I am a marine ecologist, particularly interested in using acoustics to study cetacean distributions, ecology and behaviour. After obtaining an MSc in Marine Mammal Science from the University of St Andrews, I worked as a Project Manager for Seiche. I now freelance as an Acoustic Analyst alongside my PhD.
An oceanic species in coastal habitats: Risso’s dolphin distribution in Scottish waters and implications for conservation management
PhD aim:
Risso’s dolphins generally occupy offshore habitats beyond the continental shelf, where they forage on neritic and oceanic squid. However, in the UK, and off western Scotland in particular, the species also exhibits a coastal distribution. This distribution means that they overlap with anthropogenic activities, and increases the risks of disturbance.
Risso’s dolphins are protected under various national and international regulations, and are a Priority Marine Feature in Scottish seas. In 2020, a Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area was established for the species off the Isle of Lewis (North-east Lewis MPA), representing an area with persistent high densities, and evidence that it may be used as a calving and nursing area.
This study seeks to improve understanding of the coastal habitat use by Risso’s dolphins. Understanding why Risso’s dolphins occupy coastal waters, when they are there, and what they are doing is key to quantifying risk and the importance of these nearshore areas. The results of this inter-disciplinary research will allow regulators to better monitor Risso’s dolphins, within and outside the MPA, and ensure their long-term conservation in Scottish waters, thereby promoting the sustainable progression of industries and economic growth in increasingly urbanised coastal seas around Scotland.
PhD objectives:
In recent years, the COMPASS (2017-2022) and SAMOSAS (2020-2021) projects have collected year-round passive acoustic monitoring data in Scottish coastal (6x) and continental shelf waters (10x), respectively. Building on these existing large-scale multi-year datasets, this project aims to:
- Develop an automated Risso’s dolphin click detector and classifier.
- Study the spatio-temporal distribution of Risso’s dolphin in coastal habitats.
- Investigate Risso’s dolphins foraging behaviour in coastal habitats.
- Explore potential habitat and geographic variation in Risso’s dolphin echolocation behaviour.
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Thomas Webber
Twitter: @TomWebber96
Peer Reviewed Publications:
Webber, T., Gillespie, D., Lewis, T., Gordon, J., Ruchirabha, T., & Thompson, K. F. (2022). Streamlining analysis methods for large acoustic surveys using automatic detectors with operator validation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 00, 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13907