require additional resources, specialist collaboration and long-term support.
We welcome opportunities to work with researchers, conservation organisations, educational institutions, charitable trusts and others who share our interest in understanding and protecting the Clyde’s marine environment.
With appropriate partnerships and support, Clyde Porpoise has the potential to make a substantially greater contribution to marine mammal research and conservation.
Our Commitment
Clyde Porpoise remains committed to independent scientific enquiry, community involvement and the responsible use of evidence to support marine conservation.
We believe that locally rooted research has an important role to play alongside larger scientific institutions, bringing continuity, practical experience and detailed knowledge of the places and species being studied.
Our achievements to date reflect what can be accomplished with limited resources and a sustained commitment to the marine environment and its coastal communities.
With the right support, we believe there is an opportunity to achieve considerably more.
Our aim is to turn years of observation, fieldwork and scientific investigation into lasting knowledge that contributes to a healthier future for the Clyde’s marine wildlife.