BRDP

Background and History

Research, Education and Consultancy Services.

BDRP has a strong core team, the majority of which are unpaid, with professional marine/conservation backgrounds and recognised expertise in a number of relevant disciplines including cetacean ecology, cetacean rehabilitation, cetacean acoustics, cetacean identification, seal ecology, shark ecology, marine mammal education and interpretation, ecological methodology, seabirds, wildlife illustration and public relations.

Specific BDRP projects over the last seven years have included:

Monthly, year-round cetacean and seabird monitoring of the English Channel and Bay of Biscay on a fixed ferry route operating between Portsmouth, England and Bilbao, Northern Spain, using a validated scientific methodology.
Photo-identification, scar-pattern analysis, acoustic and habitat preferences research into the elusive and previously little studied Cuvier's Beaked Whale.

Training programmes for post-graduate volunteers in cetacean identification, survey methods and database management.
An extensive programme of marine conservation educational and interpretation work aimed at the 100,000 or more passengers who travel with P& O every year.

Research Objectives.

Cetaceans are amongst the most popular of all wildlife taxa, and are highly susceptible to environmental change. Blue Whale Consequently, they have considerable potential to be used as flagship indicators to monitor changing marine biodiversity. The Biscay Dolphin Research Programme (BDRP) is one of the few organisations to conduct year-round, annual population monitoring of offshore cetaceans.

Since 1995, BDRP has carried out monthly, year-round cetacean surveys through the English Channel and Bay of Biscay, using a repeatable scientific methodology. A huge dataset of cetacean population data has been collected, with more than a quarter of the world's species observed. The dataset can be used to determine seasonal, annual and long-term population trends for individual cetacean species and aggregates of species.

Storm Petrel Distribution Map Annual population data is of great value in biodiversity monitoring because it enables the detection of early signs of species' decline, when it is most appropriate to undertake conservation action and inform marine resource management policy. We conduct a number of statistical analyses (including generalised linear modeling and power analysis) to identify spatial, seasonal and inter-annual variations in abundance of each cetacean species recorded (from BDRP surveys) in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay.

From this we are able to present findings of relevance to indicator selection, including identification of the most appropriate cetacean species to monitor, and the location, frequency and intensity of monitoring required to detect signals and species trends. Such a strategic approach is essential if we are to select appropriate indicators and monitor effectively changes in the health of the marine environment in west European waters.