Protecting whales and dolphins in the Hebrides
My name is Susannah Calderan and I run the science programme on board the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust's research vessel. HWDT is a charity which works for the conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) and other marine life in the waters of the west coast of Scotland through research and education. One of the ways we do this is by conducting surveys of the region's marine life on our specially designed sailing boat, Silurian. The organisation is based on the Isle of Mull, one of the many Hebridean islands that lie off the west coast of Scotland.
I'm a cetacean field biologist, and have been carrying out surveys, mainly around the UK, for several years. My particular interest is cetacean acoustics - listening to the sounds that whales, dolphins and porpoises make to find out about their distribution, behaviour and how they use their habitats. I have a great love for the sea, and even when I'm not working, that's how I spend my time - sailing, scuba diving, and generally messing about! I can't really explain why I'm attracted to the marine environment, but the life within it, the culture that has developed around it, and its social and economic importance to the people who have long relied on it are very important to me.
HWDT is a small organisation and we work in an area where, until recently, very little was known about the whales, dolphins and porpoises. The work we do is therefore very necessary - if you don't have a good knowledge and robust data about species in an area, it's very hard to know what protection they need, or to convince policy-makers to take action. We have the ability to make very real, direct impacts on marine conservation.
The research
Our work on Silurian involves surveying the waters off the west coast of Scotland for cetaceans and other marine life both by looking for them, and by listening with specially designed underwater microphones (hydrophones) which we tow behind the boat. From these data, we can find out about animals' distribution, abundance, habitat preferences, and the threats which impact on them. Because we survey the same areas month-on-month, year-on-year, we're building up a long-term dataset, so we can start to find out if there are trends or changes in the species around our coasts. As a result of our years of surveying, we now have quite an accurate idea of how many killer whales and bottlenose dolphins are resident in our waters, and have learned more about why certain areas are so important to harbour porpoises - our most common cetacean, but one about which so little is known. These are data that policy-makers need if they are to legislate to protect them. If HWDT wasn't doing this in the west coast of Scotland, nobody else would be.
I run the science programme which enables these data to be collected - planning and carrying out the surveys, determining how data are collected and running the equipment. I also train our Earthwatch volunteers so they can play a full part in our research. But it's not just about the science - Silurian is a working sailing vessel in every sense, and it's just as important that I help sail the boat, cook, clean, and look after volunteers and fellow crew members. It's definitely more of a way of life than a job.
Earthwatch volunteers
Life onboard Silurian is hard work and good fun. Volunteers and crew live on board for the duration of the survey trip. After breakfast each morning we set sail, and throughout the day, all the volunteers take their turn standing at the front of the boat looking for cetaceans, entering data, and, of course, making tea! We are usually anchored somewhere safe and calm by about six in the evening, where we will cook and go ashore to explore whatever island we are staying by. It's very tiring, but very satisfying.
Our work would not be achievable without Earthwatch volunteers - they make it possible. Volunteers stay on board Silurian, working as observers, conducting acoustic monitoring, entering data and assisting with the deployment of hydrophones and other project equipment. For all these tasks, volunteers receive full training from our staff. Volunteers have ample opportunity to learn about sailing, and also assist with the day-to-day running of the research vessel, including cooking and cleaning.
Working on a comparatively small research vessel, and sailing round remote, beautiful areas, anchoring in places largely inaccessible and untouched is an amazing privilege, for the crew as well as the volunteers. We have amazing encounters with wildlife - cetaceans, seabirds, seals, sharks - which are invariably unexpected, intimate, and on their own terms. This closeness to nature and openness to the elements is a fantastic way to live. Not only is it fun, but also makes the importance of our work seem much more real - living in the midst of nature makes it so clear why it should be protected. We all feel like a part of our environment and understand our obligations to look after it.