NatureScot launches app to track Flapper Skate across Scotland
NatureScot has now released a 'Skatespotter' app, which it is hoped will help track the marine creatures as they move across Scotland and give an indication of their numbers.
Anglers, divers, fishermen, marine surveyors and beachwalkers are all encouraged to download the app and use it to upload any pictures they take of the fish so it can be cross-referenced with other snaps taken elsewhere.
The SkateSpotter mobile app builds on the success of the online flapper skate photo database, which began when angling charter skipper Ronnie Campbell gave 400 digital photos of the fishto the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in 2018.
Seven years later, SkateSpotter, curated by NatureScot with contributions by even more anglers, contains more than 4,000 photos of around 2,500 individual flapper skates - recognisable by their distinctive spot patterns matched with the help of AI.
The app can be accessed through a mobile phone (Image: NatureScot) The mobile phone app is designed to make it easier for the public to submit photos on the go, but older photos can also be uploaded since the app recognises the date and time the photo was taken.
The data from Skatespotter has already proven valuable and was used by scientists at Marine Directorate in Aberdeen to model the population of flapper skate in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) last year.
The model showed that flapper skate are recovering faster inside the MPA than outside.
Jane Dodd, NatureScot's elasmobranch specialist, said: 'An army of volunteers using SkateSpotter could generate a much more significant amount of data than a handful of scientists.
'Flapper skate are generally resident, but they do travel longer distances and we might be underestimating these because most of our SkateSpotter submissions come from specific areas.
'It was time for an app to make it easier for people from all over Scotland to contribute photos of skate and hopefully help us further understand the longer distance movements of these amazing fish.'
Anyone encountering a flapper skate, either when angling, diving, fishing, surveying or walking on the beach, can submit a photo via the app.
They will then be asked for additional information on the general area where the skate was seen, whether it is male or female and its size.
Once the photo is submitted, it will be matched against others already in the database by AI or added as a new individual.
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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
App to build better picture of endangered skates in Scotland
With the new, free SkateSpotter app now available on the Play store and the App store, [[Nature]]Scot is asking anyone who spots a flapper skate to take a picture and report it. The mobile phone app is designed to make it easier for the public to submit photos on the go but older photos can also be uploaded since the app recognises the date and time the photo was taken. The data from Skatespotter has already proven to be valuable. It was used by scientists at Marine Directorate in Aberdeen to model the population of flapper skate in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) last year. The model showed that flapper skate are recovering faster inside the MPA than outside. Skatespotter app in use on beach (Image: NatureScot/Catriona Webster) Steven Benjamins of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) said: 'Most of the data in SkateSpotter is from flapper skate angling in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura MPA because that's where most of our contributing skippers are based, with some photos from Orkney and Shetland, the Mull of Galloway and Ireland. With the addition of AI to help us match photos it was time for an app to make it easier for people from all over Scotland to contribute photos of skate and hopefully help us further understand the longer distance movements of these amazing fish.' Jane Dodd, NatureScot's elasmobranch specialist, said: 'We encourage anglers, divers, fishermen and marine surveyors from all over Scotland to download the SkateSpotter app and become citizen scientists, helping us to understand and restore these amazing animals. An army of volunteers using SkateSpotter could generate a much more significant amount of data than a handful of scientists. Flapper skate are generally resident or show site fidelity (leaving and coming back to a site) but they do travel longer distances and we might be underestimating these because most of our SkateSpotter submissions come from specific areas. Imagine being the person who submits a photo of a skate from Shetland only to find the skate originated from Orkney or the west coast of Scotland!' Read More Anyone encountering a flapper skate, either when angling, diving, fishing, surveying or walking on the beach, can submit a photo via the app. They will then be asked for additional information on the general area where the skate was seen, whether it is male or female and its size. Once the photo is submitted, it will be matched against others already in the database by AI or added as a new individual. Contributors will be provided with an update on 'their' skate if it is reported again and sensitive information like fishing marks will not be shared without permission. Flapper skate belongs to the elasmobranch or shark family. Instead of bones, it has a skeleton formed of cartilage. Adult flapper skate can reach up to 285cm (for the larger female sex) and seem to prefer deep (100m+) muddy habitats where they eat prawns and other smaller skates and small sharks. In 2009 it became illegal to land skate in most of Europe which means any skate caught as bycatch should be released unharmed. All angling for this species in Scotland is on a 'catch and release' basis. Recapturing previously identified skate suggests there is no harm to the fish when released. However, common skate are still at risk from unintentional capture in mobile gear such as trawls and dredges.
