Why do we want your photographs of Skates ?

Common or flapper skate (Dipturus cf. intermedia) are the largest skates in UK waters, reaching lengths of over 2 m. Once common, they have suffered large declines in population numbers, and the species is now very rare or extinct across most of its natural range. The Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) is designated to help protect the common skate in Argyll waters.

To learn more about the Argyll skate population, researchers from SAMS and SNH are working together on a project looking to see if individual skates can be identified by the spot patterns on their backs. The project is developing a ‘Residents Catalogue’ and database containing the best photo of each skate identified in the area.

Being able to identify individual skates will eventually allow researchers to estimate the size of the skate population in the MPA and how this changes over time. And if anglers can indicate the general area where the skate was caught, this will help to study changes in distribution and assess whether the MPA boundary is in the correct place. All of this will help the long-term conservation of skates in Argyll and across Scotland.

To achieve maximum effect, this project relies on members of the public submitting good-quality photographs. We therefore welcome any and all photographs uploaded through the website below.