Category: Coastal and marine

Coastal and marine, Research summaries

Research and Elimination of Archipelago Racoon Dogs

Mikko Toivola and co-authors share a summary about their latest study which focuses on the movements of an invasive mesopredator within the Archipelago areas of Finland. The raccoon dog has been known to occur in the archipelago areas of Finland for a long time. However, the role of the species as part of the archipelago ecosystem is largely unknown. How many individuals live in a … Continue reading Research and Elimination of Archipelago Racoon Dogs

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Research summaries

Albatrosses make distinct flight hops when following fishing vessels

In their new study, “Immersion patterns alone can predict vessel following by albatrosses”, Jonathan Rutter et al. present a new behaviour-based method to detect previously hidden interactions between seabirds and fishing vessels. In oceans around the world, seabirds follow fishing vessels looking for easy meal. This puts them at risk of bycatch, when birds are killed after getting caught or colliding with fishing gear. A … Continue reading Albatrosses make distinct flight hops when following fishing vessels

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Research summaries

Seals avoid an operating tidal turbine

Authors of a recently published study discuss how their research discovered that seals exhibit avoidance of turbines during operation. This finding is important for industry developers and regulators, as lower numbers of seals close to the turbine reduces the potential for fatal collisions and injuries. The rise of the tidal energy industry The marine renewable energy sector is growing rapidly. Offshore wind is well established, … Continue reading Seals avoid an operating tidal turbine

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Collision avoidance: Navigating ships through recovering whale populations

In this blog post, Emily Hague and team discuss their latest research into the importance of careful consideration of collision-mapping approach and data selection when it comes to predicting high-risk vessel collision areas for whales. For conservationists and those that care about nature and our planet, the news can feel incredibly bleak, with daily (deservedly) scary stories of extreme climate change related temperatures, species fighting … Continue reading Collision avoidance: Navigating ships through recovering whale populations

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Evaluating songbird vulnerability to offshore wind turbine mortality

Leon Green-Tkacenko and co-authors share insight into their recent study that explores how existing vulnerability indices for seabirds can be applied to migrating songbirds, and potentially other migrating birds, in evaluating vulnerability to offshore wind turbine morality. What is the problem? Climate change is the most pressing threat to biodiversity in the 21st century andaddressing this threat will require substantial changes to how we generate … Continue reading Evaluating songbird vulnerability to offshore wind turbine mortality

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Spearfishing-fish behavioural interactions as predator-prey systems to envision better management

Author Valerio Sbragaglia and his colleagues guide us through a recent study which advances the understanding of spearfisher-fish behavioural interaction by integrating ecological indicators (i.e., flight and post flight behaviour of fish) with spearfishers’ likelihood to catch a fish. Through modelling and simulating scenarios, their study sheds light on management implications in exploited fish populations. Exploring spearfishing and fish behaviour If you ask spearfishers, they … Continue reading Spearfishing-fish behavioural interactions as predator-prey systems to envision better management

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Coastal and marine, Research summaries

Beneath the Waves: Estimating Marine Bird Abundances Outside the Breeding Season

Ruth Dunn shares insights on her latest study where, alongside her colleagues, she investigated the number of marine birds, outside of their breeding seasons, that may be undetectable when underwater during at-sea surveys. Investing in renewable energy developments, as opposed to burning fossil fuels, has been hailed as a route through which humans might be able to counteract anthropogenic-induced climate change. Within western Europe, it … Continue reading Beneath the Waves: Estimating Marine Bird Abundances Outside the Breeding Season

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Coastal and marine, Freshwater, Invasive species, Research summaries

Creating innovative solutions to manage aquatic invasive species impacts

Author Sarah Kingsbury shares a new integrated management approach to better assess the effects and risks of aquatic invasive species on Atlantic salmon in Nova Scotia, Canada. Invasive species played key roles in the extinction of 60% of Earth’s plants and animals as reported by IPBES in 2023. While not all alien species introduced to new habitats become problematic (or even are able to establish … Continue reading Creating innovative solutions to manage aquatic invasive species impacts

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

A safe passage: Protecting migratory birds in the North Sea

Maja Bradarić summarises how, alongside colleagues, they used 5 years of tracking bird radar data, weather and phenological variables to develop seasonal forecasts of bird migration over the southern North Sea. These forecasts of nocturnal bird migration may be used to define curtailment thresholds for offshore wind energy. In May 2023, turbines in two offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea came to a virtual … Continue reading A safe passage: Protecting migratory birds in the North Sea

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Research summaries, Video

Does incorporating complexity into coastal engineering increase fish diversity along urban shorelines?

Authors of a recently published research article explain how, to enhance fish diversity, it is important to provide three-dimensional habitat architecture that incorporates a wide range of microhabitat sizes and types.  Habitat complexity Habitat complexity is a key driver of marine fish diversity and essential for determining structure and function of fish communities. Many fishes use benthic habitat features (e.g. holes, crevices, vertical reliefs, and … Continue reading Does incorporating complexity into coastal engineering increase fish diversity along urban shorelines?

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