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This is running as part of a current outreach project, called Genesis, exploring intergenerational changes in climate, conservation, and the attitudes surrounding these topics in coastal communities. This project draws on current research from SAMS, with focus on marine mammals, and extreme climate events, with marine heatwaves being significantly impactful in recent years.

Key Features of the “Cetaceans and Climate Change” Webinar Series

1. Understanding Cetaceans in a Changing Climate:
   • Each session will focus on specific aspects of how climate change is affecting the local area, and cetacean species, from shifts in their migration patterns and habitat ranges to changes in prey availability and breeding grounds.
2. Interactive Q&A with Marine Experts:
   • Participants will have the chance to engage directly with leading marine science researchers from SAMS. This is designed for two-way conversations around these issues, to learn more about experiences from the communities themselves.
3. Exploring Conservation Efforts and Policy Implications:
   • Recently, this has been a highly controversial topic in coastal communities, so these online talks are aimed to increase the two-way conversations around these topics, between the public and the scientific research groups.

Goals of the Workshop Series

The “Cetaceans and Climate Change” workshops aim to raise awareness of the vulnerability of cetaceans to climate change. SAMS hopes to understand more about the attitudes of coastal communities towards these topics. This series is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in marine life to deepen their understanding of the science behind climate change and its impact on some of the ocean’s most iconic species. We want to ensure that this research is not just reaching school audiences, but is being shared with the wider community, to increase the ocean literacy of our society as a whole. This also helps to gain a better understanding of intergenerational attitudes towards climate and conservation science.

School aspects of this project include online careers sessions, in person workshops, and a final gathering of involved classes (Lochnell, Tiree, Castlebay and Eoligarry) to present their work from over the course of the project and take part in some climate and conservation related activities.

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