Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 1d

🐟 Terrible news for the wild Scottish salmon population…

Salmon farming conglomerate Mowi has confirmed that, due to damage caused during Storm Amy, “around 75,000 fish have escaped from its Gorsten seawater farm in Loch Linnhe.

#salmon #marinelife #environment 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 1d

👀 🦈 Sneak Peek!

Last night i finished putting together a new presentation that I will be delivering this Thursday in Ellon!

#sharks #sharklife #outreach #education

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 4d

🌊 🤿 After a week of very worthwhile #beachcleans with work, combined with the utter insanity of humans beings on terra firma.
I literally couldn’t wait to get in the #sea i made the most of an opportunity for a quick #freedive before the storm hit!
Found my usual #underwater critter pals 💙 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 📸

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 5d

You can check out the ISRAs and download the factsheets via this link: sharkrayareas.org/e-atlas/

E-Atlas - Important Shark Ray Areas

sharkrayareas.org

Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 5d

📑 Note: At the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Conference of Parties in February 2025, Parties adopted a resolution on ISRAs and encouraged all countries to include spatial planning measures for ISRAs in their National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plans (NBSAP).

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 5d

❓What exactly defines an ISRA? Important Shark and Ray Areas are discrete three-dimensional portions of habitat that are important for one or more species of chondrichthyans and have the potential to be managed for conservation.

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 5d

🦈 Great to have taken part in the recent Important Shark & Ray Area “ISRA” designations for the EU Atlantic.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Shark & Skate Scotland (founded by Chris & I) advised on the Firth of Lorn ISRA & the Moray Firth ISRA whereby the Flapper Skate was recognised as a qualifying & supporting species!
🌊 🧪

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 7d

Such a loss to the world 🐒🌿

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Reposted by Dr Lauren Smith

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 10d

Study spotlights West Papua habitat as whale sharks face increased pressures

A new study reports that the Bird’s Head Seascape off Indonesia’s West Papua serves as a vital habitat for juvenile male whale sharks, but lift-net fisheries, tourism boats and emerging mining…

news.mongabay.com

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 10d

🦁 ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 10d

🙌

Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 12d

3/3 🧵 🤿 We had great interactive sessions and are looking forward to the final projects which will be presented by the S3’s in a few weeks time! I have donated a mask and snorkel set as part of a prize package for the best project 🙌

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 12d

2/3 🧵 The driving question was “How can we, as S3 Biologists help our school community restore the health of the sea around the North East of Scotland?”

🐟 My role was to highlight some of the incredible habitats and species found in the North East through my underwater photography!

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 12d

🤩 1/3 🧵 A great action packed morning at Alford Academy!
🪸 I was delighted to take part in the brand new “Rig to Reef” project, spearheaded by Chris a Science & Biology teacher at the campus.

#marinebiology #education #community #scicomm

🤿 🌊 🧪 🦑

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 13d

Ola! Yes me too, always love the electric blue colour on these spiny’s!

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 13d

🤣

Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 13d

Colour me relieved after that final whistle 😆

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 13d

Sooo many critters about and the rock walls were like spiny squatie cities…. Bustling!
Ahhhh yep, needed that! Reenergised by the Ocean 💧

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 13d

🤿 A great session this afternoon with friends near Portsoy!
Water temp felt a little fresher today but we still managed 1.5hrs in the water!

#snorkelling #freediving #underwater #underwaterphotography #marinelife #olympustg7 #marinebiologist #coldwatertherapy #saltwaterlife

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 16d

Do you like my new lamp!?

🤿 🌊

#lamp #dive #diver #divinghelmet

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Reposted by Dr Lauren Smith

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 17d

Microplastics Threaten Shark Reproduction In Indian Coastal Waters

A study on spadenose sharks along the west coast of India reveals that microplastics are pervasive in both gastrointestinal and reproductive tissues, with females showing higher accumulation,…

www.forbes.com

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 16d

🥴😂 rough water indeed!

Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 17d

Who doesn’t love a Sea Turtle?

📍 Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

#SeaTurtleSunday ?

🤿 🌊 🦑

#turtle #greenturtle #underwater #underwaterphotography #dive #divelife #scuba #freedive #sealife #marinelife #saltwaterlife

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 17d

Absolutely! For a second after Cashy’s goal i actually thought we might get a win …. I mean 10 men 🤨

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Dr Lauren Smith @saltwaterlifeuk.bsky.social · 19d

Stunning

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