New community-driven research, led by the University of Cumbria, will create an underwater sound monitoring programme over the next 12 months to better understand and protect Shetland’s coastal waters.
Partnering with locals, groups and businesses on the islands, the Shetland Community Acoustic Research Forum will use small underwater acoustic recorders deployed on salmon cages, mussel farms and fishing creels to collect information on Shetland’s wildlife and ecology under the sea’s surface.
It has been awarded £47,976 for the project from the Ecological Citizen(s) Network+, which is funded with £3.4m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research & Innovation.
Launched in 2023, it is a research project empowering communities to use digital tools and fostering collaboration across the arts, social sciences and natural sciences for sustainable change.
By combining scientific data, local knowledge and artistic interpretation, the forum will support decision-making related to coastal conservation and promote ecological citizenship and engagement with marine ecosystems among Shetland’s communities.
A world authority on killer whales, Professor Volker Deecke is a professor of wildlife conservation within the Institute of Science and Environment at the University of Cumbria.
Leading the 12-month scheme, Prof Deecke is working with colleagues from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, University of St Andrews, UHI Shetland – a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and University of Aberdeen.
Other partners involved in the project are NatureScot, Seafood Shetland, Shetland Community Wildlife Group, Shetland Cetacean Group, and island-based sound artist and musician Dr Jenny Sturgeon who will compose a piece from the underwater recordings collected.
