A truly humbling encounter at Tiger Beach
Species: Tiger Sharks. Location: Tiger Beach, Bahamas, 2024. Just wow! I had been hearing about Tiger Beach for years and now it was my time to go and experience this truly special place! Little Bahama Bank, aka Tiger Beach is approximately 11,000km2, with shallow waters 6-15m deep, surrounded by a deep >500m drop-off. Coral reefs, […]
An incredible moment captured
Species: Flapper Skate. Location: Macduff, Scotland, 2023. If the truth be told, I wasn’t best pleased, it was dawn on a Saturday in late May, hence it was early, very early! However, my buddy Chris and I had dived our usual spot at Macduff yesterday evening and the conditions were the best we had seen […]
COP 26 Filming
Species: Flapper Skate. Location: Loch Sween, Scotland, 2021. Late November I joined a determined crew of divers and film makers to undertake 3 consecutive dives into the murky depths of Loch Sween in the hope of baiting in and filming the elusive Flapper Skate! The first 2 dives we drew a complete blank, however during […]
BSAC (British Subaqua Club)
Seasearch
East Grampian Coastal Partnership
Shark and Skate Citizen Science Scotland
Shark and Skate Citizen Science Scotland is a group set-up by my friend and colleague Chris Rickard and I with the aim of obtaining important data about the various elasmobranchs found in Scottish waters, with a special emphasis on the critically endangered Flapper Skate (Dipturus intermedius). We record species sightings of individuals (both alive and […]
Exploratory research and conservation of flapper skate egg-laying sites
Lauren’s primary research is focused on the critically endangered Flapper Skate (Dipturus intermedius), more specifically the identification of and the protection of their egg-laying sites. This includes exploring coastal waters off Scotland by carrying out underwater dive surveys, obtaining BRUV footage and analysing bathymetry data to map essential habitats being used by Flapper Skates as […]
Canine detection of elasmobranch eggcases
Lauren is also in the process of preparing a manuscript about canine detection of elasmobranch eggcases; this project was inspired by her spaniel’s ability to locate empty eggcases that wash up around the Scottish coastline!
Western Ecology Tour
I am delighted to be joining an awesome expedition team this June, developed and led by professional diver Andy Clark (https://andythenortherndiver.com/). The UK’s marine environments are under more pressure than ever before. From the plastic pollution littering our beaches to the damage done by discarded fishing gear and intensive or sometimes illegal fishing practices. It […]