Stranding rates have risen around Scotland’s coastline in the last 30 years - University of Glasgow
Annual rates of marine mammal strandings have increased in the last 30 years, across all species of dolphins, whales and porpoise native to Scottish waters
The concerning new finding comes from a study led by researchers at the University of Glasgow, and marks the first time scientists have been able to quantify the scale of the increase in marine strandings around Scotland’s coastline.
The study, which looks at all cetacean species seen in Scottish waters – baleen whales, short- beaked common dolphins, deep divers, harbour porpoises and pelagic dolphins – is published in Scientific Reports.
The research team used a 30-year dataset collected by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) between 1992 and 2022 to examine the distribution and trends in marine mammal strandings. While overall, the data showed increasing stranding rates across all cetacean species some species showed steep increases in their stranding rates.
Two species, common dolphins and baleen whales, showed exponential increase in strandings suggesting these species are facing unprecedented pressures in Scottish waters. While this trend may partly reflect increased recorder effort in recent years, the scale and consistency of the rise indicates a genuine cause for concern. Experts say, based on the findings of this new study, common dolphins and baleen whales should now be prioritised for conservation efforts.
A total of 5,147 cetaceans were included in this study, having stranded in Scotland between 1992 and 2022. Harbour porpoises accounted for more than half all the strandings included in the study (2,676, 52%), followed by pelagic dolphins (1,217, 24%), common dolphins 494, 10%), baleen whales (479, 9%), and deep divers (281, 5%).
Posted On: 21/08/2025
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