A programme of small boat surveys has been carried out off south-west England, especially in Lyme Bay since 2006 targeted at understanding the distribution, population size, movements and habitat requirements of three threatened and protected species – Bottlenose Dolphin, White-beaked Dolphin and Balearic Shearwater. More recently, Great Northern Dover has been added to the list of focal species, as increasing numbers are being off inshore reef areas.
Data on Bottlenose Dolphins helped Natural England designate the inshore coastal areas of south Devon and Cornwall as a ‘management unit’ for this species; meaning that the species needs have to be taken into account in relevant marine planning issues. More recently, researchers from Plymouth University completed a more wide-ranging analysis of Bottlenose Dolphin distribution and abundance using date supplied by MARINElife and others.
The surveys discovered a population of cold-water White-beaked Dolphins in Lyme Bay and MARINElife initially worked with the Wildlife Trusts to designate the area as a Marine Protected Area. Unfortunately, this dolphin has declined locally, as sea temperatures have risen and it is now rare in Lyme Bay, with protected area status not appropriate.
Photo-identification of dolphins is carried out on these surveys, with catalogues compiled for Common Dolphin, White-beaked Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin and Bottlenose Dolphin.
Public sightings are collated and there is popular citizen science Facebook page with nearly 4,000 followers
Species focus
Common Dolphin
Harbour Porpoise
Risso’s Dolphin
White-beaked Dolphin
Balearic Shearwater
Great Northern Diver
Bluefin Tuna
Related publications
| Lyme Bay: A recently discovered hotspot for white-beaked dolphins in the English Channel | https://www.ascobans.org/sites/default/files/document/AC20_4.1.c_ECSWorkshop_White-beakedDolphin.pdf |
| Understanding the distribution of marine megafauna in the English Channel region: identifying key habitats for conservation within the busiest seaway on earth | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089720 |
| Population structure, mobility and conservation of common bottlenose dolphin off south-west England from photo-identification studies | https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/population-structure-mobility-and-conservation-of-common-bottlenose-dolphin-off-southwest-england-from-photoidentification-studies/AD7CABE00DADA3AD28BC6A38C12B56FE |
| Using citizen science data to assess the vulnerability of bottlenose dolphins to human impacts along England’s South Coast | https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acv.12921 |
| Using integrated land-and boat-based surveys to inform conservation of the Critically Endangered Balearic shearwater | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v25/esr00611 |