What is the project you are doing?
My PhD work focuses on how data collected from stranded cetaceans (dolphins, whales, porpoises) can be used as a tool for monitoring their populations, understanding health, and guiding conservation efforts. My work is mostly computational, using data gathered by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) to build various models that can tell us about broader population level trends.
However, there are times when strandings occur in big numbers, called mass stranding events, and then it becomes an all-hands-on-deck situation. This happened last year on the Isle of Lewis when 55 long finned pilot whales washed up on Tolsta beach, and again this year when 77 came ashore on Sanday, Orkney. During these events, everyone available will head to the site and assist with collecting as much data as possible during the time-critical stage before detail is lost to decomposition. The data gathered is then taken back to Glasgow for downstream analysis, including histology, genetics, foraging ecology, ageing, pollution burdens, bacterial infections, and viral infections to name a few.
Ancillary testing and research, along with the post-mortem notes and environmental variables, helps to build a picture of why the stranding may have happened. Was there a sick individual that the rest of the pod followed? Was the whole pod suffering from an infection? Were they feeding recently, following prey into the bay? Was there an acoustic disturbance or trauma that pushed them onto the beach? The research carried out on the beach and in the following weeks, months, and years can slowly start to answer some of those questions. However, it is often the case that the true reason can never be determined. There are too many unknowns and possibilities involved with these large scale strandings, meaning it is more a process of elimination than pinpointing exactly what happened. But, and arguably more importantly, these analyses can also be used to reveal more about the species as a whole.
Cetaceans are cryptic species, living in the deep ocean where observing even basic life history traits is difficult. The flash of a fin viewed from a boat can tell you about presence, but what about age, sex or body condition? Stranding data offers a whole wealth of information about these animals, revealing details that can help in protecting the individuals still at sea. And ultimately, that’s the main aim of this project. To learn more about how these animals live and respond to change. It’s the silver lining in what is a devastating loss, as big events like this offer lots of powerful insights that can be used for downstream conservation applications.
Where are your field sites, what are they like and what are the goals for these sites?
SMASS collects data on stranded marine animals from all across Scotland, so you can be called to anywhere in the country. This time it happened to be Sanday, an island in Orkney. It is a beautiful, small island with around 500 residents, all of whom were so generous with their time and resources to help us. I really was overwhelmed with how much people wanted to help – people gave us spaces in their homes! That’s no small thing when you realise there were over 20 of us, and that we weren’t exactly smelling like roses by the end of the day… It felt like everyone was coming together, offering all they had to get the job done, and that was a really nice feeling. I’ve helped at two mass strandings before, but its still very intense and so tiring. Having a warm bed at night and community support makes things so much easier.
How long were you in the field when carrying out fieldwork and how did you get there?
I was in Cornwall when the call first came in, so about as far away as I could get! I booked a flight the same day and flew up to Edinburgh, followed by a flight to Kirkwall. I then got the afternoon ferry across to Sanday and met the rest of the team that had managed to get the morning ferry. From there, we had to off-road it a bit to get to the beach which is nestled in between a cluster of sand dunes. More and more people joined us over the next day, with pathologists from England coming up to assist with post-mortems and students from Glasgow making their way North to lend a hand. We then stayed on Sanday for 5 days conducting the investigation before heading back the same way we came, but this time laden down with two trucks full of valuable samples.
What data did you gather at the sites?
I still can’t quite believe the sheer scale of data we managed to collect whilst we were out there. Every single animal had skin, muscle and blubber samples taken, morphometrics and an internal examination with notes on body condition, reproductive state, and recent feeding. We also got the scapula and jaw bones with teeth from all 77 cases, and 5 whole heads. On top of that, 36 animals had full necropsies (fancy word for an animal post-mortem) with detailed notes on what was found, plus a suite of samples taken from most organs for downstream analysis. The post-mortem sampling amounted to over 2000 samples and buckets upon buckets of histology samples.
What have you learned from being out in the field?
My main take away from field work is how completely essential teamwork is. Normally, you get months to plan your field work, you can methodically pack what you need, re-pack it and pack again. You can set up connections with locals, book accommodation, arrange travel and transportation. You can derive a detailed protocol for what you are going to do. With strandings, that’s not the case. It’s a drop and roll game, and that brings a lot of stress and spur of the moment decision making. When you get to the beach and there are 77 whales spread out before you and the clock is ticking, it can be quite overwhelming. So, having a group of people there that are committed and dedicated to working together, with no egos involved, makes it so much easier.
Mariel ten Doeschate, the data manager at SMASS who is also doing her PhD at the University of Glasgow, headed the investigation and organised the team. Having one person who has oversight of the whole operation really helps to keep things running smoothly. With an event as big as this, it would be easy for wires to get crossed. With everyone doing their bit and checking in with that one person who had all the information, it meant mistakes were minimal. It’s a cliché, but we were all cogs in a well-oiled machine and it meant that we got all of the data we needed. I’m so amazed by that, and really honoured that I got to be part of such a great team and work alongside such amazing people.
Do you have any final pieces of wisdom from your field experience?
Take breaks, bring snacks, and stay hydrated! I find I can get into such a flow where I feel like I don’t need to stop but in reality I really do. The team on Sanday were really good at listening to their own bodies and stopping when they needed to, not just when everyone else did, and that was quite a revelation. Remembering to put your own health first is really the most important thing. You feel better, you work better, and you can actually still function at the end of the day.
So, my advice? Eat that Tunnocks!
Acknowledgements
Written by Rachel Lennon, a second year PhD student at University of Glasgow researching how stranding data can be used as a tool for monitoring populations and assessing marine animal health.
Banner and text photos by Rachel Lennon, Tessa Plint and SMASS team.
If you are within the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine and would like to submit a fieldwork diary, please download the questions using the following link and follow the instructions in the document.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e5C8NUew5xFpEl_OPgH-yAjekmoc84OTLol0_eVoDL0/edit?usp=sharing