Centre for Environmental Data and Recording - CEDaR

19/12/2025

Happy holidays from everyone at CEDaR!

Thank you for all the records that you submitted in 2025, see you in the new year!

16/12/2025

Tired of singing the same Christmas carols every year? Jazz up your songbook with some whale song 🐋

🎵Many male whales make regular, predictable patterns of sounds, mostly within the typical human range of hearing. Sound is a particularly important sense for marine mammals as smell and sight are impaired underwater.

👥The same “songs” are roughly performed by all the males in a population. Singing is most common for humpback whales during breeding season (December-March in N. Hemisphere) so it is believed to be linked to attracting a mate.

🎛️The song changes over time, it has been suggested this is due to individual whale’s attempts to stand out!

🌎Singing can also happen in feeding habitats and during whale migration so there is still much to learn!

Submit your whale sightings or other marine records to the CEDaR NI Mammal Recording Project: https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/mammal-recording-project

11/12/2025

Species of the month: the Grey and Common Seals!

Only 2 seal species are found in the seas around NI, we couldn’t pick a favourite – can you?

🦭 Grey seals are larger than common seals, with grey fur, long faces & parallel nostrils. Common seals have shorter faces with v-shaped nostrils & spotty fur. Common seals aren’t so common, they are the rarer of the 2 species – maybe why they also get “Harbour seals”! Both species are on the NI priority species list.

🗓️ Seals may be observed year-round, they come ashore to digest their food & rest. Grey seals moult on shore between December & April. Common seals moult between July and September.

🐟 They have similar diets, consisting of mostly sand eels, cod, herring & squid. Common seals have been recorded diving more than 500m, while greys don’t dive much beyond 300m.

🍼 Seal pups are born on land & looked after by their mothers for a few weeks. Common seal pups can swim at just a few hours old, but grey seal pups are born with white fur that isn’t waterproof so they stay on land for longer until it has moulted.

Record your seal sightings on CEDaR online recording using the NI Mammal Recording Project form: https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/mammal-recording-project

⚠️ If you find a seal which you think might be distressed please don’t approach it, instead inform Exploris on 028 4272 8062.

09/12/2025

Storm Bram is set to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to Northern Ireland. Southerly and then southwesterly winds with speeds of up to 70mph are expected, in coastal areas and on higher ground these winds could be even stronger 💨

After Storm Bram, you might find species, normally found deep below the waves, washed up on the shore 🌊 🦀🐚
Submit your records to our Storm Watch submission page: https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/storm-watch

⚠️The Met Office have issued an amber warning for wind for the West of NI from 2pm-7pm 09/12/25 and a yellow warning for the whole of NI for 9am-10pm 09/12/25, warning that the storm is expected to cause disruption. Storms are dangerous and can pose a serious risk. Do not go to the coast or travel whilst weather warnings are in place! Hazardous conditions can persist after a storm event, if you participate in recording efforts you are doing so at your own risk. Stay Safe everyone ⚠️

08/12/2025

Launched in July 2025, CEDaR’s Northern Ireland Mammal Recording Project marks 25 years since the end of our first bespoke recording project, the NI Mammal Recording Scheme (1995-2000). Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of CEDaR itself, we thank everyone who has taken part in this project so far, and celebrated these milestones with us! 🥳

It’s not too late to get involved! Record your mammal sightings for 2025 on CEDaR online recording or the iRecord app 📲
Find our bespoke recording form here: https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/mammal-recording-project

04/12/2025

Rain or shine (or hail!) earthworms are active, and so are we! ❄️

Our Earthworm Sampling and Study Days gave intermediate level participants, returning from April’s course, an opportunity to find and identify yet more earthworms (and invasive New Zealand flatworms).

Thanks to Keiron Brown and Emma Sherlock from the Earthworm Society of Britain for their expertise.

You can find out more about the sampling from the BBC news article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgv25wvgwvo

Be sure to submit your earthworm records using CEDaR online recording or the iRecord app 📲

03/12/2025

01/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who celebrated 30 years of connecting nature & people with us!
Thank you also to everyone who’s submitted a record and made the last 30 years possible 🎉

28/11/2025

On Saturday 22nd November, we officially marked our 30th anniversary with our Connecting Nature and People Conference and Publication Launch.

Thank you to every one of you who came along to celebrate with us, and additionally thank you to every one of you who has supported our work and submitted records over the past 30 years.

Read more about the event here: https://www.nationalmuseumsni.org/news/cedar-marks-30-years-evidence-led-environmental-action

Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

21/11/2025

Something new is coming 🌱

20/11/2025

Recently, CEDaR ran a cetacean identification training course with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group at Portrush. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Be sure to record your marine species sightings using CEDaR online recording: https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/marine

19/11/2025

Our earthworms have been getting some attention over on BBC News NI

🪱 Read more about our earthworm sampling day at the article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgv25wvgwvo

Don't forget to record your earthworm sightings at CEDaR Online Recording, or iRecord.📲