Another great MEGAfauna lab social at Gorilla bowling & darts. Joined by Cameron now postdoc at British Antarctic Survey 🐧. Thanks to our organiser Sarah Dickson. We are still open to game challenges from any other lab groups! Ecology Group, Newcastle University

Great work by MEGAfauna Lab PhD student Sol Lucas. Finally got some good data after many planned field days cancelled due to weather. Ecology Group, Newcastle University Sciences at Newcastle IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

This innovative project, designing and building new low-cost hardware to measure, assess & conserve sharks is a product of Mech Engineering Graduate Sol Lucas doing a PhD in Marine Conservation Biology. Cross- discipline Sciences at Newcastle

~100 auks caught in a single gillnet at a beach in Yorkshire. This type of fishing is devastating for birds and marine mammals #bycatch

Please contact me by DM, phone or email (see poster) if you happen to find one of our devices. Will most likely be on Blyth, Cambois Bay, Newbiggin or Tynemouth beaches. Many thanks! NCL Marine Sciences at Newcastle

Big relief today! We found & recovered the PAM array we lost in recent storms. One of many benefits of our Sciences at Newcastle developed NanoPAM is that we can "talk to it" to locate it underwater. Many thanks to RV PR crew Neil & Barry Jeffrey Neasham Engineering at Newcastle Ecology Group, Newcastle University

Hi Alex, assuming these are driftnets targeting tuna, then replacing the nets with pole and line would be one (best?) solution. Do you know where in the net the mobula are caught? If it is near the surface then sub-surface setting the net could partly mitigate the bycatch.

Marine Megafauna Lab Christmas Potluck tonight with classic dishes from UK, Middle East & Sweden. A few drinking songs (as expected), together with Janson's frestelse (vegan), ginger cake & some specialty drinks. Beer Pong and quiz & some X-mas tales.

Our new PAM paper just out investigating environmental drivers of dolphin and porpoise occurrence in near shore coastal waters off NE UK. Part of Matt Sharpe exellent PhD. NCL Marine Ecology Group, Newcastle University Sciences at Newcastle doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss…

The full open access for the paper will be released in 24 hrs. Sorry for the inconvenience.

In Oman conducting a pilot study with Sciences at Newcastle PhD student Miaad Al Maamari on shark catch in small scale fisheries. At Barka fish market with help from Sultan Quaboos University students. The plan is to assess diversity and catch levels for conservation status assessments.

Oman shark study: Yesterday's team at Sur market. We sampled a few Silky sharks and tested an ultrasound to determine fecundity and to count pups. Shark was a juvenile, but good practice! Also starting to collect data on the fishing vessels. Sciences at Newcastle IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

More sampling of sharks in Oman during our pilot study. Here at Seeb market where we encountered several threatened species and were given free access & much help from merchants & quality inspectors. Juvenile sharks are preferred and sold as dried meat.Sciences at Newcastle IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

More from Oman fish markets. At Muttrah, more juvenile sharks, Oman cownose rays, sf pygmy devil ray & guitarfish. Overwhelming & depressing but desperately needs documenting. Then need strategy to reduce catch of threatened species before they are gone! Sciences at Newcastle IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group

🚨NEW PAPER🚨 Research & management efforts are failing dolphins, porpoises, & other toothed whales! 🐬22% of species threatened 🎣Fisheries & habitat degradation are drivers 👮Management having little impact 📖Research re-prioritisation required doi.org/10.1038/s41598…

New hopefully influential paper lead by Sciences at Newcastle graduate Andrew Temple. Small-scale fishers target threatened large predators. Long-term fisher income, ecosystem balance & productivity traded for short-term economic gain. Management urgently needed to change practice.

First day of Aura CDT residential in offshore wind energy NCL Dove Marine Lab. Hackathon for PhD students to find solutions to environmental challenges. Dragon's Den pitches to find winne: UV coating on turbines to reduce insect mortality! Sciences at Newcastle Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Natural Environment Research Council

Day 2 of Aura residential. Packed programme with trip on RV Princess Royal to see offshore turbines, visit to cavitation tunnel & Equinor & scientific writing training. Many thanks to Sarah Dickson for preparing interactive exercises. Sciences at Newcastle NCL Marine

Brilliant work today by Ellen Barrowclift passing her PhD Viva for her excellent thesis: Life history of rays (Batoidea), intrinsic sensitivity to fishing, and implications for conservation & management. Many thanks to examiners Theresa Rueger & Alec Moore IAPETUS DTP Sciences at Newcastle

The still missing devices are acoustic recorders (SoundTraps) that we use to record dolphin whistles and porpoise echolocation clicks to study their occurrence and behavior. They were deployed off Blyth, Northumberland, UK. Sciences at Newcastle Northumberland IFCA