Past studies have identified that the north-east of Scotland has a resident population of approx. 227 bottlenose dolphins. In the past, these animals have primarily used the Inner Moray Firth, with some seasonal expansion into the Outer Moray Firth. More recently, a range expansion has been identified south to the Tay Estuary and St Andrews Bay. 

Around half the population uses the Aberdeenshire region, with some individuals doing so regularly.  Aberdeen Harbour is a well-known foraging patch for the dolphins. Located at the mouth of the River Dee ( a known salmon river), the tidal front created by freshwater flow as it meets the sea appears to be associated with dolphin foraging activity. However, the harbour is also one of Europe's most active ports, utilised for trade, fishing, transport, tourism, and supporting the oil & gas industry. 

Currently the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) Shorewatch project collects citizen-science observations of dolphin occurrence within Aberdeen Harbour. Based on hourly watches of 10min duration, this provides excellent long-term data on dolphin presence / absence. However, there is also a need to collect data at a finer temporal resolution to capture the full range of behaviours utilised by dolphins in the harbour. 

It is important to understand the environmental and human drivers of dolphin behaviour within Aberdeen Harbour to inform management measures.

This project aims to initiate a long-term, dedicated monitoring program for dolphins utilising Aberdeen Harbour. By conducting dedicated watches, observers will be able to collect data at a fine temporal resolution and capture detailed behavioural information, in addition to details of presence / absence, group size, etc. This will facilitate investigating the drivers of dolphin behaviour and habitat use within the harbour.