Movement Ecology of the Flapper skate

The flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius, formerly the common skate (Dipturus batis)) is the designation species for the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) on the West Coast of Scotland where it displays an unusually high level of site fidelity.
This MPA offers a unique opportunity to study the habitat use, behaviour and population dynamics of D. intermedius and this project will use acoustic telemetry and archival data alongside environmental data to address fundamental questions relating to habitat use to increase our knowledge of its spatial ecology.

There are two main aspects to this project:

1. Archival and acoustic data collected from previous studies will be analysed using state of the art modelling techniques to infer fine scale habitat use within the MPA.
2. Using Passive Acoustic Telemetry, the long-termsite use of D. intermedius will beinvestigated using acoustic tags with a life span of up to 10 years internally inserted into the peritoneal cavity. This research also involves the development of suitable surgical techniques to maximise animal welfare during the tagging process.

The aim of these two branches of work is to provide information pertinent to the management of the MPA, furthermore, the work undertaken within the MPA will contribute towards nationwide skate conservation.

Read the final project report here

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