Sophie Smith is a SUPER DTP PhD student based at University of Highlands and Islands Shetland. The primary aim of her PhD is to establish the marine region surrounding Shetland to be fundamental areas towards the conservation of harbour porpoises through designating Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Data will be collected through a multi-faceted approach in methodologies through the use of land-based surveys, acoustic surveys, and drone surveys. This will determine harbour porpoise spatial occurrence, temporal occurrence, and behaviour to provide an ecosystem-based management approach towards their conservation.

Prior to the studentship, Sophie graduated in Marine Biology BSc (HONS) from the University of Portsmouth with a thesis involving the investigation of the ‘Spatio-temporal patterns of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) occurrence in Jersey, British Isles’. In addition, she has acquired multiple marine mammal internship positions, the most recent being the role of a ‘Whale researcher and Acoustic Analysts’ for The British Antarctic Survey to support their research in the ‘Wild Water Whales Acoustic Recovery Project’.