Cornwall Wildlife Trust hails 20 years of the Marine Strandings Network. Over 250 volunteers gather data which help us better understand marine life in Cornish waters
As part of Thank You Week, Cornwall Wildlife Trust is celebrating the dedication of over 250 volunteers who work with their globally recognised Marine Strandings Network. Recording animals that wash up on Cornwall’s coasts, these volunteers collect world class data, some of which has never been recorded previously.
Now in its 20th year with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Marine Strandings Network exists to investigate the lives of elusive and sometimes rare animals that live in the sea and are usually incredibly hard to study. Although sad, these wash ins provide information on many things, including marine wildlife distribution, diet, behaviour, and threats such as the effects of pollution.
This work is more important than ever, with the recent Avian flu discovery in stranded seals and dolphins and the need to understand this horrific disease in wildlife better.
Without these local and dedicated volunteers, this scientific data would not exist. It is recognised by governing bodies and used by scientists to better understand our coastal marine megafauna and the pressures they face. The research has put significant pressure on the government to tackle serious threats like bycatch (accidental entanglement in fishing gear), which the Marine Strandings Network has proven to be one of the top causes of death in dolphins and porpoises.
More on:
Posted On: 22/03/2023