Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)

根据《海豹保护法》(1970年)和《2010年海洋(苏格兰)法》，NERC有法定义务向英国政府和下放的行政当局提供关于管理和保护其海豹种群的科学建议。这项立法是英国努力确保其海豹种群，包括灰海豹和斑海豹(也称为普通海豹)不受海洋环境中人类活动的不利影响的手段。海豹经常与人类发生冲突，特别是在渔业方面，但在开发海洋可再生能源和重大基础设施项目等其他海洋活动方面也越来越多。结合其他法定义务，特别是欧盟栖息地指令和海洋战略框架指令，英国政府和下放的行政当局必须确保这些被列入名单的物种享有“有利的保护地位”，并了解它们的种群趋势和变化的驱动因素，以帮助确定英国海洋是否处于“良好的环境状况”。为了满足这些要求，NERC的任务是海洋哺乳动物研究单位(SMRU)解决它每年从英国政府收到的关于人口状况和人口变化驱动因素的问题。为了实现这一目标，SMRU实施了一项监测方案，以确定这两种英国海豹的种群状况和趋势。此外，它还进行了基础科学研究，以了解不同的海洋活动和发展对这两个海豹物种的种群增长率和生存和繁殖能力的影响。它还有助于找到减轻任何负面影响的方法。英国政府还需要了解导致种群趋势变化的自然因素，并确定物种何时可能达到其增长的极限。SMRU与政府机构和法定自然保护机构密切协商，应对与海豹保护有关的新问题，并提供创新的方法，在区域管理层面上了解海豹的活动、海上行为、种群结构以及自然和人为因素对其种群的影响。

NERC has statutory obligations under the Conservation of Seals Act (1970) and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 to provide the UK government and devolved administrations with scientific advice on the management and conservation of its seal populations. This legislation is the means by which the UK strives to ensure its seal populations, both the grey and harbour (also known as common) seal, are not adversely affected by human activities in the marine environment. Seals have often come into conflict with humans, particularly in relation to fisheries but also increasingly with respect to other marine activities such as the development of marine renewable energy and major infrastructure projects. In conjunction with other statutory obligations, particularly the EU Habitats Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the UK government and devolved administrations must ensure these listed species enjoy a 'favourable conservation status' and understanding their population trends and the drivers of change help determine whether the UK seas are in 'good environmental status'. In order to meet these requirements, NERC tasks the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) with addressing the questions it receives about the status of the populations and the drivers of population change from UK government each year. To achieve this SMRU carries out a programme of monitoring to determine the population status and trends of both species of UK seal. In addition it conducts underpinning scientific research to understand the effect of different marine activities and developments on population growth rates and the survival and reproductive capacity of the two seal species. It also assists in finding ways to mitigate any negative impacts. UK government also needs to understand the natural factors that cause population trends to change and to determine when species may have reached the limits to their growth. In close consultation with government agencies and statutory nature conservation bodies, SMRU responds to the emerging issues relating to seal conservation and provides innovative ways to understand the movements, at-sea behaviour, population structure and impact of natural and man-made factors on their populations at a regional management level.