Sea Trust’s Porpoise Photo-ID project began in April 2017 and was the first of its kind in the UK. The project surveys the local harbour porpoise population in North Pembrokeshire by identifying individuals through photo-ID & monitoring them on a long-term basis. By studying these animals at local and individual levels we can get a close, in-depth look at the species, gaining more of an understanding of the species and the local population. With long-term monitoring we can spot population trends and determine the factors that may be influencing those trends. These results will be used when making vital decisions about the protection and conservation of these animals.
Porpoises are one of the UK's top marine predators and studying them tells us a lot about the health of the marine environment and the state of our seas. Porpoises are currently protected in the UK by legislation, but unfortunately they still face several threats and as a result, we have seen other porpoise populations, under the same protection, decline rapidly. Not only is this species at risk but top predators play a huge role in the food web. A decline in porpoise numbers would throw the entire ecosystem out of balance, leading to the destruction of our marine habitat here in Wales. We want to make sure this is not the case. This project is a significant player in gaining protection for our local harbour porpoises.
It’s not just the porpoise that benefit from this project. It is a citizen science project, which means data is collected by volunteers. Sea Trust has always involved volunteers in our work, as we believe the only way to conserve something is to get as many people involved as possible. However, it soon became clear that participating in photo-ID surveys was positively impacting volunteer mental health and well-being. We have always known about the power nature can have on an individual, when you add that to feelings of usefulness, having something to focus on, socialising with people from different backgrounds and knowing that you’re contributing to the conservation of a species, the effects can be huge! We want to spread this feeling to wider audiences, spread our message, share our results, and activate positive change for both the porpoises and the community.
"The ground-breaking porpoise photo ID work is really exciting citizen science, proving that ordinary people can make a difference.”Quote from TV’s Iolo Williams, Sea Trust Trustee.
Unfortunately, a long-term project, needs long-term funding. Long-term funding is hard to come by, as many funders are looking for new projects. As well as this, we have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. A lot of the project funding comes from visitors to Sea Trust’s Aquarium. Due to the pandemic the aquarium has had to close for the majority of 2020. Even whilst open, due to restrictions, visitor numbers were halved and ticket sales only covered the running of the aquarium itself. This means the project has had no funding from its main contributor for over a year and despite our other funders allowing us to be flexible with the project in these unprecedented times, we simply do not have the funds to continue the project.
The project has been so successful so far, we really want to keep it going. Funds raised here will allow us to continue with the project, meaning surveys and the need for volunteers will also continue. Funds will also go towards volunteer recruitment and training, the purchase and upkeep of equipment, organisation of public events and the analysis and presentation of the results.
