Bottlenose dolphin pod 'at risk'

ONLY POD IN ENGLAND PUT IN DANGER ON DAILY BASIS

A NEW study has highlighted the vulnerability of England's only resident pod of bottlenose dolphins.

Research led by the University of Plymouth, together with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the South Coast Bottlenose Dolphin Consortium, has provided the first detailed examination of the pod's existence and the daily challenges from human activities and environmental factors.

A combination of human activity, environmental pollution and difficulties in rearing young that survive into adulthood are posing serious dangers, according to the research.

For almost a decade, scientists and conservation groups based along the English Channel coast have been working together with citizen scientists to monitor the movements and distribution of this population.