ECOPredS would not exist without the support from the project partners and collaborators who have generously shared their data and expertise with the project. We are also grateful to the project’s funders, including Marine Scotland Science (MSS), NatureScot and Carnegie Trust (more details on the funding page).
Sea Watch Foundation, along with Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and ORCA are providing the project with sighting data to analyze harbour seal behaviour in the presence/absence of killer whales.
Hugh Harrop, Karen Hall and the many volunteer contributors to Shetland Orca Sightings
COMPASS project (SAMS) has provided the project with PAM recordings from the West Coast that will be analyzed for killer whale presence near important sites for harbour seals.
Northern Lighthouse Board kindly allowed us to deploy acoustic recorders on their navigation buoys in Scapa Flow, Orkney, in 2019 and in 2021, and in Shetland in 2022.
ECOPredS interacts and coordinates with other researchers and ongoing research projects on North Atlantic killer whales, including Norwegian Orca Survey led by Dr Eve Jourdain, Icelandic Orca project led by Dr Filipa Samarra, UK killer whale photo-id catalogue established by Dr Andy Foote, and Volker Deecke from the University of Cumbria who led the 2008-2009 study on killer whale vocal and foraging behaviour in Shetland.
We are also grateful to the many researchers and engineers in SMRU for invaluable advice, technical support, and data-sharing, including Bernie McConnell, Ailsa Hall, Simon Moss, Steven Balfour, Matt Bivins, Chris Morris, Debbie Russell, Dave Thompson, Matt Carter, Izzy Langley, Monica Arso Civil, and Carol Sparling.
ECOPredS project 