Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project - News

 For a while now, I've been thinking it would be great to have a logo for the Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project. And whilst I'm not short of ideas, unfortunately I am chronically lacking in artistic talent. Thankfully, this is not true of Iona MacLeod! Since finishing her Honours Project on the Aberdeen dolphins last year, Iona has completed a stint as a Drone Intern with Claire and also been working for me as a Research Assistant on a marine mammal acoustics project. Being the incredible individual that she is, Iona has also found time between her science jobs to deploy her creative skills and create some lovely logos for both AMMP and the "coming soon in 2026" Seal Snap project! The timing of these ties in perfectly with creation of our new social media accounts! Follow us at: Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project on BlueSky Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project on Instagram Seal Snap on BlueSky   Seal Snap on Instagram

 As this week marks a full year of drone flights for the Aberdeen Marine Mammal Project, it also marks the halfway point in my data collection and, incredibly, the halfway point in my PhD journey. Time really does fly (almost as fast as the drone on a calm day over the colony)! Poster submission for 2025 SGSSS Impact competition First and foremost, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me during the SGSSS Impact Competition . It meant so much to be shortlisted, and although I didn’t win, the experience was incredibly rewarding. I was truly touched by the kind feedback from those who voted and took the time to leave encouraging comments. Your support and enthusiasm is why I love sharing this research—it’s not just about seals and science, but about people, and the collective curiosity and passion we share. One of my favourite events to be part of Pint of Science.  One of the parts I’ve enjoyed most this year has been the chance to talk about my wo...

  Since my last update, my PhD has witnessed a significant milestone — the peak of the grey seal moulting season in March. During this time, the seals haul out in large numbers to shed their old coats and grow new ones, a vital and energetically demanding process. It’s also a period where their vulnerability to environmental stressors is at its highest, making undisturbed rest critical. A packed seal beach from above Unfortunately, this year’s peak coincided with a noticeable rise in disturbance events around the reserve. A number of people, maybe unaware or misinformed, have walked around the point — an area of the reserve that is clearly marked as important for the seals and protected to minimise human impact. We know a proportion of these people will have genuinely missed the signs, but unfortunately some will have decided to just ignore them. While the Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives a right of pedestrian access across most of Scotland, it's important to remember that thes...