Loughs Agency and ATU track salmon, dolphins and whales in North Channel expedition

February 27, 2026

Marine scientists from Loughs Agency and ATU have set sail aboard Ireland’s national research vessel, the RV Tom Crean, for a week-long scientific expedition in the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.

Preparing ATU’s passive acoustic monitors (PAMs) for deployment. [Photo: Loughs Agency]

The research cruise is redeploying underwater listening devices allowing scientists to detect tagged fish as they move through the North Channel and record the sounds of marine mammals such as dolphins, porpoises and whales.

By monitoring how animals move through the North Channel as part of the EU Horizon-funded project Strategic Infrastructure for Improved Animal Tracking in European Seas (STRAITS), researchers can provide evidence to support sustainable management and conservation measures. STRAITS is one of several active research initiatives led by Loughs Agency, alongside NorTrack, DTOTrack and MOSAIC and ATU.

Dr Joanne O’Brien, Principal Investigator, ATU, said:

By listening to the underwater soundscape, we can detect dolphins, porpoises and whales that might otherwise go unseen. This technology allows us to build a clearer picture of how cetaceans use the North Channel and how best to protect them in a changing marine environment.

Read the full press release issued by Loughs Agency here.

For information on the ATU and Loughs Agency STRAITS project, see: First acoustic monitoring devices deployed in pan-European STRAITS project by ATU marine scientists – Atlantic Technological University

Photo caption: Preparing ATU’s passive acoustic monitors (PAMs) for deployment. [Photo: Loughs Agency]

Regina Daly, ATU Communications & Press Officer
Tel: +353 (0)91 742826 /Mob: +353 (0)879618355
regina.daly@atu.ie