Kevin Robinson
Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit, NGO, Department Member
- Biology, Marine Mammalogy, Marine Conservation, Animal Behaviour, Fisheries Biology, Animal Ecology, and 20 morePhysiology, Zoology, Marine Mammals, Marine Ecology, Environmental Sustainability, NGO Support, Conservation, Monitoring, Animal Behavior, Infanticide, Bottlenose dolphin, Movements, Photo Id, COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, Delphinus delphis, Architecture, MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE, Common Dolphin, Education, and Social Sciencesedit
In the design of protected areas for cetaceans, spatial maps rarely take account of the life-history and behaviour of protected species relevant to their spatial ambit, which may be important for their management. In this study, we... more
In the design of protected areas for cetaceans, spatial maps rarely take account of the life-history and behaviour of protected species relevant to their spatial ambit, which may be important for their management. In this study, we examined the distribution and feeding behaviours of adult versus juvenile minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from long-term studies in the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland, where a Marine Protected Area (MPA) has recently been designated. Data were collected during dedicated boat surveys between 2001 and 2022 inclusive, from which 784 encounters with 964 whales of confirmed age-class (471 juveniles and 493 adults) were recorded from 56,263 km of survey effort, resulting in 238 focal follows. Adults and juveniles were occasionally seen together, but their distributions were not statistically correlated, and GIS revealed spatial separation / habitat partitioning by age-class―with juveniles preferring shallower, inshore waters with sandy-gravel sediments, and adults preferring deeper, offshore waters with greater bathymetric slope. GAMs suggested that the partitioning between age-classes was predominantly based on the differing proximity of animals to the shore, with juveniles showing a preference for the gentlest seabed slopes, and both adults and juveniles showing a similar preference for sandy gravel sediment types. However, the GAMs only used sightings data with available survey effort (2008 to 2022) and excluded depth due to collinearity issues. Whilst adult minkes employed a range of “active” prey-entrapment specialisations, showing inter-individual variation and seasonal plasticity in their targeted prey, juveniles almost exclusively used “passive” (low energy) feeding methods targeting low-density patches of inshore prey. These findings corroborate the need to incorporate demographic and behavioural data into spatial models when identifying priority areas for protected cetacean species. Not all areas within an MPA have equal value for a population and a better knowledge of the spatial preferences of these whales within the designated Scottish MPAs appointed for their protection is considered vital for their conservation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper describes a rare sighting of an anomalously white harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the coastal waters of the outer Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. The recording provides the first photographs of such an individual... more
This paper describes a rare sighting of an anomalously white harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the coastal waters of the outer Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. The recording provides the first photographs of such an individual from the northern North Sea. At an estimated body length of 1.5 m, the present animal had evidently survived to adulthood, in spite of its condition, confirming the potential longevity of such hypo-pigmented individuals in the wild. Further recaptures of this naturally-marked animal may provide valuable information on the site fidelity and long-term spatial movements of these notoriously difficult to study cetaceans.(Received November 27 2012)(Accepted December 19 2012)
Robinson KP, O’Brien JM, Berrow SD, Cheney B, Costa M, Eisfeld SM, Haberlin D, Mandleberg L, O'Donovan M, Oudejans MG, Ryan C, Stevick PT, Thompson PM, Whooley P (2012) Discrete or not so discrete: Long distance movements by coastal bottlenose dolphins in the UK and Ireland. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(3): 365–371.more
The potential for long distance movements of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from six UK and Irish study sites was examined using photographs of natural markings. Here we provide the first evidence for long-term... more
The potential for long distance movements of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from six UK and Irish study sites was examined using photographs of natural markings. Here we provide the first evidence for long-term re-sightings between the Moray Firth, Inner Hebrides and across international borders to the Republic of Ireland as established for eight individuals over a ten year period, from 2001 to 2010. Minimum dispersal distances of up to 1,277km were determined, providing a new distance record for the species in European waters. Although none of the sightings were made within protected areas, several were made in waters used by animals from a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) revealing some evidence for connectivity between areas previously regarded as discrete. Our findings highlight the need to mitigate broader-scale anthropogenic impacts affecting these dolphins across multiple sites throughout their coastal range. Accordingly, we underline the importance of developing wider conservation measures for this species in UK and Irish waters, but particularly in identified corridor areas potentially linking core SACs in the Moray Firth, Cardigan Bay and Shannon Estuary.
Research Interests:
Robinson K.P., Stevick P.T. & MacLeod C.D. (2007) An integrated approach to non-lethal research on minke whales in European waters. Proceedings of a workshop held at the 21st Annual Meeting of the European Cetacean Society in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, 22 April 2007. European Cetacean Society, Special Publication Series no 47, 46 pp. more
Tetley M.J., Mitchelson-Jacob E.G. & Robinson K.P. (2008) The summer distribution of coastal minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the southern Moray Firth, NE Scotland, in relation to co-occurring meso-scale oceanographic features. Remote Sensing of Environment. Special Issue on Earth Observation for Biodiversity and Ecology 112(8): 3449–3454.more