Brighter Days and Milestone Moments: Winter Seal Surveys Progress

 

After weeks of battling short daylight hours, we’ve finally turned a corner—longer days are returning and the promise of better weather on the horizon! While winter has its challenges, including tides that occasionally fell outside daylight hours! We pushed through and kept collecting data when we could. And now, with brighter days ahead, our work is evolving once again.

Credit: Claire Stainfield, taken as part of a survey under licensed research drone usage permitted by NatureScot.

A Major Milestone: 50 Flights and Counting!

Persistence has paid off, and we recently hit a significant achievement—our 50th drone flight! This marks the continued effort in our research, capturing invaluable data on the seal colony throughout the seasons. Every flight represents hours of planning, teamwork, and dedication (in the office and in the field!), and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support around us. To celebrate? Ice cream, of course! Because what better way to mark a mid-winter win than with a well-earned sweet treat?

The ice cream cookie cakes didn't last long enough for the photo op!

Looking Ahead: More Light, More Beachgoers, More Data

As the days grow longer and the weather begins to improve, we suspect the beaches will start filling up again—not just with seals but with people, too. This shift also means a new phase of my PhD research kicks into gear: understanding human activity on the beach using GPX files. Seeing how people interact with the coastline is just as important as studying the wildlife, and with more visitors expected, it’s the perfect time to collect this crucial data.

dogwalker? runner? wild swimmer? what do you like to do on the beach? 

If you're a beachgoer and interested in contributing to this research, I’d love to hear from you (GPS@sruc.ac.uk)! Whether you're curious about how to share your GPX activity tracks or just want to learn more, feel free to reach out. Your data could play a valuable role in understanding how people and wildlife share the coastline.

More Light, More Flights:

While winter has tested our patience, the team has come through stronger, and our research continues to move full steam ahead. We’ve hit 50 flights—just a quarter of the way through our ambitious project, with many more to come before we reach the finish line in 2026. With more flights, more data, and new phases of research kicking off, we’re excited for what’s next!