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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Registration now open for the UK & Ireland Regional Student Chapter (Society for Marine Mammalogy) conference! Hosted here at @uniofstandrews.bsky.social

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

SealMAP (SMRU's web application for seal distribution data) has now been updated to host the most recent density maps for the Northwest European Shelf! We've also added some extra bells and whistles to facilitate appropriate use and interpretation of the data. Take a peek: tinyurl.com/smrusealmap 🦭🗺️

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Jeanne Mérindol @jeannemrdl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

And that’s a wrap on another fieldwork season in New Caledonia! 🐋🌊🎶 So grateful for a second year helping Opération Cétacés & IRD collect humpback whale data. Countless hours on the water, unforgettable encounters & a brilliant team. 📷 me @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

New research from SMRU scientists and collaborators

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UKIRSC Marine Mammals @ukirsc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

📣 SAVE THE DATE! 📣 The 21st UKIRSC Conference will take place 12 - 15th Jan 2027 at the University of St Andrews. A free event for students in marine mammal science to share research, network, and be inspired. More details soon! #UKIRSC #MarineMammals #StudentScience @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

Conference announcement poster stating save the date and stay tuned, 12-15th January 2027, University of St Andrews.Background picture is iconic ruined cathedral in St Andrews

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Tony Bicknell @tonybicknell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Acoustically tracked fish provide evidence for marine mammal predation @ offshore wind farms www.nature.com/articles/s41... OWEC #PrePAREDproject funded by @thecrownestate.bsky.social @exetermarine.bsky.social @drmjwitt.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

New paper: Classifying bioacoustic data without individual call annotations using temporal convolutional networks and feature extractors - first (but not last!) PhD paper from @garrobe.bsky.social 🥳 pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/art... @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 🐋🦑🧪

pubs.aip.org

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Dr Katherine Whyte @kateywhyte.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Delighted to share this work from my PhD, which is now published in Animal Conservation: 🎉 zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Huge thanks to my co-authors, and to all the funders who supported this work. #MarineMammals #OffshoreWind #RenewableEnergy #AnimalMovement #Seals

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Fabulous to see this paper published... adding to our knowledge of the effects of underwater noise on seals....

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pamguard @pamguard.org · 14/08/2026

PAMGuard V2.02.19 is now available for download. Nothing major in this release, but some important bug fixes, and a few cool features. See release notes for details at www.pamguard.org/news/260811_... The next release, V2.03.00 is going to be seriously awesome ! @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

pamguard.org

Version 2.02.19 – PAMGuard

PAMGuard version 2.02.19 is now available for Windows and Mac

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

New chapter: Sperm Whales in Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Led by Sanna Isojunno, a comprehensive review of knowledge of sperm whales in European waters - happy to see this out! @jlkershaw.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 🐋🦑 link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/... DM yr email for PDF

link.springer.com

Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of mammalian biology, including taxonomy, global and European distribution, genetics, morphology, life history, ecology, behavior, parasi...

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

New paper! I am now officially a bowhead song researcher thanks to Seth's cool new paper - see thread for details - there is so much work to do on bowhead song and I am excited to continue this collaboration! @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @taylorhersh.bsky.social @sethharris15.bsky.social 🐋🦑🧪

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University of St Andrews @uniofstandrews.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

New report from SMRU and NatureScot shows drop in Scotland’s harbour seal numbers and sparks concern for grey seal population Read more...👇 ow.ly/wXxq50ZgS9Z #EverToExcel

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

New paper! Dialect variation in Mediterranean sperm whales shows evidence of cultural evolution in an isolated population tinyurl.com/yrfepekh with @taylorhersh.bsky.social @asociaciontursiops.bsky.social and the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute 🐋🦑🧪 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

A group of sperm whale adult and calves at the surface taken from above. Credit Asociación Tursiops

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Filipa Samarra @fipsamarra.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

‼️NEW PAPER‼️ @ellenlhayward.bsky.social did an incredible job analysing video tags we deployed over the last few years in collaboration with Prof. Patrick Miller @seamammalresearch.bsky.social to investigate the cooperative feeding behaviour of killer whales 🫍 Huge congratulations Ellen 👏👏👏

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Science Magazine @science.org · 13/05/2026