The National
09-07-2025
- The National
Scots urged to help scientists track endangered fish with free app
A FREE mobile app is being used to determine the population of the endangered flapper skates around Scotland's coasts – thanks to their unique patterns. The flapper skate is a species of fish belonging to the elasmobranch/shark family. They enjoy deep muddy habitats where they eat prawns, smaller skates and sharks. The SkateSpotter app is now being used to get a clear picture of how the flapper skate populations are faring around Scottish coastlines. The new app is available now on the Google Play store and the App Store on Android and IOS devices. The SkateSpotter mobile app builds on the success of the Online Flapper Skate Database, which began when charter angler skipper Ronnie Campbell sent 400 digital photos of flapper skates to the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in 2018. Seven years later, SkateSpotter, curated by NatureScot with contributions by even more anglers, contains more than 4000 photos of more than 2500 individual Flapper Skates recognisable by their distinctive spot patterns matched with the help of AI. NatureScot's elasmobranch specialist Jane Dodd said: 'We encourage anglers, divers, fishermen and marine surveyors from all over Scotland to download the SkateSpotter app and become citizen scientists, helping us to understand and restore these amazing animals. "An army of volunteers using SkateSpotter could generate a much more significant amount of data than a handful of scientists. "Flapper skates are generally resident or show site fidelity (leaving and coming back to a site), but they do travel longer distances and we might be underestimating these because most of our SkateSpotter submissions come from specific areas. Imagine being the person who submits a photo of a skate from Shetland only to find the skate originated from Orkney or the west coast of Scotland!' NatureScot is now asking anyone fishing, diving, angling or walking on the beach to take a photo of any Flapper Skate they see and report it on the app along with its gender and location. Older photos may also be used as the app recognises the date and time the photo was taken. Once submitted to SkateSpotter, AI either matches it to a photo already in the database or adds the skate in the photo as a new individual. Contributors to the app will then be updated about 'their' skate if it is reported again. Steven Benjamins of SAMS said: 'Most of the data in SkateSpotter is from flapper skate angling in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) because that's where most of our contributing skippers are based, with some photos from Orkney and Shetland, the Mull of Galloway and Ireland. "With the addition of AI to help us match photos, it was time for an app to make it easier for people from all over Scotland to contribute photos of skate and hopefully help us further understand the longer distance movements of these amazing fish.' The data from SkateSpotter has already proven valuable. It was used by scientists at Marine Directorate in Aberdeen to model the population of Flapper Skate in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area last year. This MPA spans 286 square miles and includes the waters of Loch Sunart, the Sound of Mull, the Firth of Lorne and the Sound of Jura. The model showed that flapper skate are recovering faster inside this MPA than outside.
The Herald Scotland
08-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
NatureScot launches app to track Flapper Skate across Scotland
The species belong to the shark family and tend to frequent the same areas – but are also knownto travel long distances. NatureScot has now released a 'Skatespotter' app, which it is hoped will help track the marine creatures as they move across Scotland and give an indication of their numbers. Anglers, divers, fishermen, marine surveyors and beachwalkers are all encouraged to download the app and use it to upload any pictures they take of the fish so it can be cross-referenced with other snaps taken elsewhere. The SkateSpotter mobile app builds on the success of the online flapper skate photo database, which began when angling charter skipper Ronnie Campbell gave 400 digital photos of the fishto the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in 2018. Seven years later, SkateSpotter, curated by NatureScot with contributions by even more anglers, contains more than 4,000 photos of around 2,500 individual flapper skates - recognisable by their distinctive spot patterns matched with the help of AI. The app can be accessed through a mobile phone (Image: NatureScot) The mobile phone app is designed to make it easier for the public to submit photos on the go, but older photos can also be uploaded since the app recognises the date and time the photo was taken. The data from Skatespotter has already proven valuable and was used by scientists at Marine Directorate in Aberdeen to model the population of flapper skate in the Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA) last year. The model showed that flapper skate are recovering faster inside the MPA than outside. Jane Dodd, NatureScot's elasmobranch specialist, said: 'An army of volunteers using SkateSpotter could generate a much more significant amount of data than a handful of scientists. 'Flapper skate are generally resident, but they do travel longer distances and we might be underestimating these because most of our SkateSpotter submissions come from specific areas. 'It was time for an app to make it easier for people from all over Scotland to contribute photos of skate and hopefully help us further understand the longer distance movements of these amazing fish.' Anyone encountering a flapper skate, either when angling, diving, fishing, surveying or walking on the beach, can submit a photo via the app. They will then be asked for additional information on the general area where the skate was seen, whether it is male or female and its size. Once the photo is submitted, it will be matched against others already in the database by AI or added as a new individual.
