Drew Oliphant, one of ORCA’s volunteers, is currently carrying out research as part of ECOMAR. ECOMAR is a £2 million UK project aimed at understanding how physical and biogeochemical factors influence the distributions and structure of deep-sea communities, focusing on the fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 4 sites in different environmental settings.

Currently on the research ship, the R.R.S. James Cook, Drew is most heavily involved with an investigation into deep-sea food webs and whether there is a difference east and west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and north and south of the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone. The cruise lasts for 5 weeks and the ship is due back in Aberdeen on the 19th of August.

Of particular interest to ORCA members and supporters, on the same vessel Mick Mackey working for University College Cork is conducting a sea mammal survey and the ship is also towing a hydrophone to pick up audible and ultrasonic sounds under the water.

So far, Drew has seen many pods of dolphins, including common, striped and white-sided, and there have been numerous sightings of pilot and sperm whales. However the most exciting sighting to date, was a group of five or six Sowerby beaked whales.