Research
This industry-research partnership was formed in 2015 when we identified a knowledge gap in practice for identification of resting and breeding places of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra. These sites are protected under European and UK legislation but no evidence-based guidance was available for survey or interpretation. We hypothesized that camera-traps would be a crucial tool, but needed to test and develop robust approaches to their use in this context.
We developed a programme of underpinning research, including a longitudinal camera-trap study of a resting place and natal holt over several years (and ongoing; Findlay et al. 2017), a novel series of trials to elucidate the factors that impact detection probability (and it’s components) of camera-traps to otters (and other medium sized mammals; Findlay et al. 2020) and, to our knowledge, the single largest camera-trapping study of otter holts (monitoring 26 sites for an average of 375 days each over a 4-year period across the River Tweed catchment; Findlay et al. 2023).
Impact
Findings of our studies have been disseminated via a series of training courses and webinars delivered in Scotland and England via the UK’s leading professional body for ecologists CIEEM, and to several private ecological consultancies. In addition, we have written industry articles aimed at practitioners across the UK that translate our science into guidance for field surveys and data interpretation (Findlay et al. 2018) and discuss the extent to which otter survey license conditions in the UK nations align to what the evidence suggests is best practice (White & Findlay 2024). The latter article won the 2025 CIEEM In Practice Award.
Our work was featured in a video as part of Edinburgh Napier University’s Innovation Hub case studies and in the 2023 Red Triangle magazine (page 11). We are currently developing a handbook for otter surveying that builds from our research and field experience which will be available in 2025 and discussing development of otter survey guidelines with NatureScot and Scottish Forestry.
Please contact us if you want to discuss any potential research collaboration or require otter consultancy or training services.
Outputs
Danes E.M., Findlay, M.A., Oliver, K.J., Chadwick, E.A. & White, P. J. C. (in preparation) A novel method to estimate the age of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) cubs from camera trap footage using proportional body measurements
Findlay, M. A. & White, P. J. C. (in press) The Otter Field Survey and Monitoring Handbook: a practical guide to field and camera-trap surveys. Pelagic Publishing, London details here
White, P. J. C. & Findlay, M. A. (2024) Do UK survey licenses for otter support best practice? CIEEM’s In Practice available here
Findlay, M. A., Briers, R. A., Ingledew, R. P., & White, P. J. C. (2023). An evidence-based approach to identifying resting sites of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from camera-trap and field-sign data. Wildlife Biology https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01036
Findlay, M.A., Briers, R. A., & White, P. J. C. (2020). Component processes of detection probability in camera-trap studies: understanding the occurrence of false-negatives. Mammal Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-020-00478-y
Findlay, M. A., Briers, R. A., & White, P. J. C. (2018). Optimising camera trap data quality at mammal resting places. CIEEM’s In Practice available here
Findlay, M.A., Briers, R.A., Diamond, N., & White, P. J. C. (2017). Developing an empirical approach to optimal camera-trap deployment at mammal resting sites: evidence from a longitudinal study of an otter Lutra lutra holt. European Journal of Wildlife Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1143-0
Names in bold are current or former staff or students working in the lab
Pat White | Method(Ec)ology 