For years, scientists blamed local sharks and boat propellers for bizarre seal deaths in eastern Canada. But new research reveals an even grimmer truth. The freshly weaned animals were brutally killed by their own kind: adult male gray seals. Learn more: scim.ag/4uI3rNs

Scientists ID ‘corkscrew killer’ behind gruesome seal deaths
Bizarre injuries were not caused by sharks or boat propellers, but a more surprising culprit

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

@science.org news article coverage of work led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social: Scientists ID ‘corkscrew killer’ behind gruesome seal deaths www.science.org/content/arti... Read the paper in @marinemammalogy.bsky.social journal here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

science.org

Scientists ID ‘corkscrew killer’ behind gruesome seal deaths

Bizarre injuries were not caused by sharks or boat propellers, but a more surprising culprit

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Izzy Langley @izzylangley.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Exciting opportunity to join a fab team (if we do say so ourselves!) investigating seal diet around Scotland. Fieldwork and lab work. Fixed term until 31st March 2028 - take a look for more info. Closing date is 18th May 2026 lnkd.in/eUZ7pGri

lnkd.in

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

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Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) @soosocean.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

🐋 New ways to eat: ecological influences on novel feeding in WAP humpback whales: Join the WAPSA working group in a webinar featuring a talk by @jennyallen13.bsky.social (University of St Andrews) on 7 May 2026 at 13:00 UTC. Everyone welcome! Register here: buff.ly/SJjef6B

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

📢Job Vacancy📢 SMRU are hiring a seal diet technician. Please share with potential candidates. Apply by 18/05/2026 www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/I/...

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Franca Eichenberger @francae.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Really nice to see our recent paper picked up in a Dispatch. It highlights a point we care a lot about: even in a conservation success story like humpback whales, recovery is about more than numbers.🐳 Dispatch: www.cell.com/current-biol... @currentbiology.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

cell.com

Marine biology: Don’t call it a humpback comeback!

As a population recovers from extreme exploitation, it is not simply a matter of how many individuals are in the population but who they are, which can affect sexual selection. A long-term study of hu...

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Georgina Whittome with important findings about blue whale distribution and ENSO patterns in the eastern Pacific 👏 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 #MSc_MMS_St_A 🐋🦑🧪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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SMRU Ecophysiology Lab @smruecophys.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

@eva-mariab.bsky.social presenting her AMAZING PhD work on the effects of blood gases on peripheral perfusion in diving grey seals at the #ECS2026 🦭🦭🦭

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

@oceangill.bsky.social looks beyond Europe to summarise coastal cetacean conservation issues and massive data gaps around the Indian Ocean, focussing on the concerning status of humpback dolphins and establishing a vital international network #ECS2026 🦑🐋🧪 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

@oceangill.bsky.social in front of her title slide

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Full disclosure I co-supervised @amsouth.bsky.social but my unbiased and objective opinion that his work on humpback song rhythms is awesome! 🤣 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪

Alex South and his title slide about rhythmic variability in humpback song 😎

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Day 2 #ECS2026 @eva-mariab.bsky.social telling us about diving physiology explored with foraging experiments at @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #MSc_MMS_St_A 🐋🦑🧪

@eva-mariab.bsky.social and their title slide

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Count the #MSc_MMS_St_A students and graduates at #ECS2026 - I make it 41 but I will be wrong 🤣 so nice to see everyone!

Marine Mammal Science MSc current and past students at #ECS2026

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Let's goooo! #ECS2026 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @jeannemrdl.bsky.social is presenting work on humpback song in soundscapes of New Caledonian lagoons 🥳 🐋 🦑🧪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Jeanne Merindol stands beside her poster

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Ever masterful Enrico Pirotta shows how individual health can modulate responses to stress in dolphins 👏🐋🦑🧪 #ECS2026

Enrico describes a slide of controlled exposure results

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

SMRU director @carolsparling.bsky.social had the honour of opening #ECS2026 in Dundee today. Many exciting talks to follow!

