Scottish marine animal stranding scheme

© Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme

To continue to collate, analyse and report data for all cetacean, seal, basking shark and marine turtle strandings across the Scottish coast. This will include determination of cause of death and surveillance of the incidence of disease. To undertake approximately 70 post mortems on cetaceans and seals stranded around the Scottish coast (approx 20-30 cetaceans and 40-50 seals).

A wide geographical spread of post mortems should be achieved unless specified otherwise. To provide an overall Scottish sample of both species of seal, including areas of common seal decline, to determine cause of death and any potential contributing factors.To investigate specific cases of strandings/causes of death as requested by the Scottish Government. Continue to contribute to existing the Scottish Government funded projects including the minke whale entanglement and the bottlenose dolphin projects.

To provide scientific advice to the Scottish Government as necessary about major causes of death in stranded marine mammals, including any trends or unusual trends. To develop a database that brings together data on both strandings and post mortems for seals. All cetacean data should be fed into the database for the “UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme”.

Contribute to the production of strandings training material and workshop events and raise awareness through publicity.