"Seal Snap" - Applying citizen science to monitor urban seals

 We are delighted to announce that the Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project has received a research grant from the British Ecological Society to launch a new initiative! The "Seal Snap" citizen-science project will monitor harbour seals at Donmouth Local Nature Reserve to help us understand how these urban seals cope with city living.

What is the problem?

Despite the increasing presence of nature in our towns and cities, we still have a limited understanding of how an urban context alters the ecology of a species. Compared to their rural counterparts, we know that urban foxes change their diets to include rubbish scavenging, songbirds change their tunes to be heard over cars, and many insects are drawn towards bright streetlights throughout the urban landscape. But what changes are also occurring in our urban seascapes?

The UK is a coastal nation, with over 30,000km of coastline and a long history of maritime activities. But this also means that human population density along the coast is much higher than inland, driving “ocean sprawl” and holding the power to significantly alter coastal systems. Whilst previous research has examined effects of urbanisation on terrestrial ecology, unfortunately urban marine ecosystems are very often “out of sight, out of mind”. Yet even some of the largest marine fauna are making their way into our built-up areas.

One such example is in Aberdeen, Scotland where up to 35 harbour seals regularly rest on a small island located at the mouth of the River Don. This island is situated in one of the most deprived suburbs of the city, directly beneath a busy traffic bridge that experiences ~25,000 vehicles and thousands of pedestrians each day. The river itself also experiences high-use for recreation, tourism, and angling. Possibly the most urbanised harbour seal haul-out site in the UK, the likelihood of ecological impacts and human-wildlife conflict is high.

Harbour and grey seals at Donmouth LNR (credit: Nick Littlewood)

What will this project do?

Urban sites do have one strong advantage over rural areas – this high population density means more “people power” for monitoring nature.

The “SealSnap” project aims to use citizen science for monitoring harbour seals at an urban site. By installing an information board and smartphone cradle on the bridge, SealSnap will provide a means for pedestrians to become citizen scientists. The board will explain more about the seals, then invite citizens to upload either a count or a photo to a centralised database. To broaden participation and ocean literacy, a number of public events will also be held in the local area and online to explain more about the project, the seals, and the importance of monitoring ocean health.

At the same time, dedicated observations will also be undertaken by a trained researcher. This will allow citizen-science data to be assessed in terms of its accuracy and interpreted accordingly. Combined, the citizen- and professional-scientist observations will give high monitoring coverage at this site.

View of the seal haul-out from the Bridge of Don

How will this help?

This urban site also offers a unique opportunity to examine potential changes in harbour seal occurrence, behaviour, and activity budgets compared to more “rural” seals. Such information can inform seal management and conservation decisions.

Harbour seals are internationally-recognised as “indicator species”, meaning their presence can be used to infer ecosystem quality. So understanding more about how seals cope in this busy, noisy environment can also provide insight into wider ocean health.

How can I get involved? 

The project is now in the planning stage, which involves designing and piloting outreach materials. As I will soon be heading off on maternity leave, we aim to officially launch the project in Spring 2026. Stay tuned for updates and how you can submit recordings!