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Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Great job @jessmontabaranom.bsky.social! Important findings about seal behaviour around tidal turbines monitored with multibeam sonar @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪

Jess and a slide highlighting concerns about declining harbour seal populations interacting with tidal turbine

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Jessica Montabaranom @jessmontabaranom.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Excited to be attending my first #ECS2026 in Dundee this week! If you're interested in hearing more on seal movement and avoidance behaviour around tidal turbines, I'll be giving a talk on our work for on Wednesday around 12 🦭 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

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Izzy Langley @izzylangley.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Really looking forward to European Cetacean Society (ECS) in Dundee next week! If you're interested in seal diet and predation, Holly Armstrong and I will be presenting in the Advances in Dietary Studies workshop on Monday, and at both poster sessions later in the week. Come say hi 👋

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

We're having a fantastic weekend at the @mammalsociety.bsky.social annual conference in Inverness. Enjoying learning about all of the fantastic work going on across the UK on mammal conservation. Not to mention the energetic ceilidh last night. Can't wait to come back next year!

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Open Research, University of St Andrews @standrewsopenres.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

🚨Special feature this week is a @seamammalresearch.bsky.social paper out last month🦭but there's more: Explore research from @jessmontabaranom.bsky.social with open access datasets and articles: 🤓👉📚 research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/persons/j... #OpenResearch #MarMam #MarineMammals

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Open Research, University of St Andrews @standrewsopenres.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

🌊 Featuring a fascinating orca & elasmobranch🦈imagery dataset from @mattidcarter.bsky.social and Maeva Terrapon 🖼️🎥👉 doi.org/10.6084/m9.f... 🔓📙Read the #OpenAccess article here: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social #MarMam #MarineMammals #OpenResearch

Two orca dorsal fins from an image featured in the dataset, taken by Dane McDermott

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SMRU Ecophysiology Lab @smruecophys.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Paper alert 🚨🚨🚨 We’ve developed a remotely operated device for collecting blood samples and administering sedatives in freely moving seals 🦭 🔗 doi.org/10.1111/2041... A thread 🧵👇 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social

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Open Research, University of St Andrews @standrewsopenres.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

🎉Congrats to @francae.bsky.social, @lrendell.bsky.social & @ellengarland.bsky.social on their new #OpenAccess article about humpback population recovery! 🌊🐋📈 📚👉Read the research directly: doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #OpenScience #MarineMammals

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Franca Eichenberger @francae.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

New paper on age-related reproductive tactics & success in humpback whales, published in Current Biology.🐳🧬 doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... #marmam @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social @ellengarland.bsky.social @emma-carroll.bsky.social @clairenea.bsky.social @lrendell.bsky.social 1/7

Humpback whale breaching in front of the New Caledonian coastline.

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

The NERC Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) 2025 report is now live on the SMRU website: www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2026/0.... Updated population trends analysis and advice to gov relating to management of UK seal populations 🦭📈📉

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SMRU @seamammalresearch.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Another new paper led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social: First observations of grey seal cannibalism at Sable Island, inc. a comparison of carcass pathology to cases in Scotland. Collab between SMRU, DFO and @dalhousie.bsky.social with support from @oceanfrontier.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/mms....

doi.org

Gray Seal Cannibalism at the Largest Colony in the World, Sable Island

Click on the article title to read more.

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Jessica Montabaranom @jessmontabaranom.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

🦭 We have a new paper out! We developed an accessible framework for assessing the risk of collision between seals and operating tidal turbines. ⏭️ We found that most seal tracks moved near the turbine without collision. Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/aqc.... @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

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Matt Carter @mattidcarter.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Our recent paper on grey and harbour seal transboundary distribution made the cover of @jappliedecology.bsky.social! 😀🦭Thanks to Dr Kelly Robinson of @seamammalresearch.bsky.social for the photo! Check the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

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Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

This study provides the first comprehensive, regionally scalable distribution estimates for Seals across the Northwest European Shelf and its constituent countries 🦭 🌍 🌊 🔎 Find out more: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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SMRU Instrumentation @smruinstrument.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Great to see the use of SMRU Instrumentation tags on grey and harbour seals published in this recent paper by SMRU researchers @mattidcarter.bsky.social and @djfrussell.bsky.social 🦭🛰️

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Brad England @bradengland.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

My first research paper, "Can Hematological Biomarkers Indicate Diagnoses and Prognosis in Stranded Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina)?", has been published! Read it here: doi.org/10.1111/mms.... #publishedarticle #marinebiology #marinemammals #research @seamammalresearch.bsky.social

doi.org

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