A big congratulations to Kevin from everyone at CRRU and a heartfelt THANK YOU for all that you’ve done over the past 30 years, and for all the years ahead! ❤️

On receiving the award: “I am both humbled and very honoured to receive the news of this award, but the award is testament to the hard work and contribution of so many individuals that have made the recognition of CRRU’s long-term conservation work in northeast Scotland possible”.

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr Kevin Robinson, director and lead researcher of CRRU, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to the protection of UK whales, dolphins, and porpoises as part of the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.

#newyearhonours #kinghonourlist 🧪

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas break, and a healthy and happy 2026!

We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time and energy to support us in 2025 - our staff, trustees, sponsors and of course our team members and interns who all make our vital work possible.

As always, we have been lucky enough to witness some wonderful marine life during our field work this past summer in the Moray Firth, including 10 different species of whales and dolphins!

Our research continues to inform the Southern Trench MPA, and we were notably able to publish a number of leading research papers in 2025 in the peer-reviewed journals Molecular Biology, Global Ecology and Biogeography and Oceans, as well as co-authoring two forthcoming book chapters. 😊

Thanks to last year’s fundraising efforts - and to everyone who contributed - we were able to get our new research boat “Helios” out on the water this year. We have really noticed a boost in capability.

We have had a fantastic year, continuing our long-term work in the Moray Firth, supporting new research development, exciting new collaborations, and further recognition for our contributions to marine conservation for UK whales and dolphins.

Merry Christmas everyone, from the entire CRRU team! 💙

Hidden vessel traffic threatens life in Scotland’s MPAs - Oceanographic A study finds two-thirds of vessels in Scotland’s MPAs aren’t using tracking system, exposing major gaps in protection for marine species.

🚢 Hidden vessels are threatening marine life in Scotland's protected waters 🚨

Nearly 2/3 of ships entering Scottish marine havens go undetected as they don’t use AIS, an identification system ❌
@whalesorg.bsky.social
@heriotwattuni.bsky.social
oceanographicmagazine.com/news/hidden-...

It’s time to put the ‘P’ back in MPA: Marine Protected Areas in Scotland (and around the world) exist on paper but not always in practice.

Here's what our #OceanWitnessReport uncovered ⬇️🧵🌊

Stories from the team - Life at CRRU YouTube video by Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU)

Stories from the team: learn about life at Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) from Dr. Kevin Robinson, Director and Lead Researcher, and others from the CRRU team.

Part of a series of four short films of stories from different team members and their lives at CRRU. 💙🧪

youtu.be/Kc6dpeam318

Scientific Publications Since 1997, CRRU has published a plethora of research papers, government reports, conference proceedings and university theses.

To read more about the extensive research being carried out by CRRU on these whales, go to crru.org.uk/research/pub... and type "minke" in the search box! 🧪

#research #science #marinebiology #whales #minkewhales #eDNA #cetaceans #animals

Having worked with these whales for almost 30 years now, CRRU's ongoing studies are incredibly important for the future protection of these presently "data-deficient" (and still commercially exploited) coastal balaenopterid whales that we so dearly cherish and love. 🐋

We are also able to track the foraging patterns of the whales by recording each footprint location (left by the whale each time it surfaces and dives), from which eDNA samples are also collected for individual genetic analyses.

⛵ In such cases, our approach is simply to "hang" with the whales, sitting most of the time with engines and sonar off, then moving with the animals as they relocate from one feeding patch to the next - allowing us to observe and record their unique feeding methods and individual entrapment methods.

Other than recording individuals sighted during encounters (recaptures are highly informative to the site tenacity and movements of this meta-population), most of our research work (stable isotope studies, sex segregation, telemetry studies etc) is difficult to apply when the animals are feeding.

Photo of a minke whale surfacing.

This summer has been a poor time for minke whales in the Southern Trench Moray Firth MPA. There has been a notable lack of available sandeels for the whales, and until last week, we had absolutely zero encounters with the whales inshore. 🧪

We have also suggested that the identification of groups containing "good mothers" would be highly desirable for conservation efforts for the future viability and protection of this potentially vulnerable northeast dolphin population. 🧪

#dolphins #bottlenose #research #science #conservation

From our long-term studies we have established that there is a good cadre vs a poor cadre of mothers in this Moray Firth bottlenose population (see: assets.ctfassets.net/xe1w9sqtia79...).

Newborn bottlenose dolphin calf surfacing next to its mother. Fetal folds and a bent over dorsal fin are visible on the calf.

Introducing our 2nd newborn bottlenose calf of the 2025 season with her proud mum "Barbi" (ID#253)! 🐬

This new youngster (5th known calf for Barbi), was probably only hours old when we met her yesterday, as evidenced from its bent-over dorsal fin and uncoordinated surfacing behaviour. 🧪

Photo of bottlenose dolphin calf with its mother.

"Blotchy" has successfully raised 4 of her 5 previous calves, so we have high hopes for this wee one, and will continue to track the health and welfare of mum and her little one over the following weeks/months ahead. 🧪

#dolphins #bottlenosedolphins #cetaceans #research #conservation #science

Photo of bottlenose dolphin calf with its mother.

Some lovely news to start your week! 💙

Meet "Splatch", our first recorded newborn bottlenose calf (neonate) for 2025, born at the very end of July! 🐬

"Splatch" is the 6th known calf of ID#035 "Blotchy", who we first recorded back in 1997 when she was just a juvenile herself. 🧪

Photo of a minke whale in north-east Scotland, with birds in the background.

Further impact may also be due the increase in vessel traffic and associated noise disturbance caused by the proposed export cable corridors and landfall sites for new wind farm operations adjacent to this newly-designated MPA. 🧪

#whales #minkewhales #conservation #research #science #marinebiology

Photo of a minke whale in north-east Scotland, with birds in the background.

The nearshore habitats utilised by juvenile minke whales, for example, may harbour greater impacts from anthropogenic activities such as set creel lines (with pathological evidence of entanglement in creel lines being seen in as many as 50% of all stranded minkes in Scottish waters).

A better understanding of the movements, habitat preferences, behaviour and niche segregation of these whales is necessary to inform the adaptive management process for this north east MPA (see sitelink.nature.scot/site/10477).

Photo-ID Catalogues The Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) is dedicated to the research, conservation and protection of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) in northeast Scotland.

Recaptures of known minke whales (see crru.org.uk/minke-catalo...) provide us with important information on the repeated, long-term presence and habitat use of these coastal whales within the Moray Firth Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Photo of a minke whale in north-east Scotland.

The team have all been working very hard with our beloved minke whales these past few weeks, and after long hours going through all the accumulated photo-identification shots, we have been finding some super recaptures of whales that have been in our long-term ID catalogue for many years now. 🧪

This remains a focal objective of our ongoing and long-term monitoring studies within the Moray Firth MPA.

#whales #minkewhales #cetaceans #research #conservation #science