Sea bird surveys
Seeing as our new microsite, www.Seabirdsurveys.co.uk, has gone live this week, it seems like an appropriate time to talk seabirds. Concern for seabirds is growing continually, especially with the growth of wind farms in the coastal zone. The effect of wind turbines on seabirds is mostly unknown, but possible effects include habitat loss or mortality […]
Rigs – to decommission or not to decommission, a new article by Dr Victoria Todd
An article, written by OSC’s Dr Victoria Todd, entitled Rigs – to decommission or not to decommission, is set to be published in Marine Scientist. What to do with offshore installations when they reach the end of their lifetime is a hot topic of debate. Since 1986, the Gulf of Mexico has been running a […]
The harbour porpoise
OSC Marine Mammal Observers out in the field are being kept busy with sightings of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Harbour porpoise are some of the smallest cetaceans, with females reaching ca. 1.6 m in size, and males 1.4 m. Distributed in coastal and offshore Northern temperate and subarctic waters, they are the most abundant cetacean […]
Advisors to the New Zealand Government
Ocean Science Consulting staff have been advising the New Zealand Government on guidelines for Passive Acoustic Monitoring of cetaceans (www.doc.govt.nz). “The New Zealand government is currently reviewing guidance for minimising acoustic disturbance to marine mammals from seismic survey operations, and is soon to publish a new Code of Conduct. This process has relied heavily on […]