Dr Texa Sim trained Sgiath to recognise the scent of the carpet sea squirt, and the black Labrador has since helped find hundreds of colonies at low tide. The Scottish Highlands dog was named animal of the year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare as the invasive seaweed bloom drew attention to marine species that can smother native wildlife.
The award will be presented at the 26th annual animal Action Awards ceremony on Thursday 15 October. Sgiath is six years old and is thought to be the UK's first sea squirt-hunting dog.
Dr Texa Sim and Sgiath
Sim, a marine ecologist, said: "Sgiath is incredibly clever. Her problem solving and her ability to take on new challenges and learn so quickly are just phenomenal, and it's so amazing to watch." She also said: "She just does a survey with her nose, essentially, she can pinpoint exactly where it is, so it's much easier," describing how the dog finds the sea squirt at low tide.
Sim added: "When I first started this project, I genuinely didn't know whether it would work," and, speaking about using dogs in marine conservation, said: "No one had really explored whether dogs could help tackle this problem in the marine environment. It began as a proof-of-concept project and has exceeded every expectation I had."
Carpet sea squirt spread
The carpet sea squirt, formally named Didemnum vexillum, is also nicknamed sea vomit. Marine experts believe it came from Japan and arrived on the shores of the south of England and Wales in 2008. It has spread to several seaside locations across the UK, and with warming seas there are fears it could spread further.
Dr Martyn Kurr of Bangor University said non-native or biofouling species like the carpet sea squirt can "outcompete native wildlife for valuable nutrients." If left uncontrolled, the species can smother and kill native species, which is why the dog's low-tide searches matter to coastal wildlife and economies.
The open question is how many carpet sea squirt colonies Sgiath has found overall and exactly where each find was made. For now, the award recognises a working dog whose nose has made a marine search job easier and more precise.
