Regional baselines for marine mammal knowledge across the North Sea and Atlantic areas of Scottish waters : Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 11 No 12

• Main Author: Marine Scotland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Marine Scotland Science 2020
• Subjects: Birds, mammals and reptiles; Balaenoptera acutorostrata; Balaenoptera physalus; Fin whale; Harbour porpoise; harbour seal; Humpback Whale; hyperoodon ampullatus; Killer Whale; Lagenorhynchus albirostris; Megaptera novaeangliae; Mesoplodon bidens; minke whale; Northern bottlenose whale; Orca; Orcinus orca; Phoca vitulina; Phocoena phocoena; Physeter macrocephalus; Sperm whale; White-beaked dolphin; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7489/12330-1; https://data.marine.gov.scot/dataset/regional-baselines-marine-mammal-knowledge-across-north-sea-and-atlantic-areas-scottish

This report collates and provides up-to-date information on the abundance and distribution of marine mammal species in the Scottish Northern North Sea region and Scottish Atlantic waters, with a focus on Draft Plan Option (DPO) sites identified in the Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy for Scotland. These are sites which may be leased for commercial-scale offshore renewable development. Using the review of the current abundance and distribution data available for marine mammals in Scottish waters, the report then highlights areas where data are lacking, particularly for DPOs, and a number of recommendations are provided on potential future options for research at a strategic level to fill these gaps. : Summary tables are presented throughout the report which provide an overview of the large volume of information presented within the report, one of which collates the >40 data sources presented (Table 1), another the species expected to be sighted within each DPO region and site (Table 9), and two further summary tables summarise the gaps in knowledge by DPO region (Table 12) and by species (Table 13). The report also provides a review of our current understanding of vital rates of marine mammals in Scottish waters, again highlighting any gaps in current knowledge. Separately commissioned short notes are available in the Appendices which provide information and advice on the utility and future status of the SCANS surveys and of seal at-sea usage maps. The species reviewed are harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), killer whale (Orcinus orca), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and beaked whale spp including Northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus), Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) and Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris).